Former Manchester United midfielder Owen Hargreaves has singled out Bruno Fernandes for exceptional praise following the Red Devils' convincing 2-0 Premier League victory over ten-man Tottenham Hotspur at Old Trafford. Hargreaves described Fernandes' performance as "ridiculous" and declared him the team's standout player by a significant margin.
United Extend Winning Streak Under Carrick
Manchester United secured their fourth consecutive win under interim manager Michael Carrick with a dominant display against Tottenham. The match turned decisively in the 29th minute when Tottenham defender Cristian Romero received a straight red card for a reckless challenge on Casemiro, leaving Spurs to play with ten men for the remainder of the contest.
United capitalised on their numerical advantage, with Bryan Mbeumo breaking the deadlock in the 38th minute with a precise first-time strike that beat goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario. Bruno Fernandes sealed the victory nine minutes from time with an improvised finish, taking a fortunate deflection off his shin to find the net.
Fernandes Reaches Landmark Milestone
The late goal marked a significant personal achievement for Fernandes, taking him to 200 goal involvements in just 314 top-flight appearances for Manchester United. This remarkable statistic makes him the second-fastest player to reach this milestone for the club, behind only the legendary Wayne Rooney.
"Let's be honest, 200 goal involvements is ridiculous. They're Playstation numbers," Hargreaves exclaimed in the TNT Sports studio. "Obviously Bruno is the best player by a country mile and I just think they look so much stronger now as a midfield three."
Hargreaves Analyses United's Midfield Dominance
The former England international highlighted how United's midfield trio of Fernandes, Casemiro, and Kobbie Mainoo controlled the game following Romero's dismissal. "We said beforehand, under Ruben Amorim, that midfield was a weakness but that midfield three is really good," Hargreaves observed.
He noted that the match had been evenly balanced until the red card dramatically shifted momentum. "Up until that point, in terms of possession and shots, it was 50-50 and that red card obviously changed the game," Hargreaves explained. "But Bruno and Casemiro, they decided to run the game and took over the match."
Praise for United's Tactical Adaptation
Hargreaves was particularly impressed by how United demonstrated a different tactical approach compared to their previous matches under Carrick. "It was very different from the way they played against Manchester City and Arsenal where they played on the counter-attack," he noted.
"They defended really, really well today, we saw something a bit different again. I thought the midfield three ran the game, controlled it, passed the ball beautifully and in the decisive moments they were there."
Special Recognition for Fernandes' Improvisation
The pundit reserved special admiration for Fernandes' unconventional winning goal, describing the technical difficulty of the finish. "The second one, the finish, the improvisation from Bruno... I reckon that's one of his favourite goals he's ever scored because, technically, do you know how hard that is to shin-finish that with the outside of your leg?"
Hargreaves added: "Not many other players in the world could have scored that goal and made it look comfortable. Even with the inside of the foot, never mind with the outside of the shin."
Mbeumo Earns Salah Comparison
Hargreaves also praised summer signing Bryan Mbeumo, who opened the scoring with his fourth goal of the season. The former Bayern Munich midfielder drew comparisons between Mbeumo's composure and that of Liverpool's Mohamed Salah.
"Do you know what I like? And it's probably going to sound ridiculous... I like that he doesn't overly celebrate when he scores," Hargreaves said of United's £71million acquisition. "It looks like he believes he should do it all the time."
"Mbeumo has just got it. He's a great finisher and I said at the start of the season how he reminds me of Mohamed Salah. He's a good finisher, he has a clear picture, he doesn't get too up or too down and that's a brilliant attitude to have when you're playing for a big club."
United's Premier League Position Strengthened
The victory moves Manchester United three points clear of fifth-placed Chelsea in the Premier League table, strengthening their position in the race for Champions League qualification. The performance demonstrated growing cohesion under Carrick's temporary leadership, with particular improvement evident in midfield organisation and control.
Hargreaves' analysis highlights how United have developed a more balanced approach, capable of both counter-attacking football and controlled possession-based play. The combination of Fernandes' creativity, Casemiro's experience, and Mainoo's energy appears to be developing into a formidable midfield unit that could prove crucial in the remainder of the season.
