MANCHESTER, England: Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes insists his team needs to bounce back immediately after their narrow 0-1 defeat to Arsenal in the opening match of the English Premier League (EPL).
The only goal of the match came in the first half when Altay Bayindir, under pressure from William Saliba, headed Declan Rice’s corner straight into the back of the net, before being headed home by Riccardo Calafiori.
United looked energetic up front, especially with the arrival of two new faces Bryan Mbeumo and Matheus Cunha who put in convincing performances. However, dullness in front of goal once again haunted The Red Devils.
Speaking to Sky Sports after the match, Fernandes admitted there were many positives, but still highlighted weaknesses that needed to be improved.
“This is the first game of the season, so we can’t say it’s a step forward. We did a lot of good things, but it’s clearly not enough.
“Defensively, we did well. We just created a lot of chances without scoring, which is something we need to improve on.”
United dominated the match with possession and more attempts, something Fernandes also noticed.
“I thought we controlled the game well. We were good with the ball and managed to create some chances, but the main problem today was that we didn’t score.”
The 30-year-old also praised the positive impact of Cunha and Mbeumo’s debuts.
“They both played well. We know what they can contribute, their quality is high and they are a big threat when they have the ball.
“This is just the beginning, I’m sure they will create more chances and contribute more to the team.”