Free-kick practice makes perfect for Fernandes
United super-sub strikes again to claim victory in thriller against champions
BRUNO FERNANDES’ set-piece practice on the eve of Manchester United’s FA Cup tie against Liverpool paid dividends as he came off the bench to settle the tie.
Yesterday’s fourth-round encounter was a far cry from last weekend’s tense goalless draw at Anfield between the reigning Premier League champions and current leaders with an empty Old Trafford hosting a thrilling encounter between the old foes.
Mohamed Salah’s fine opener was cancelled out by Mason Greenwood in an entertaining first half which was followed by a similarly pulsating second period.
Marcus Rashford coolly put United ahead only for Salah to level with his second of the match, setting up a grandstand finish in which star man Fernandes came off the bench to score a super freekick winner 12 minutes after he came on.
It gave Ole Gunnar Solskjaer a first win over Liverpool as United manager at the fifth time of asking.
Speaking about Fernandes, the Norwegian said: “He’s got that quality in and around the box. He’s proven to give players assists or score goals.
“Today was a very good freekick. He managed to practise a lot yesterday because whenever he starts, I tell him to go straight in. He can’t do extra free-kicks.
“Yesterday he was told that he wasn’t playing so he stayed out practising for half-an-hour, 45 minutes. I don’t know how long but it worked and it paid off.”
Solskjaer’s men impressed for large periods of a gripping encounter and he continued: “It’s fantastic to win games against last year’s champions. They’re a fantastic team.
“We’ve had good results over the last couple of years. Played different systems but this time we play on our terms as well.
“We’ve found a way we believe in, the players believe in and we’re getting stronger and stronger.
“[The] mentality to come back [from] 1-0 down, we’ve shown that so many times this season, and I feel physically as well we’re stronger and stronger and last the games much more.
“We look at the difference from a year ago, or six months back, so you can’t take too many big strides at one point. But we’re gradually, layer by layer, getting better, winning tight games, so the morale and confidence is very good.”
The man of the hour, Fernandes, when asked how excited he is by United’s recent progression, said: “A lot. As I said when I had just arrived this is everything, a dream come true.
“To play for this big club, to play in the Premier League, put them together, it’s a dream come true – and it keeps being a dream come true.”
A fifth-round home clash against West Ham is the reward for United, who made sure Liverpool’s difficult start to 2021 continued. Their defeat made this the fifth time in six seasons that they have failed to progress beyond the fourth round of the FA Cup under Jurgen Klopp.
A victory against Aston Villa’s youngsters is the only win Klopp’s men have managed in their last seven matches in all competitions, but the Reds boss is taking positives ahead of Thursday’s trip to Tottenham.
“It’s not what we wanted, it’s always frustrating but it’s how it is,” Klopp said.
“If you want to win tonight you have to play at your absolute top and we weren’t at our absolute top. We made a lot of steps in the right direction.
“[The] start of the game was good and then we made decisive mistakes. Around the first goal United scored, we obviously had too many options offensively and no protection and lost the ball.
“It wasn’t the first counterattack in the game so we have to improve that but you can see the boys really wanted to change the fortune.
“We want to score goals. That’s good. We scored twice,
which is good as well, and so that’s all okay.
“But in the end they scored three, we scored two. They are through and we are not, so that’s a fact as well.
“We can take positives out of this game, of course. I saw a lot of steps in the right direction.
“It was good preparation for the Tottenham game with their counter-attacking threat, so we know exactly what we have to work on.
“But it’s how it is. If you’re in a situation you don’t like, you want to get out of it – and we want to get out of it.
“For that we have to make steps. Tonight we made big steps, not the final ones but we made steps and that’s for the moment okay.”
We’ve found a way we believe in, the players believe in