'Dictated the game': Erik ten Hag says Man Utd star performed better than Rashford

Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag singled out Bruno Fernandes for praise following the 1-0 Premier League victory over Brentford on Wednesday night.

The Red Devils reclaimed their fourth spot on the table with a hard-fought win over the Bees. Marcus Rashford made the difference with his brilliant first-half strike.

Speaking after the game, Ten Hag said that Rashford has been outstanding with his performances but Fernandez was the best player on the pitch in his opinion.

He told Manutd.com: “Rashy’s performances are outstanding. What he is doing, that is great.”

“But, for me, the best player on the pitch was Bruno Fernandes. By far. I think he dictated the game from the start until the end.

“Bruno was a little bit deeper and I think he was brilliant today. For me, the best player on the pitch. He dictated the game and led us to the win.”

Fernandes impresses in deeper midfield role

Since the international break, Fernandes has been playing in a more deeper midfield role.

The Portuguese struggled to impress against Newcastle United last weekend but he was more effective against Brentford. He had 114 touches and completed a stunning 83 passes.

The standing captain also won six duels and successfully delivered seven long balls. Fernandes definitely influenced the game and there are no surprises that Ten Hag singled him out for praise.

Fernandes’ form has been brilliant since the World Cup break. He has made several goal contributions and yesterday, we saw a different version of him from the centre of the park.

Ten Hag would ideally prefer him to play higher up the field. This should happen soon with Casemiro set to complete his four-game domestic suspension against Everton on Saturday.

Stats from Transfermarkt.com and Sofascore.com

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