Years pass, but Bruno Fernandes remains the heart of Manchester United
A Bruno Fernandes double, capped by a superb second goal, secured a 2-1 victory for Manchester United over West Ham in their opening pre-season friendly on their US tour. Both teams are participating in the Premier League Summer Series, which also features Bournemouth and Everton.
The MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA – which recently hosted the Club World Cup final and is set to host the 2026 World Cup final – served as the venue for Saturday's Premier League Summer Series opener, with Manchester United defeating West Ham 2-1, and Bournemouth overcoming Everton 3-0.
The tour continues on Wednesday, July 30th, at Soldier Field in Chicago, Illinois, USA, and concludes on Sunday, August 3rd, at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia, USA. Manchester United swiftly pressed the opposition's goal, with Rasmus Hojlund hitting the post in the early stages.
The opening goal arrived shortly after, stemming from a major blunder by Alphonse Areola. The West Ham goalkeeper appeared to have a routine catch from a free-kick, but inexplicably fumbled the ball, leading to him bringing down Ayden Heaven inside the area. Bruno Fernandes calmly converted the penalty in the 5th minute.
The 'Red Devils', with Matheus Cunha in the starting eleven but still missing new signing Bryan Mbeumo, had chances to extend their lead, including a Leny Yoro header and an Amad Diallo goal ruled out for offside.
West Ham controlled possession but posed less of a threat than Manchester United. However, they did create a decent opportunity from a Tomas Soucek header. Rúben Amorim's side emerged with renewed intent after the break, and, just as in the first half, immediately put 'Hammers' under pressure.
Manchester United capitalised on a poor clearance from West Ham, with the ball falling to Bruno Fernandes on the edge of the area. The Portuguese maestro then curled an exquisite, yet not powerful, shot perfectly into the corner, leaving Areola rooted to the spot in the 52nd minute.
That moment of brilliance from the Portuguese didn't deter West Ham, who eventually found a reward for their persistence with a superb run and finish from Jarrod Bowen in the 63rd minute. However, Graham Potter's team failed to complete the comeback, and the MetLife Stadium, filled with fans in red, celebrated a 'Red Devils' victory.