“He deserves special mention” - Rio Ferdinand reserves special praise for 2 Manchester United stars after win at Fulham

In the wake of Manchester United's triumph over Fulham on Saturday, November 4, Rio Ferdinand had nothing but admiration for Harry Maguire and Bruno Fernandes.

Under the guidance of Erik ten Hag, Manchester United entered the pitch at Craven Cottage on Saturday burdened by the weight of expectation. This was due to consecutive 3-0 losses at their home ground to Manchester City and Newcastle in the Premier League and Carabao Cup respectively.

Nonetheless, the Red Devils managed to edge past Fulham with a 1-0 victory, courtesy of Fernandes' dramatic late goal. Following the win, Ferdinand lauded the on-field heroics of captain Fernandes and former captain Harry Maguire. He told TNT Sports (via Mirror):

"The captain stood up. We needed a big performance, we needed a goal. Critical time against Burnley after the Champions League defeat, he stepped up. Today they needed somebody to step out of the shadows and get into the spotlight. That was him. He took responsibility. A fantastic strike."

Interestingly, the Fulham game was only Manchester United's third clean sheet in the Premier League this season. This was partly thanks to Maguire's hard work, which did not go unnoticed by Ferdinand, who said:

"He (Maguire) deserves special mention as well. Head injury in the first couple of seconds of the game, battled his way through. It’s not about performances, there wasn’t a good performance there today. But they got the three points and that’s the most important thing."

Maguire's inclusion in United's first team has been sporadic since Ten Hag took the managerial reins in the summer of 2022. Yet, an injury to Lisandro Martinez paved the way for his return. Rising to the occasion, Maguire has assisted a goal in six Premier League games and even netted in his sole UEFA Champions League outing this season.

Meanwhile, Fernandes, with three goals and two assists in 11 league games, continues to be an indispensable asset for Manchester United.

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Bruno Fernandes clinches Manchester United fans' Player of The Match award

After Manchester United's nail-biting 1-0 victory against Fulham, the fans cast their votes to determine the standout player of the match.

In the dying moments of the game, Facundo Pellistri set up the ball for Bruno Fernandes. The Portuguese midfielder expertly sent it past Bernd Leno, securing all three points for the Red Devils.

Upon the match's conclusion, supporters poured into the club’s official website and app, casting their votes for the game's standout player. Given Fernandes's last-minute heroics, it came as no surprise when the tallies showed him in the lead (via United in Focus), bagging 49% of the votes.

The Red Devils will next take on Copenhagen away in the UEFA Champions League on Wednesday, November 8.