Bruno Fernandes’ creativity, Matheus Cunha’s type and Antonee Robinson’s overlapping runs in The Debrief

Bruno Fernandes had not scored a objective all season previous to Erik ten Hag’s exit however it’s now 4 objectives in 4 appearances since. In 250 video games for Manchester United, the Portuguese has registered 83 objectives and 72 assists. They’re particular numbers.

He was not flawless towards Leicester. He not often is. It’s half of what’s so spectacular. There had been a poor cross and a botched cross again to the thrower simply earlier than his opener. Fernandes nonetheless had the self-belief to crack one in from exterior the field.

He was concerned within the second and claimed an help for the third, creating seven probabilities in whole – two greater than some other participant over the Premier League weekend. He has created as many in two video games underneath Ruud van Nistelrooy than 9 underneath Ten Hag.

A bit extra freedom has helped, roaming round from that No 10 place on Sunday quite than being restricted to the correct as he had been at instances earlier this season. However that hints on the looming problem for Ruben Amorim – how greatest to deploy the captain.

The incoming United boss favours a 3-4-3 formation and Fernandes’ greatest route into that system comes as an inside ahead however it’s not supreme, significantly with competitors from the wingers for these roles. Wouldn’t it restrict his impression if he was working from the flank?

The proof of this season suggests so however Van Nistelrooy was in no temper to sort out the query when the problem got here up within the press convention. “I cannot comment on that,” he stated of the brand new man’s system. Not his downside. It’s one for Amorim to resolve.

Lone wolf Cunha nonetheless starring

In what had been billed as a must-win sport for Gary O’Neil, Matheus Cunha arrange the primary objective and scored a superb second to safe a 2-0 win for Wolves over Southampton at Molineux. It was a primary win of the season for O’Neil’s aspect. Cunha was the distinction.

His supervisor used the press convention to remind the Brazilian of the necessity to enhance off the ball however that appeared churlish given his contribution on it. There isn’t a proper foot within the Premier League that has scored extra objectives this season – and Cunha creates too.

Regardless of Wolves’ type, solely Erling Haaland, Mohamed Salah and Bryan Mbeumo have scored extra from open play, whereas solely Bukayo Saka and Cole Palmer have created extra massive probabilities for others. He has laid on 9 such alternatives this season.

Most have been missed, Pablo Sarabia squandering two one-on-one probabilities towards Crystal Palace earlier than seizing upon his through-ball early within the sport towards Southampton. Cunha ranks third for accomplished through-balls, by the way in which, eleventh for accomplished dribbles.

Solely Salah has made extra most from quick breaks and Cunha appears greater than able to conserving Wolves up if they might simply tighten up on the again. O’Neil might want extra from his star participant however letting him play with this freedom appears prone to reap rewards.

Talking to Cunha in the summertime, hinted as a lot, suggesting this was his nature. “I do not want to go to the pitch and be a robot, I want to enjoy it.” There was little for Wolves to take pleasure in up to now, however the performances of Cunha have been a notable exception.

Robinson’s overlapping runs

Antonee Robinson is nominally a left-back however his attacking significance to Fulham can’t be overstated. After offering the help for the profitable objective towards Brentford, he adopted up with one other positive efficiency in a 2-0 defeat of Crystal Palace.

He’ll take credit score for his position within the clear sheet, making twice as many interceptions as some other Fulham participant. Robinson ranks among the many prime 10 Premier League gamers this season for each tackles and interceptions, a testomony to his combative method.

However it’s his willingness to drive ahead that units him aside, little question attracting curiosity from the golf equipment proper on the prime finish of the sport. The USA worldwide had 16 final-third entries towards Palace, by far probably the most of any participant on the pitch.

Whether or not it’s Alex Iwobi or extra just lately Reiss Nelson, Fulham boss Marco Silva encourages his left-sided ahead to float inside, utilizing Robinson to supply the width. Overlapping runs are a function of his sport, as revealed by the Genius IQ information.

That monitoring information exhibits that Robinson has made 53 overlapping runs this season, which is the second most of any Premier League participant, putting him simply behind Milos Kerkez. No defender, Kerkez included, has made extra high-speed runs than he has.

The results of these all-action shows is that no defender has extra assists than the 27-year-old Robinson both. The pressure is with the person who calls himself Jedi, nonetheless flying slightly underneath the radar on this positive Fulham aspect – however for the way for much longer?

Beforehand in The Debrief

GW1: Salah’s sprints, Saka’s one-on-ones, Mount’s urgent
GW2: Calvert-Lewin’s runs, Odegaard’s urgent, Pereira’s corners
GW3: De Bruyne’s place, Gravenberch’s runs, Dawson’s return
GW4: Nuno’s masterclass, Duran’s strike price, Nketiah’s taking pictures
GW5: Diaz’s ending, Traore’s finish product, Archer’s points
GW6: McNeil’s position, Kulusevski’s creativity, Gravenberch’s carrying
GW7: Saka’s creativity, Kovacic’s taking pictures, Mitoma’s return to type
GW8: Rashford’s type, Buonanotte’s tackling, Gvardiol’s passing
GW9: Palmer’s positioning, Iwobi’s passing, Savinho’s field entries
GW10: Semenyo’s dribbles, Salah’s box-skills, Caicedo’s tackling