Manchester United 2-1 West Ham: Bruno Fernandes brace secures first pre-season win for Red Devils | OneFootball

Jarrod Bowen was denied a late equaliser by Altay Bayindir

Bruno Fernandes bagged a brace to help Man United to a 2-1 pre-season win over West Ham on Saturday night.

Both sides are looking to bounce back from underwhelming 2024-25 campaigns, but it was United who looked the more likely to climb the table as they ran out deserving victors in New Jersey.

Ruben Amorim has waited patiently for pre-season to cement his tactical philosophy, which finally seems to be taking root among the United squad.

They were promptly rewarded for a spell of early pressure. Alphonse Areola challenged for a high ball with just a few minutes played and fumbled, dropping it into the path of Ayden Heaven before tripping the 18-year-old as he scrambled to recover. Fernandes dispatched the resultant penalty coolly to score United’s first goal of pre-season.

Amad Diallo thought he had doubled United’s advantage with 38 minutes played as he finished from Manuel Ugarte’s pass, which was preceded by a mazy dribble, but the Ivorian was flagged narrowly offside in the build-up.

Through the rest of the half, United did the bulk of their work off the ball, but still enjoyed the better chances. Out of possession, they kept West Ham pinned for long stretches with a high-energy press, winning the ball in dangerous areas on several occasions.

They were not clinical with their possession, though, with both Matheus Cunha and Fernandes lashing speculative long-range efforts into the stands before the break.

Similar could be said of the Hammers, who finished the half with 57 per cent possession and showed off some snappy passing moves, but a close-range header from Tomas Soucek cushioned into the hands of Altay Bayindir was their best chance of the half.

United started the second period at pace, forcing two good saves from Areola. He was quick off his line to deny Fernandes a one-on-one, before a full-stretch save was required to deny a De Ligt header moments later.

Fernandes would not be denied twice, though. He found himself in plenty of space on the edge of the box and nonchalantly curled a shot into the top corner to double United’s lead, leaving Areola flat-footed.

As energy faded from the tie, Bowen produced a moment of brilliance. Tomas Soucek found him in the wide space, and the Hammers’ captain skipped past Heaven before hitting a tidy finish beyond Bayindir to halve the deficit.

Amorim introduced ten pairs of fresh legs with 25 minutes to play, handing a cameo to the newly signed Diego Leon in a blend of first-team regulars and academy hopefuls.

While United pressed with renewed vigour following the shuffle, the rhythm of the match was disrupted by the changes, and there was no change to the scoreline as the clock wound down despite Bowen forcing another strong save from Bayindir.

There are plenty of positives for both managers to take. Cunha was impressive again in his second United outing, while West Ham displayed strong foundations for Potter to build on ahead of the new campaign.

United return to action on Thursday, facing Bournemouth in Chicago, while West Ham take on Everton in their next Summer Series outing.