Bruno Fernandes has stood alone at Manchester United for some time over his incredible ‘football IQ,’ but that all changed on Saturday afternoon at Old Trafford.
The 31-year-old Manchester United captain was one of the standout performers in the Red Devils’ stunning display against crosstown rivals Manchester City.
The votes are in and Bruno Fernandes is our Man Of The Match vs City
An absolute class act!
Bruno Fernandes MOTM graphic
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Bruno Fernandes had been held back by playing in the two-man midfield pivot of Ruben Amorim’s Man Utd tactical system in the 2025-26 Premier League campaign.
However, Ruben Amorim’s sacking as Man Utd manager earlier this month allowed interim head coach Michael Carrick to step in and correctly utilise Fernandes.
Michael Carrick’s tactics for Man Utd’s set-up in a 4-2-3-1 formation saw Portugal midfielder Fernandes be included in the No 10 role against Manchester City.
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Bruno Fernandes during the Premier League match between Manchester United and Manchester City at Old Trafford in 2026 in Manchester, England.
Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images
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Gary Neville’s focus on the Bruno Fernandes and Bryan Mbeumo link-up shows the tide is now turning for Man Utd
Bruno Fernandes had Patrick Dorgu and Amad Diallo on either side of him in the starting XI and the trio were providing support to Bryan Mbeumo in the attack.
Michael Carrick’s four-player Red Devils attack paid off massively on Saturday afternoon, with Manchester United dominating Manchester City at Old Trafford.
City were fortunate to escape with a flattering scoreline against them, as United could have humiliated Pep Guardiola’s men even further on another day.
Both Bryan Mbeumo and Patrick Dorgu made the difference for Man Utd against crosstown rivals Man City by scoring in the second half to seal a 2-0 win.
Speaking on Sky Sports during Saturday’s Premier League clash, Gary Neville praised the link-up that Mbeumo and Fernandes finally managed to find against City.
Bruno Fernandes cut City apart – now he needs to do it against Arsenal next weekend!
He was extremely unlucky to have a goal ruled out of his own
Fernandes
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“Bruno Fernandes and Bryan Mbeumo have both been outstanding and they haven’t quite connected perfectly, but now they do,” he said, as per the Metro.
“It is absolutely electric in this ground. This is not a time to get giddy. There [have] been many false starts.
“That is three days of pretty good work that we have seen in 65 minutes from Michael Carrick, I have to say.
“I expected a battle. Yes, of course. But I don’t think Man City were expecting United to be as organised and devastating in the combinations in the attack.”
READ MORE: Forget Patrick Dorgu, Peter Schmeichel thinks ‘fantastic’ Man Utd star perfectly sums up his ‘very long time’ point
Bryan Mbeumo’s Man Utd IQ became quite clear after the approach that Bruno Fernandes took in the Man City match
Man Utd stunned Man City in the second half with a breathtaking counterattack that started in their own half, with Bryan Mbeumo and Fernandes at the heart of it.
United fans were finally able to see two Red Devils players share a ‘telepathic’ understanding of one another during the important counterattack in the match.
Amad Diallo was out on the right and Mbeumo committed to a speedy run towards the centre while Fernandes pushed forward against the scrambling City defence.
Michael Carrick is off to the PERFECT START at Man Utd, and he wants more!
Why do you think it went SO RIGHT for Carrick against City?
Carrick graphic
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Fernandes’ magnificent football IQ showed him dupe the City players by appearing to set up Amad after he drifted the ball towards the right as he was progressing forward.
Mbeumo picked up the pattern and ensured that he stayed centrally without drifting too much to the left to allow Fernandes to play the perfect ball towards him.
The latest Mbeumo and Fernandes link-up feels like the natural stepping stone in evolving their dynamic after their ‘telepathic connection’ in Man Utd’s 4-2 win over Brighton in 2025.
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