Bruno Fernandes and his compatriot Ronaldo were guilty of wasting goal scoring opportunities during the draw against Watford
By Kehimde Okeowo
Manchester United midfielder Bruno Fernandes has said they must beat their neighbour, Manchester City in Sunday’s Premier League derby if they want to catch up with Chelsea in third.
The Red Devil were held to a goalless draw by relegation-threatened Watford on Saturday at home, despite dominating proceedings and having several clear-cut scoring opportunities.
Bruno Fernandes and his compatriot Cristiano Ronaldo wasted a couple of goal-scoring opportunities for the hosts during the encounter.
Uniteds’ efforts were also thwarted by some resolute defending by the visitors and when they got beaten, the goal post came to their rescue.
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Speaking to the club media after the match, Bruno Fernades said they had a frustrating afternoon, as they were unable to convert the numerous chances they created.
He said, “We tried [to find the net] but the ball seemed to bounce off every player, our players, their players.
“As I’ve said before it was just one of those days where the ball wouldn’t go in.
“Unfortunately for us, it was just one point.”
Manchester United are fourth on the league table though they have played more games than West Ham and Arsenal in fifth and sixth positions respectively.
The draw against struggling Watford was however damaging because a win would have taken them within one point of third-placed Chelsea.
Thomas Tuchel’s side were not in league action over the weekend, they played in the Carabao Cup final against Liverpool and Fernandes recognised that Uniteds’ draw was a missed opportunity to put pressure on Chelsea.
”As I have said many times, we have dropped points on third place again,” he lamented.
“I think that’s the main thing for us, as we could be much closer to them [Chelsea].
“However, now is not the time to start thinking about how many points we should have now or how many points we should have in the end.
“We have to look to the next game, to win the game and to get three points again,” he added.
The Reds Devils now have a full week to prepare for the next domestic test, against their arch-rival Manchester City, who have an FA Cup match against Peterborough United.
United have won five of the last seven derbies at the Etihad Stadium, including last season’s visit when Fernandes was on target with an early penalty in an eventual 2-0 victory, and will be hoping to do the same in their 187th derby on Sunday.
The Portuguese midfielder said he and his teammates know what winning Sunday’s derby means to the fans and that it’s a must-win.
”It’s one of those games where we know what it means for the city, for the fans, for the club, and for ourselves.
“It’s a game we want to win at all costs,” he concluded.
