Bruno Fernandes Voices Frustration During Manchester Derby

MANCHESTER, England — Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes expressed his frustrations during the first half of Sunday’s Manchester Derby against Manchester City, as promising situations were thwarted by poor decision-making from his teammates.

Fernandes first confronted Alejandro Garnacho, who he felt was slow to deliver a crucial pass as United attempted to build momentum. Shortly after, recent recruit Patrick Dorgu became the target of Fernandes’ ire for straying offside at an inopportune moment.

Former United captain Gary Neville, who provided commentary during the match, supported Fernandes’ complaints, stating, “Bruno is having a go at Garnacho and he is right. The pass is too slow and it’s behind Fernandes.”

During the first half, Fernandes was also seen engaging with United striker Rasmus Hojlund, indicating his frustration with the forward’s positioning as the team sought to pressure City. Despite the intensity, both teams entered the halftime break without a score.

Fernandes himself had a chance to break the deadlock but was unable to convert a free-kick following a foul on Garnacho, who had been tackled by City defender Ruben Dias just outside the penalty area.

Manchester City played the match without their star striker Erling Haaland, who is expected to miss the remainder of the league season due to injury. In his absence, Omar Marmoush struggled to make an impact, as neither he nor his teammates could capitalize on scoring opportunities.

In an emotional farewell, Kevin De Bruyne played his final Manchester Derby, having announced earlier this week that he would be leaving City in the summer. Former England midfielder Leon Osman praised De Bruyne’s significant contributions over the years, saying, “You may feel like you’ve done everything you can and played well then you give Kevin De Bruyne half a yard and he’s stolen the game from you.”

Osman added, “He’s done that singlehandedly at times. Yes, he’s had an amazing array of players around him, but he is the player that provides that spark. He does stuff that not everyone else is capable of.”