Manchester United head coach Ruben Amorim has said the club “needs more Brunos” after captain Bruno Fernandes once again delivered a standout performance in their 1-1 Premier League draw against Arsenal at Old Trafford on Sunday.
Fernandes opened the scoring with a cleverly executed first-half free-kick, and it took a 74th-minute equalizer from Declan Rice to salvage a point for Arsenal. Late in the game, Fernandes almost sealed the win for United, but a crucial save from Arsenal’s David Raya denied him a second goal.
In a season where United are struggling and currently sit 14th in the Premier League table, Fernandes has been a rare shining light. The Portuguese midfielder is United’s top scorer this season with seven league goals and 12 in all competitions, underscoring his vital role in keeping the club from sinking further.
Ruben Amorim was full of praise for Fernandes, emphasizing the qualities he wants to see replicated across his squad and among potential summer signings. “We need more Brunos, that is clear,” Amorim said. “It’s not just about the quality and character. He makes mistakes, but he is decisive with and without the ball. He steps up all the time. He can show frustration in moments, which might hurt him more than anyone, but he wants to win. He is always available, ready to play in different positions, and when we need a goal or an assist, he is there.”
Fernandes’ influence was evident in how he managed to manipulate the positioning of his free-kick, which was measured at 11.2 yards from the wall, giving him an edge. Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta admitted as much: “If Bruno has done that, football is for clever players. He was more clever than us and the referee.” Even Rice acknowledged the advantage, joking, “It helps that the wall was about 15 meters back!”
Still, Fernandes’ brilliance highlights a deeper issue for United: over-reliance on a single player, especially in a squad lacking consistent performers. Despite Marcus Rashford being another key figure, only Amad Diallo has more goal contributions than Rashford’s five, showing the lack of support for Fernandes.
Aside from Fernandes’ impact, Amorim reflected on the team’s style of play against Arsenal, admitting it was far from ideal. United had just 31.8% possession, continuing a long-standing pattern of relying on counter-attacks, a theme dating back to Jose Mourinho’s tenure. “When you coach Manchester United, you cannot play like that,” Amorim told Sky Sports. “You have to try to win games, dominate possession, and push forward.”
He emphasized his ambition to reshape United’s approach: “The plan was perfect today, but we need more possession of the ball and to press higher. I don’t want my team to play in a low block. In the future, I want us attacking more in the final third.”
With a crucial Europa League second-leg match against Real Sociedad coming up, Amorim will be counting on Fernandes again to inspire his side. But for the long term, he knows United need more players who share Fernandes’ leadership, creativity, and winning mentality to rise from their current struggles.
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