"What a hypocrite" - Pundit slams Bruno Fernandes for double standards after Manchester United loss against Tottenham
BeIN Sports pundit Richard Keys has launched a scathing attack on Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes for his double standards over penalty incidents involving the Red Devils.
Erik ten Hag's side have had an eventful start to their 2023-24 Premier League season. They earned a 1-0 victory over Wolverhampton Wanderers in their opener before succumbing to a 2-0 loss against Tottenham Hotspur in London on Saturday (August 19). Both games were certainly not short of controversy.
Wolves believe they should have received a penalty in the dying minutes at Old Trafford after Manchester United goalkeeper Andre Onana took out Sasa Kalajdzic in the box. Professional Game Match Officials Limited boss Jon Moss later apologized to the Wanderers for the error.
Fernandes, though, justified the decision after the game, saying that Onana had no malicious intent. The Red Devils captain said (h/t NBC Sports):
"It's the way the referee sees it."
Manchester United, meanwhile, believe they were on the receiving end of an unfair decision during their defeat against Tottenham. They feel they should have received a penalty after a shot from Alejandro Garnacho struck Spurs defender Cristian Romero on the hand in the penalty area in the first half.
Fernandes expressed his frustration over the decision and suggested that PGMOL boss Moss should apologize to United as he did to Wolves. Richard Keys, though, has accused the Portugal international of being a hypocrite. The BeIN Sports pundit wrote in his personal blog:
"As for the captain complaining that they (United) should’ve had a pen? Agreed It was a nailed on pen. Handball. No arguments. But so Wolves should’ve had on Monday when Fernandes said 'it’s the way the referee sees it'. What a hypocrite."
Keys acknowledged that United should have received a penalty for the hand ball incident, but he added that Tottenham should have been awarded one as well. He wrote:
"Oh. And Spurs should’ve had a pen when (Lisandro) Martinez cleaned Romero out. He got nowhere near the ball."
United sit 12th in the Premier League with three points after two games. They will hope to return to winning ways when they host Nottingham Forest on Saturday (August 26).
How did Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes against Tottenham?
Against Tottenham, Bruno Fernandes played as the most advanced among Manchester United's three midfielders. Despite the defeat, he was one of the best players on the pitch, earning a 7.8 rating on Sofascore. Only Spurs' Pape Matar Sarr, Guglielmo Vicario and Heung-min Son received a higher score.
Bruno Fernandes had one shot on target, while two went off target, of which one was a big chance. Only Cristian Romero (91) had more touches of the ball than the Portugal international (77). However, he lost possession 22 times, which was the most in the game.
The midfielder completed 35 passes, including three long balls, with 71% accuracy. It included four key passes, which led to two big goalscoring opportunities. Bruno Fernandes, who was booked for dissent, won four of seven duels attempted as well.