Michael Owen now believes that Bruno Fernandes and another important Manchester United player showed their true qualities in their stunning display against Manchester City.
Bruno Fernandes was played in an advanced attacking position on the pitch under Michael Carrick, who was appointed interim Red Devils head coach last week.
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Fernandes
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The 31-year-old Manchester United captain was the No 10 behind Bryan Mbeumo, with Patrick Dorgu and Amad Diallo either side of Fernandes in the attacking set-up.
Fernandes, Bryan Mbeumo, Patrick Dorgu and Amad Diallo all deeply impressed in Man Utd’s sensational 2-0 result over Manchester City in their Premier League clash.
Mbeumo broke the deadlock in the second half after being set up by Fernandes, while Dorgu found the back of the net later on after a Matheus Cunha assist.
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Bruno Fernandes and referee Anthony Taylor during the Premier League match between Manchester United and Arsenal at Old Trafford in 2025 in Manchester, England.
Photo by Robbie Jay Barratt – AMA/Getty Images
Michael Owen sends a warning about Harry Maguire, despite being impressed by the Man Utd star’s performance
Manchester United’s attack against Manchester City was matched with a stunning performance from the Red Devils’ backline last Saturday afternoon.
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Harry Maguire played the full 90 minutes against City and the 32-year-old United defender produced a strong centre-back partnership alongside Lisandro Martinez.
Despite Harry Maguire impressing with his overall performance, Michael Owen has warned that the former Man Utd captain could be “vulnerable” against other teams.
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Amad and Bryan Mbeumo celebrate
Photo by Darren Staples / AFP via Getty Images
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“I think this game works perfectly for them at the weekend,” he said on the Premier League Productions’ ‘The Final Word.’
“They were playing reasonably deep. Let’s have it right.
“Manchester United, they’re going to struggle a little bit more when they’re playing against lesser teams, playing a low block, and all of a sudden, they’ve got to come and provoke the game themselves.
“They’ve got to play a bit more of a high line. All of a sudden, Harry Maguire’s vulnerable. There’s not much pace at the back.”
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What Michael Owen saw from Bruno Fernandes in Man Utd’s 2-0 win over Manchester City at Old Trafford
Owen highlighted where Harry Maguire could be vulnerable, but the Ballon d’Or winner believes that it was not the case in the Manchester derby at the weekend.
The 46-year-old former England striker insisted that the likes of Maguire and Co benefited from Bruno Fernandes dropping deeper when it was necessary in the tie.
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Patrick Dorgu celebrates with his teammates during the Premier League match between Manchester United and Newcastle United.
Photo by Molly Darlington/Copa/Getty Images
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“At the weekend it was perfect,” Owen continued.
“They sit deep. They give [Erling] Haaland not as much space and they had pace and they had Fernandes in the hole where they could just keep finding him, keep finding him, keep feeding him and he would turn and he would deliver passes, and they had so much speed on the counterattack.
“It was unbelievable to watch. It was a proper Manchester United performance of the past.”
Man Utd are fifth in the Premier League table and the Red Devils are one point adrift from fourth-place Liverpool after the final Manchester derby of the season.
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