Football General Manager
- Man Utd defeat West Ham
- Fernandes nets both goals
- New signing Cunha shows flashes
Bruno Fernandes was in top form as he helped Manchester United edge West Ham in a 2-1 win in the Premier League Summer Series match held at MetLife Stadium.
Man Utd started the match hot, with Rasmus Hojlund hitting the post just seconds into the game. That turned out to be a warning shot, one that led to something real just five minutes in. On what appeared to be a routine sequence, Alphonse Areola fumbled the ball straight into the path of Ayden Heaven, who was taken down in the ensuing scramble to earn the Red Devils a penalty. Fernandes stepped up and buried it, giving his team a 1-0 lead before the game really got going.
Throughout the rest of the first half, West Ham had their moments to dictate play, with Man Utd generally comfortable keeping their shape. The Red Devils, though, had the best look of the half, with Amad Diallo’s goal called back after the winger was a step or two offside before receiving the through ball.
Fernandes had another early look after the break, but put his shot straight at Areola, but it was the Portuguese star who then made the goalkeeper pay after another mistake. After playing a pass straight to Kobbie Mainoo, Areola could only watch as Fernandes curled home from range to double the Man Utd advantage in the 52nd minute.
West Ham pulled one back in the 63rd minute through Jarrod Bowen, giving them something to push for as the game wore on. Shortly after, though, Man Utd fully changed up the team, with Ruben Amorim making 10 changes by bringing in veterans like Casemiro, Mason Mount, and Harry Maguire alongside youngsters Chido Obi, Diego Leon, Jack Fletcher, and Tyler Fredricson. The pace of the game slowed down from there, though, as the team survived a few late chances from West Ham to hold onto the victory.
No doubt about this one. As per usual, Fernandes ran the show, ultimately making the difference with some real moments of quality.
Yes, the first goal was a penalty and, of course, the second goal came seconds after a goalkeeper mistake, but there were plenty of moments scattered in between where Fernandes did what he does. If the Man Utd attack was making things happen, it was generally the Portuguese star at the centre of it, as he so often has been since he arrived at Old Trafford.
When constructing a squad, one of the first things you have to do is make sure that your big pieces fit together. If Saturday was any evidence, Matheus Cunha fits alongside Fernandes just fine.
Throughout the match, the two showed plenty of signs of chemistry, routinely linking up in the centre of the field. It didn’t take long for them to find that connection, either, with Cunha firing a shot on target just 18 minutes in following a Fernandes dummy. It seems that the two are already on the same wavelength, which is a huge positive for Amorim as he looks to build his attack around him.
Furthermore, Cunha showed his willingness and ability to press, frequently pushing forward to try and win the ball back. It wasn’t a headline-making game by any stretch, and there will surely be better performances from Cunha, but there was one big takeaway from Saturday: that Man Utd’s new man can make things happen alongside their talisman.
While many of Man Utd’s younger stars came on in the second half, 18-year-old defender Heaven was one of two teenagers in the starting XI alongside Leny Yoro. He surely had an eventful evening, too, playing his part in two of the three goals on the day.
Heaven was, admittedly, a bit fortunate on the first, as he was able to pounce on the loose ball before being hacked down to draw the penalty. That was one side of things. The other was a hairier moment in the second half, when he was undone by one of the league’s better wingers, Bowen. The West Ham star, of course, has the ability to beat most defenders, but Heaven showed him a bit too much space on his left foot, allowing him to pull a goal back.
Generally, though, it wasn’t a bad day for Heaven, who showed that he can play at this level while also learning a lesson about how he’ll need to raise his game if he wants to reach it himself. The defender made six appearances in all competitions during the second half of last season after making the move from Arsenal during the winter transfer window.
Man Utd will continue their pre-season with the next stop on the Premier League Summer Series: a match against Bournemouth in Chicago. They’ll then wrap up their U.S. run against Everton in Atlanta on Aug. 3.
