One swallow doesn’t make a summer. Manchester United know this only too well.
But now, once again, Man United know the inimitable feeling of beating Liverpool at Anfield, having emerged from the defending Premier League champions’ den with a well-earned victory to close the gap on the top four.
There have been too many false dawns to stand and cry, in Rio Ferdinand’s tone, that Man United are back, but this is a confident stride in the right direction, a reminder that this great club has a deep quality and aptitude that could, maybe, lead to the turning of a corner.
Liverpool were condemned to their fourth defeat in a row, but the Red Devils hardly rode the coattails of the victors before them. It was, as Ruben Amorim put it, “the biggest win of my time at Manchester United.” And it was thoroughly deserved, the hosts reduced by tactical superiority on the day.
So many fine performances, so much to write home about. But it’s probably apt to write first about Bruno Fernandes, who continues to carry so much as the skipper.
Bruno Fernandes' Anfield performance
This was not Fernandes’ flashiest display under Amorim’s wing. The Manchester United leader did, though, prove his capacity to perform in this deeper-sat berth, which has sparked such contention this season, such negativity from outside.
It’s been warranted. Fernandes is clearly not the best number eight in the world, but he is one of the best players, and that counts for much.
And he came up trumps with the assist for Harry Maguire’s winner, with Premier League analyst Raj Chohan hailing the “undefendable” delivery and hailing it a “world-class piece of play”.
Effortlessly creative, undeniably brilliant. The Portuguese Magnifico is United’s creative life force, and he proved this is so against a withered Liverpool, whose hopes of retaining the title already flap behind them, tattered.
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Player
1.
Bruno Fernandes
560
2.
Mohamed Salah
432
3.
Kevin De Bruyne
379
4.
Trent Alexander-Arnold
377
5.
Bukayo Saka
357
As per Sofascore, the 31-year-old won three of five attempted ground duels and made three recoveries. He created three chances and roamed around the field, inspiring and entertaining and energising his team.
There’s no question Fernandes is United’s talisman and their finest player. But INEOS have welcomed some promising summer signings this year, and a few of them have the potential to take the baton when that time comes.
Indeed, one in particular is proving himself a blinder of an addition, already considered one of the best in the business.
Man United have signed 'one of the world's best'
Sir Alex Ferguson once said he would judge his Manchester United players based on how they played at Anfield, and so the legendary boss must have seen a wry and approving smile curl across his face when Bryan Mbeumo charged and finished to silence Merseyside after just one minute on Sunday afternoon.
It took a protracted effort to sign Brentford’s leading light this summer, but United’s persistence paid off upon the addition of the prolific forward, signing him for an initial £65m, which could stretch to £71m through add-ons.
United hoped to land an elite goalscorer, for Mbeumo, 26, had notched 20 top-flight strikes last term, assisting eight goals too. That was only his second in the Premier League this season, but the Cameroonian is proving his worth and then some, playing with gusto and authority in his right-sided attacking berth.
There’s still something to be desired. After all, Mbeumo will face the manager’s ire when the post-match analysis comes in, having lost all 11 of his duels on the day. Liverpool’s profligate finishing was a factor in the victory, and a more robust take will be needed to steer to victory on further upcoming occasions this year.
But this hardly matters when the full picture is observed. Mbeumo was a menace against an unsure and tremulous Liverpool defence. The Manchester Evening News even saw it fit to hand Mbeumo a 9/10 match rating, praising his link-up play with the lively Amad Diallo and his invariable danger when play was funnelled through to his vicinity.
Fernandes was only overshadowed in that he did not score, but whereas before, United might have struck a snatch-and-grab victory with the Portuguese pulling the strings, this was more methodical and wrought from start to finish. To put that another way, United played as a team, and they reaped the rewards.
The best is yet to come. It’s exciting to consider that argument. Mbuemo’s threatening attitude in the final third leaves him in good standing to take the reins from Fernandes when that time comes, to lead Amorim’s United to heights unscaled for so many years at the Theatre of Dreams.
Not just talented and deadly in the danger area, Mbeumo is an intelligent footballer, boasting that rare ability to make the right decision in the right moment at the right time.
This is something that analyst Umir Irfan has noted, with the BBC Sport writer claiming the £150k-per-week ace is “one of the best in the world”, given how “complete he is”.
It is difficult to silence the powerful talent, for if efforts are exhausted in negating one aspect of his game, he merely plucks another from the hat, shifting seamlessly and effectively from scorer to creator to industrious worker.
When you consider it all, each piece of the puzzle, there’s little question that he is one of the finest forwards in the Premier League. And maybe, with a little more work, he might stand proud as one of the finest footballers across the world.