"The first 25 minutes were unbelievable, great tempo"- Bruno Fernandes says Manchester United could have scored 'so many in the first half' after 1-0 Crystal Palace victory
Midfielder Bruno Fernandes was thrilled with Manchester United's performance in their 1-0 victory over Crystal Palace at Old Trafford in the Premier League on Sunday. The Red Devils implemented a high-press against Crystal Palace. They recovered a lot of balls high up the pitch after putting pressure on Palace's defenders and midfielders.
Despite dominating possession, United struggled to create clear-cut chances during the first half, as they lacked quality in the final third. Brazilian midfielder Fred gave United a much-deserved lead in the 77th minute with an incredible right-footed strike from just outside Palace's penalty box.
Fred's second goal for Manchester United this season proved to be the game-winner in Ralf Rangnick's first game in charge of The Red Devils. Fernandes labelled Manchester United's performance as 'unbelievable', while revealing the strategy Rangnick asked his team to implement against Crystal Palace.
"We had to carry on what we did against Arsenal, and overall, it was a good performance. We created a lot of chances, and the result could have been a bit better for us," said Fernandes in a post-match interview.
Bruno Fernandes went on to heap praise on midfielder Fred. The Brazilian has come in for heavy criticism in recent weeks due to his disappointing performances this campaign. However, the 28-year-old, proved to be the match-winner for United against Crystal Palace. Fernandes said about his Brazilian teammate:
"Fred has these kinds of shots, maybe 1 per year (laughs). Everyone is happy for him; he's such a nice guy. One of the things the manager wants is for us to be more aggressive; the first 20 mins of the game we had a great tempo. We recovered a lot of balls high up the pitch, and it was unbelievable."
FULL-TIME Man Utd 1-0 Crystal Palace
Ralf Rangnick's first match in charge of @ManUtd ends in victory thanks to Fred's superb strike
#MUNCRY https://t.co/1R82B1bKns
United's latest victory took them up to sixth in the Premier League table. The Red Devils are currently three points behind fourth-placed West Ham United.
Manchester United could make up ground on league leaders Manchester City
Manchester United's performances against Chelsea, Arsenal and Crystal Palace over the last two weeks have boosted the morale of the players and fans. The Red Devils are currently eleven points behind Premier League leaders Manchester City, though.
United will face Norwich City, Brentford, Brighton, Newcastle United and Burnley in the Premier League before the turn of the year. United's relatively easy fixture list in December could offer them a chance to close the gap on leaders Manchester City if they continue their current form.
Bruno Fernandes reveals what Ralf Rangnick wants from his Manchester United players #mufc
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United will host Swiss side Young Boys in the Champions League at Old Trafford on Wednesday. The Red Devils sealed qualification to the Round of 16 of the competition, thanks to their 2-0 victory at Villarreal a fortnight ago. They will now look to seal top spot in Group F by beating Young Boys at home.