Man Utd vs Spurs: Bruno Fernandes stinker paints the perfect picture
Man Utd vs Spurs highlighted just how much Manchester United currently relies on Bruno Fernandes, with the captain struggling to influence the game as Michael Carrick’s side continued its difficult start to the season
Sitting in 12th place, Manchester United has remained one of four Premier League teams to not have a clean sheet yet. This is just one indicator of how the Red Devils season has gone so far. Michael Carrick has led his team to just one win in six, which is not how he ended 2025/26.
Tottenham, on the other hand, needed a break. After scoring their first goal of the season in GW 5, things were looking bleak, for the manager and fans. Unlike Carrick’s men, the north London side doesn’t have a win yet. This means that while both managers finished close to opposite ends of the table, their positions are currently shaky.
When Bruno Fernandes struggles, everyone struggles
Fernandes carried Man United on his lanky shoulders last season, creating a 21-assist record and dragging the side to third place. This season, the cracks are showing, because whenever the captain has been off his game, the team has been difficult to watch.
Obviously, you look different when your best player is off, but Man Utd’s overreliance on their captain for ball progression and shot creation is a problem. Fernandes is doing two full time jobs in one shift. This means that sometimes, he’d do more of one than the other.
Against Spurs, the Man United No. 8 was impeccable in ball progression, but didn’t create the volume or quality of chances fans have come to expect. He made 10 line breaking passes, and 11 into the final third. Tielemans and Mainoo also contributed in these areas, but none of them could contribute in shot creation.
Finishing as always, cost Robert De Zerbi
Tottenham’s game plan worked even better than De Zerbi could possibly have hoped. Senne Lammens must have thought it was Boxing Day, because he gave Spurs a golden chance.
De Zerbi’s men got four big chances, but two of them came directly from Manchester United errors. Maguire produced the second. That said, the away side was excellent in buildup and shot creation. They got Man United into compromising positions several times, but could not convert any of them into goals.
What next for both sides
Spurs fans could say the game was more difficult than it should’ve been, because of the red card. It was deserved, and Rodrigo Bentancur is aware that headbutts are straight reds.
With one win combined between both teams, the game was always about who was worse. Manchester United turned out to be. A team that becomes this bad without its best player is on the brink of disaster. As for De Zerbi’s men, if they continue creating chances like against the Red Devils, they’d start climbing up the table.