Manchester United beat Fulham by three goals to one to advance to the semi-finals of the FA Cup.
The Red Devils came from behind after Aleksandar Mitrovic gave Fulham the lead.
Willian handled the ball inside the box which was deemed to be a penalty. Bruno Fernandes scored from the spot-kick to restore parity.
Marcel Sabitzer opened his United goalscoring account just two minutes later with a clever flick that beat Bernd Leno.
Fernandes grabbed a second and United’s third late into the game to ensure there were no doubts about the result.
United had 56% possession compared to Fulham’s 44%.
Erik ten Hag’s men registered 16 shots, with 10 being on target. Fulham had 12 shots, with six requiring De Gea to swing into action.
United made 476 passes with a pass accuracy of 87%. Fulham on the other hand made 352 passes with a success rate of 81%.
Central to United’s comeback was Fernandes.
Beyond his two goals, the playmaker had 84 touches of the ball and a pass accuracy of 76%.
Fernandes won seven of his ground duels and completed an astonishing six long balls.
The 28-year-old won four of the tackles he delved into.
He made three key passes in what was a decent attacking showing from him.
Fernandes had three shots to his name. Out of the two dribbles the Portuguese midfielder tried, two were successful – a 100% success effort.
The icing on the cake for Fernandes was his two goals.
Bruno Fernandes’ game by numbers vs. Fulham:
84 touches
76% pass accuracy
7 ground duels won
6 long balls completed
4 tackles won
3 key passes
3 shots
2/2 dribbles completed
2 goalsExcellent second half. 💫 pic.twitter.com/pqZ6PUpFA9
— Statman Dave (@StatmanDave) March 19, 2023
If there was any doubting Fernandes’ importance to the team, what he did against Fulham was a reminder of his vital role under Ten Hag. It is a huge positive that he got on the score sheet.