Bruno Fernandes scored a hat-trick as Manchester United came from behind to comfortably beat Ipswich Town. The visitors, who beat Sunderland on their Premier League return last weekend, led when Leif Davis scored a fine half-volley after wonderful wing play by Abdul Fatawu. But the whole momentum of the game turned when Marcelino Nunez slipped, [...]
Bruno Fernandes scored a hat-trick as Manchester United came from behind to comfortably beat Ipswich Town.
The visitors, who beat Sunderland on their Premier League return last weekend, led when Leif Davis scored a fine half-volley after wonderful wing play by Abdul Fatawu.
But the whole momentum of the game turned when Marcelino Nunez slipped, allowing United to break from a corner and Matheus Cunha fed Fernandes to score.
United then led when Harry Maguire’s shot was deflected in by Jacob Greaves for an own goal. The ball hit Maguire’s arms in the build-up but the goal was allowed since he did not score it himself.
Three minutes later Ipswich centre-back Greaves was involved again, chopping down Cunha for a penalty – which Fernandes dispatched.
The United captain then grabbed his third, pouncing after Kobbie Mainoo and Bryan Mbeumo both had shots blocked.
Fernandes then sent Mbeumo away with a ball over the top and his shot hit the crossbar before spinning over the line to make it 5-1 to the hosts.
Ipswich grabbed a late consolation when Julio Enciso cut the ball back for half-time substitute Chuba Akpom to score.
Where would Manchester United have been for the past six years without Fernandes? Luckily that is not a question they need to ask or answer because they do have him.
This week he was named the Professional Footballers’ Association’s men’s player of the year for last season’s exploits, where he broke a Premier League record with 21 assists.
And he followed that up with his third hat-trick in a United shirt to take his tally up to 113 goals in 330 games.
Michael Carrick’s side really needed their captain to step up to the plate too after going behind.
Having lost 2-0 to Hull last weekend, they were in danger of becoming just the fourth top-flight team ever to lose their first two games of a season against newly promoted clubs.
They could have been trailing by more than one goal too – with Senne Lammens being called into action more than once.
But the Portuguese scored thrice and then set up Mbeumo for the fifth goal.
Moments after the hat-trick goal Fernandes shot from the centre circle but his effort landed on the roof of the net.
United ended up having 33 shots, their most in a Premier League match since October 2016 against Burnley, including one where Mbeumo hit the bar from two yards out when faced with an open goal from Marcus Rashford’s ball.
The ultimate manner of the victory means there will be less focus on their second goal – which would have been disallowed had the VAR not ruled that Greaves diverted Maguire’s shot into his own net.
For almost 40 minutes it felt like this was going to be a dream day for Ipswich, who were bidding to make it six points from two games.
But then their heads went in dramatic style and at times it felt more like the famous 9-0 defeat by the Red Devils in 1995.
They started so well – and Enciso could have given them the lead earlier when he held off Mbeumo and Luke Shaw when running from the halfway line before being denied by Lammens.
Davis scored a lovely opener after Fatawu, relegated from the Championship with Leicester last season, had beaten Shaw too easily on the wing. Not long after the pair combined again, but this time Davis’ shot was saved.
There was an element of bad fortune to the way they were pegged back with Nunez, standing about 65 yards away from his own goal, set to deal with the ball before losing his footing to allow United to race through and score.
Greaves then had a spell to forget with his own goal and penalty concession in the space of two minutes and 45 seconds.
Their demise was best demonstrated when Enciso lost the ball immediately from the kick-off after Fernandes’ third goal and the Portuguese almost lobbed Kjell Scherpen from 50 yards.
Gary O’Neil’s side did not manage a shot between the 49th minute and injury time.
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