0 shots on target, 30 times lost possession: Bruno Fernandes had a nightmare outing in 2-0 Chelsea defeat

Manchester United suffered a 2-0 defeat at the hands of Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on Saturday, 31 October, in the Premier League. The Red Devils have now failed to pick up a win in their last nine games across all competitions this season.

Michael Carrick made three changes to the team that suffered a demoralising 3-0 defeat at the hands of Bournemouth at Old Trafford last weekend in the league. Youri Tielemans dropped to the bench as Bruno Fernandes returned to the starting XI.

Meanwhile, Lisandro Martinez replaced Ayden Heaven at the back, while Matheus Cunha took Mason Mount’s place in attack. Senne Lammens continued in goal, while Harry Maguire, Leny Yoro and Diogo Dalot retained their places in defence.

The midfield axis of Carlos Baleba and Andrey Santos started together once again, while Amad and Bryan Mbeumo also retained their places in the starting XI. Kobbie Mainoo, who missed the last four games with an injury, was named on the bench.

United’s struggles have no end

United started the game well and created three big chances in the first half. Carrick, however, was let down by his team’s inability to finish off their opportunities.

Whle the Red Devils failed to capitalise on their opportunities, Chelsea drew first blood in the 50th minute. Morgan Rogers skipped past United’s backline to put the ball into the back of the net.

The Red Devils have lacked a fighting spirit this season and this was evident once again at Stamford Bridge. Martinez picked up his second yellow in the space of a couple of minutes after elbowing Wesley Fofana in the box, and Palmer scored from the resulting penalty kick.

With a man down, the United team did not have the spirit to fight back from a two-goal deficit and succumbed to a defeat. While there were several talking points from the game, Bruno Fernandes’ continued struggles are likely to prolong supporters’ worries.

Fernandes failed to inspire his team

Carrick kept Fernandes on the bench in the 3-0 defeat at the hands of Bournemouth last weekend following his public criticism of the coaching staff. With United desperately needing a win against Chelsea, the Portuguese was recalled to the team but failed to have an impact.

Fernandes managed 80 touches of the ball in the game, and attempted 60 passes with a mere 68% passing accuracy. The 32-year-old made three key passes and created one big chance, but only one of his five long balls reached their intended targets. Fernandes also registered nine crosses, two of which found a team-mate.

The Portuguese failed to register any shot on target in the game, with his only attempt ending up away from the goal. He also had a shot blocked and missed one big chance.

Fernandes attempted three tackles and was dribbled past once. The United skipper lost the ball 30 times in the game and won just five of his 11 duels.

(All stats via Sofascore.)

Featured image by Justin Setterfield via Getty Images