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Manchester United midfielder Christian Eriksen has asserted that he is developing a proper connection with his teammate Bruno Fernandes on the pitch despite initial doubts over their partnership.
Speaking to MUTV, Fernandes explained what it is like to feature alongside the former Tottenham Hotspur playmaker. He said:
"It's really good to play with Christian. He is a player who can find passes, who can find pockets and obviously make my game easier because he can find me when I move in between the lines. It's something that is not easy to do."
In an interview with the club's official website, Eriksen addressed the Portuguese's comments and claimed that he never had doubts regarding playing alongside him at Old Trafford. He elaborated:
"Some people see us as very similar players but they probably only look at the stats and don't see us, the players and the qualities. We have different qualities, a different style of play and, with Bruno and in general, I think I'm learning to get to know all my teammates better."
He added:
"I also get to know how they run, how they want to have the ball, how they move around and how I move around the pitch for them. We're starting to get that connection. With Bruno, it's a good connection and it's nice to have such a good footballer in front of me."
Eriksen, 30, joined Manchester United on a free transfer earlier this summer after departing Brentford at the end of last season. He has registered two assists in eight appearances for the Red Devils, bagging the club's Player of the Month award for September in the process.
Fernandes, on the other hand, has netted one goal and laid out one assist in eight appearances for the club this season. The 28-year-old attacking midfielder has been operating in a more advanced role compared to Eriksen in Red Devils head coach Erik ten Hag's 4-2-3-1 setup.
Manchester United are currently fifth in the 2022-23 Premier League standings with 12 points from six games. The club will next face arch-rivals Manchester City at the Etihad on Sunday (October 2).
Paul Merson predicts outcome of upcoming Manchester United-City clash
In his column for Sportskeeda, former Arsenal forward Paul Merson shared his thoughts on the Manchester derby. He wrote:
"Manchester United are going to sit back and soak it all up, with Marcus Rashford playing on the counter. They'll have to defend unbelievably well to get anything out of this match."
He added:
"I don't see how they're going to sit back without Manchester City not hurting them, and I think Pep Guardiola's side will break them down eventually."
Prediction: Manchester City 3-1 Manchester United
