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With Cristiano Ronaldo absent, Manchester United could only manage a 2-2 draw against Aston Villa. One star who looked back to his best for the Red Devils was Bruno Fernandes.
Speaking to BBC's Match of the Day, former Manchester City defender Micah Richards heaped praise on Bruno Fernandes' performance against Aston Villa:
"It was the Bruno Fernandes of last season. He really was back to somewhere near his best.
"He just dictated the game. He gets a bit lucky with the first goal but if you don’t shoot you don’t score. I just liked the way he dictated the game. He ticked things over and was always looking forward and organizing the team.
"With all the talk of Cristiano Ronaldo, I really think Fernandes stepped up today and was the main man for Manchester United."
When asked if the Portuguese midfielder plays better when Ronaldo is not present in the team, Michah Richards said:
"I think it’s hard to say that but I think he takes more responsibility when Ronaldo’s not there, I think that’s the difference.
"That’s what we want to see. He is a quality player. You look at his goal returns and people are saying he’s not good enough for this United team, he’s more than good enough."
Cristiano Ronaldo and Bruno Fernandes have been Manchester United's main attacking threats this season
Cristiano Ronaldo and Bruno Fernandes are the top two goal scorers for Manchester United in the Premier League this season. The 5-time Ballon d'Or winner has scored an impressive 8 goals in 16 appearances while Fernandes has 7 goals in 19 Premier League appearances.
While some fans and pundits have criticized Ronaldo's and Fernandes' impact this season, they are still extremely effective and undoubtedly game changers for Manchester United.
Fernandes was Manchester United's star player in the 2020-21 Premier League season. Since the arrival of Cristiano Ronaldo, however, the mercurial midfielder has not been as influential as before.
With Cristiano Ronaldo missing through injury against Villa, Fernandes took the game by the scruff of the neck and put in one of his best performances of the season. It will be interesting to see how he plays once Ronaldo returns to the team.
