Manchester United secured their first win of the 2026/27 Premier League campaign this afternoon with an impressive 5-2 win over newly-promoted Ipswich Town.
Michael Carrick managed to right the wrongs of last weekend’s defeat to Hull City, subsequently helping the Red Devils rise back into the top half of England’s top-flight.
Leif Davis’ goal after 29 minutes put the visitors ahead, which saw the side staring down the barrel of back-to-back defeats against a newly-promoted outfit.
The Red Devils may have suffered such a fate this afternoon, but one player dragged the side forward and ensured the club secured their first victory of the new campaign.
The stats behind Bruno Fernandes’ masterclass against Ipswich
At this point, we’re running out of superlatives to describe the impact of Bruno Fernandes, with the attacking midfielder once again starring in a United victory.
Many questioned the 31-year-old after his disappointing display at Hull last weekend, but it’s safe to say he silenced his critics this afternoon with another world-class display.
The Portuguese international got Carrick’s men back into the game at Old Trafford, subsequently latching onto a superb through ball before firing home to level the contest.
The second half was where Bruno came alive, subsequently netting two more goals to claim his third hat-trick since his move to Old Trafford back in 2020.
His excellent performance didn’t end there, as he subsequently played a perfectly weighted through ball to Bryan Mbeumo – who lobbed Kjell Scherpen for his first goal of the 2026/27 campaign.
Bruno ended the game with the most chances created of any player on the pitch, whilst registering the most accurate long balls – one of which led to Mbeumo’s strike.
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Bruno Fernandes – stats vs Ipswich |
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|---|---|
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Statistics |
Tally |
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Minutes played |
90 |
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Goals scored |
3 |
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Assists |
1 |
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Pass accuracy |
86% |
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Chances created |
3 |
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Passes into final third |
9 |
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Dribble success |
67% |
|
Ball recoveries |
4 |
If the Red Devils are to achieve any form of silverware this campaign, it will be no coincidence that it occurs if Fernandes continues to perform at the top of his game.
Man United star is as undroppable as Bruno after Ipswich
There’s no denying that, once again, Bruno has showcased why he is United’s most important player, and when he plays at the top of his game, he’s simply unstoppable.
Very few teams in the division are able to live with the attacker when he’s in full flow, as seen earlier today during the convincing victory over Ipswich in Manchester.
However, if the Red Devils are to achieve success, other players will have to match his levels, with Kobbie Mainoo a player who is more than capable of delivering at similar levels.
The Englishman has returned with a point to prove this term after failing to feature for a minute at the World Cup, with his performance against the Tractor Boys showcasing the mistake Thomas Tuchel made.
Despite the influx of summer additions in the midfield department, Carrick decided to stick with the 21-year-old at the heart of his side for the visit of Gary O’Neil’s men.
His performance was evidence that the manager made the right call, with such a showing highlighting why he’s rapidly becoming as undroppable as the Portuguese international.
Mainoo featured for 80 minutes of the triumph, subsequently completing 90% of the passes he attempted – with six of his efforts being made into the final third.
His calmness in possession was further reflected in his tally of four dribbles completed, with his subsequent tally the highest of any player on the pitch.
Such numbers allowed the Red Devils to progress through the Ipswich low block, with his ability in possession evident for the penalty won by Matheus Cunha.
He also starred without the ball, as seen by his tally of 82% ground duels won and nine ball recoveries made.
Both of the aforementioned figures were higher than any other United midfielder, further highlighting why he should be one of the first names on the manager’s teamsheet.
His quality without the ball was further evident in his tally of three tackles and two interceptions made – with Andrey Santos and Carlos Baleba having a huge task to dislodge the Englishman.
Such a showing against the Tractor Boys this afternoon may have gone under the radar due to Bruno’s display, but it’s crucial Mainoo is given his flowers.
At just 21, he has the potential to develop into one of the best midfielders in the world, which could see him play a vital role in any attempts to secure silverware this campaign.
In the words of Man Utd journalist and content Alex Turk, he was becoming a “future £100m” star last year and this performance demonstrated that he may be there already. Just look at the fees Elliot Anderson and Sandro Tonali moved for this summer and compare them with the performance Mainoo dropped today. On this evidence, he should be worth just as much.