I have no ‘big’ issue

BRUNO FERNANDES hit back at suggestions he has failed to stamp his mark against the Premier League’s heavyweights this season.

Fernandes has scored just once – a penalty in a 6-1 humiliation against Tottenham last October – in seven games against the ‘Big Six’.

That is in stark contrast to his stunning impact against the lesser sides.

But Fernandes has dismissed criticism he is a flat-track bully.

The Portuguese star said: “I see people talking about Bruno not doing so well against the Big Six.

“I score and assist against some of them. I scored this season against Tottenham. But some people say penalties don’t count!

“I’m sure in some moments, I will score, I will assist and I will perform. And that will help my team-mates to win.”

United have fired blanks for three successive games with Fernandes failing to hit the heights in that barren run.

Fernandes, who has 40 goal involvements in 41 appearances for United, added: “I agree the last two games, I didn’t play very well. And I don’t need to see the stats to see if I play well or not. I know when I play well or not.”

KEVIN DE BRUYNE set his sights on winning the Quadruple – on the first day of the season.

Manchester City’s Belgian midfielder insists he began aiming for perfection in September after admitting he still thinks about the Blues’ near-miss two seasons ago.

Pep Guardiola’s men landed an unprecedented domestic Treble in 2019 – after being knocked out of the Champions League by Tottenham.

Now they are on the brink of a third title in four seasons, in the Carabao Cup final and the quarter-finals of the FA Cup and have built up a 2-0 lead over Borussia

Monchengladbach as they look to reach the last eight in Europe.

And, while Guardiola has played down the prospect of the Quad, De Bruyne (above) said: “When you start the season and people ask me what I want to win, I want to win everything.

“You start the Premier League or cup competitions and we never go into a game thinking we want to lose.

“So, in that way, you want to win everything – but it is really hard.

“We were not far away two years ago, when we won three out of four, but it is a lot of games and the schedule is hectic.

“People sometimes underestimate this. It is not easy and other teams are very good.”

City have won a record 21 games in succession in all competitions – smashing an English record.

De Bruyne admitted: “We have probably surprised ourselves, but we never talk about the amount of games we have won.

“You play every two or three days, so it has been such a crazy schedule and you don’t get the time to look back.

“You only know when people start talking about the amount of games you have won.

“We just look at City v United, and see it as a one-off and not as game 22 or whatever it is.”