“Baller! Great result” - England cricketer reacts to Bruno Fernandes winning goal for Manchester United against Fulham
England wicketkeeper-batter Sam Billings has hailed Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes for his late winner at Fulham in the Premier League on Saturday (November 4).
Coming off successive 3-0 home defeats - Manchester City (league) and Newcastle United (EFL Cup) - Erik ten Hag's side could ill-afford another setback at Craven Cottage.
They made a bright start, but Scott McTominay's seventh-minute strike was ruled out by VAR due to interference from Harry Maguire. A goalless draw seemed to be in the offing when Fernandes produced a fine low-footed finish past Bernd Leno in the first minute of stoppage time, converting substitute Facundo Pellistri's assist.
Despite the win, the Red Devils (18 points from 11 games) remain eighth in the standings. Nevertheless, Fernandes was delighted with the win and posted an image of himself on Instagram with the caption 'United'.
Billings, who has played 68 times for England across formats, responded:
"Baller! Great result"
Here's a screenshot of Billings' comment on Fernandes' post:
Manchester United next travel to FC Copenhagen in the UEFA Champions League on Wednesday (November 8) as they seek to reach the knockouts after losing their first two games.
Manchester United's 2023-24 season by the numbers
Manchester United have made a dismal start to their 2023-24 campaign, losing a whopping eight of their 16 games across competitions. Five of those defeats have come in the league, where they're nine points off leaders Manchester City after 11 games.
Erik ten Hag's side have struggled to score goals in the league, with their tally of 12 being the second-lowest in the top half of the standings. While they have scored six times in the UEFA Champions League, the Red Devils have lost two of their three games.
Their scoring travails were also evident in their 3-0 home loss to Newcastle in midweek in the EFL Cup Round of 16, which ended their title defence in a whimper.
Injuries to key players like Lisandro Martinez, Luke Shaw and Raphael Varane haven't helped. However, the misfiring attack - especially Marcus Rashford - who has scored just once in 14 games across competitions - has hardly helped matters.
New signing Rasmus Hojlund has netted thrice but is yet to open his account in seven Premier League games. Alejandro Garnacho and Anthony Martial have scored just once apiece, while Antony and Jadon Sancho have had no goal contributions.