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Arsenal legend Ian Wright has revealed that he wished the Gunners had Bruno Fernandes in their ranks. The Englishman also declared that he would love to have the Old Trafford skipper in the Gunners' squad and tactical set-up.
In an analytical conversation via The Overlap, Wright revealed one Manchester United player he wants to see at the Emirates. He stated (via Metro):
"I wish we had Bruno Fernandes, I wish we had Bruno. I would love to have him at Arsenal''
Wright's comments come despite United's poor Premier League run, having lost 17 games this season. But a glance at Fernandes's individual numbers could reveal a different situation from the unpleasant happenings at Old Trafford.
Despite United's decline, Fernandes has hit double digits in terms of goalscoring contributions this season (19 goals and 19 assists in 53 outings). This further highlights how impressive the Portuguese have performed amid Ruben Amorim's side's struggles on the pitch.
Meanwhile, Wright's comments could be due to Martin Odegaard's battle to offer creativity in Arsenal's midfield this season. Odegaard has only registered five goals and 11 assists in 43 games across competitions this season.
Thus, when compared to Fernandes, the Portuguese, who has featured in an unstable team, has performed better than the Norwegian. Also, Fernandes could deliver in front of the goal if given the opportunity to.
Thus, amid Arsenal's injury crisis in attack, the Portuguese might have been able to score crucial goals for Arsenal if he were their player.
“It’s all on Arteta, all. What I’m saying is, he was employed as head coach.” - Peter Schmeichel on Arsenal's failure
Manchester United FC v Manchester City FC - Premier League - Source: Getty" srcset="https://statico.sportskeeda.com/editor/2025/05/7e6fe-17470324590046-1920.jpg?w=190 190w, https://statico.sportskeeda.com/editor/2025/05/7e6fe-17470324590046-1920.jpg?w=720 720w, https://statico.sportskeeda.com/editor/2025/05/7e6fe-17470324590046-1920.jpg?w=640 640w, https://statico.sportskeeda.com/editor/2025/05/7e6fe-17470324590046-1920.jpg?w=1045 1045w, https://statico.sportskeeda.com/editor/2025/05/7e6fe-17470324590046-1920.jpg?w=1200 1200w, https://statico.sportskeeda.com/editor/2025/05/7e6fe-17470324590046-1920.jpg?w=1460 1460w, https://statico.sportskeeda.com/editor/2025/05/7e6fe-17470324590046-1920.jpg?w=1600 1600w, https://statico.sportskeeda.com/editor/2025/05/7e6fe-17470324590046-1920.jpg 1920w">
Manchester United FC v Manchester City FC - Premier League - Source: Getty
Former Manchester United goalkeeper Peter Schmeichel blamed the Gunners' failure on Mikel Arteta and his approach. He also claimed that the Gunners' woes should not be blamed on the club's board or recruitment team.
In an interview on ViaPlay after Arsenal's 2-2 draw against Liverpool, Schmeichel criticized Arteta. He said (via Mirror):
“It’s all on Arteta, all. What I’m saying is, he was employed as head coach. He inherited the team and that team is the only team that he has won a trophy with. Then it’s his own team and then in the process, he’s now changed the job description so he’s now the manager. Everything is on him. It’s not recruitment, it’s not the board.
He added:
“Whenever they [fans] get the opportunity today, watch him in the technical area. Arteta is a control freak, he wants his players to play the ball that he wants. He’s directing everything.
The Gunners lost the Premier League trophy to Liverpool this season despite some notable investments in the squad. They also failed to reach the UCL final and were outplayed and eliminated by Paris Saint-Germain in the semifinal.
Last season, the Gunners lost the Premier League to Manchester City despite leading earlier in the race. These sequential pattern of failure raises questions regarding Arteta's credibility as the club's manager, who is expected to win silverware.
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Abel is an European football journalist who focuses primarily on analysis pieces and preview copies at Sportskeeda. A B.Sc degree holder in Economics, he has a previous work experience of 3 years – a year at Opera News Hub where he was promoted as a 'Verified Sports Writer,’ and over two years at Sportskeeda as a revenue-share writer, where his writing skills have ultimately led him to be integrated into the in-house team.
A Manchester United fan who grew up in a family of Red Devils supporters, he started his journey as an ardent football fan in his childhood. He used to spend hours watching the sport with his family and developed a knack for writing about the beautiful game over the years.
He is a huge admirer of Paul Pogba owing to the midfielder's ability to thread passes from anywhere on the pitch and his favorite manager is Jose Mourinho due to the Portuguese's tactical mind. He feels France's triumph in 2018 is his all-time favorite World Cup moment, and reckons Lamine Yamal and Endrick could replicate the rivalry between Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.
Abel always strives to verify information, especially statistics, before penning a word and offers constructive but not defamatory criticisms. Apart from Europe's top five leagues, he follows the Eredivisie and the Primeira Liga. He loves to spend his free time playing video games like EA FC and watching movies.
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