The Bruno Fernandes show gives Manchester United lift off in Premier League | OneFootball

New season but a distinctly familiar script for Manchester United. They could be grateful for that, too. Even after a summer when they have spent £150m on midfielders, their finest remains the same. It is no secret that Bruno Fernandes is by far and away their outstanding individual in the era since Sir Alex Ferguson retired. In the week he was crowned PFA Player of the Year, Fernandes began his bid to retain the award with a reminder of his extraordinary productivity. A third United hat-trick was followed by his first assists of the season. What began as proof of his capacity to spring comebacks turned into a masterclass that inspired a rout.

Recognition from his fellow players came in a campaign when Fernandes was the creator supreme, with a record 21 Premier League assists. Nevertheless, he only scored nine goals. Now, after serving as the scourge of Ipswich, he is a third of the way to that tally already. United, unconvincing initially, were rampant at the end, Fernandes the catalyst for a transformation as they amassed 33 shots.

It was the first time in five years that United scored five times in a Premier League game; that, against Leeds, also featured a Fernandes treble and came when Michael Carrick was on Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s coaching staff. If this scoreline had echoes of the United of old, they showed defensive frailties, a cavalier streak and a willingness to carry on charging forward.

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Leif Davis (centre) fired Ipswich into the lead (AP)

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Bruno Fernandes got the equaliser before scoring again from the penalty spot (Reuters)

“Scoring goals is the best feeling in football,” said Fernandes. It is one he has experienced more than 200 times in his career. Often the provider in his thirties, he underlined his ability to score different types of goals. He has never possessed raw pace but, when Marcelino Nunez slipped and Matheus Cunha capitalised to feed the ball forward, he ran in behind the Ipswich defence to level with an unstoppable shot.

Fernandes had missed two spot kicks in pre-season. Undaunted, he slotted in a penalty from 12 yards after Cunha was felled by Jacob Greaves; the Brazilian has spent too little of his time as the auxiliary No 9 making driving runs into the box but when he did, it brought a caution for the defender and a goal for United.

Fernandes’ third illustrated his predatory instinct. He was lurking near the penalty spot when Bryan Mbeumo’s misdirected shot fell to him. The Portuguese’s aim was better, finding the corner of the net. It was not Mbeumo’s only piece of faulty finishing – from a yard, he managed to knee the ball against the bar from Marcus Rashford’s volleyed cross – but when he did score, it got Fernandes off the mark in his quest for another 21 assists.

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Fernandes completed his hat-trick and set up Bryan Mbuemo's goal (Getty)

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Harry Maguire's deflected shot was controversially awarded as a Jacob Greaves own goal despite a potential handball in the build-up (Getty)

It was classic Fernandes, with the quarterback pass from deep for the advancing runner. With goalkeeper Kjell Scherpen caught in no-man’s land, Mbeumo’s lob went in off the underside of the bar. It was not United’s most audacious effort: that was Fernandes, performing his best David Beckham impression, trying to score from the half-way line and coming very close as he instead found the roof of the net.

United’s other goal came courtesy of his predecessor as captain, even if it was not credited to him. Harry Maguire’s drilled shot put United ahead but a deflection off the luckless Greaves meant both it was deemed an own goal and not disallowed for a handball. “Really unlucky to be 2-1 down,” lamented manager Gary O’Neil. “Two of the most unlucky goals you will see.”

With that, though, the chance of a first Ipswich win at Old Trafford since 1984 disappeared. The eventual scoreline suggested otherwise but Town were the better side in the first half, United at risk of the wrong sort of double against promoted clubs, following last Saturday’s loss to Hull. “We showed the stubbornness and belief, that was really pleasing for me to bounce back,” added Carrick.

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Marcus Rashford had a fine outing for the hosts having been awarded a starting berth (Reuters)

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Ipswich's Chuba Akpom scored a late consolation in torrential rain (PA)

But not initially when United were open to the counter-attack and reliant on Senne Lammens to preserve parity, Julio Enciso running clear from his own half to have a shot blocked by the goalkeeper and Daizen Maeda seeing a vicious shot brilliantly tipped wide.

Warnings went unheeded. Ipswich were led when Abdul Fatawu, fresh from consecutive relegations with Leicester, nonetheless looked electric as he burst past Luke Shaw to find Leif Davis, whose shot went in off the underside of the bar.

Amid torrential rain in the closing stages, United did not look watertight at the back when Ipswich added a late second, scored by Chuba Akpom after Lisandro Martinez lost the ball to Julio Enciso.

Yet it was a footnote. It was tempting to recall that, in the sunshine before kick-off, United had presented this week’s recruit Carlos Baleba to the crowd. Then, the focus was on the new. By the end, and after the latest episode of the Fernandes show, it was all about the old. It felt so familiar his manager and teammate were lost for words. “He offers a lot,” said Carrick. “What else can I say?” Shaw concurred. “I kind of run out of words to say about Bruno,” he admitted.