Although Man United weren’t able to secure all three points at the King Power Stadium after their Boxing Day fixture against Leicester City, no one can doubt Bruno Fernandes’ contribution.
The Portuguese assisted Marcus Rashford for the opener, and then bagged a second for himself.
It’s form that he’s continued right from the very first day that he came to the club a year ago.
He remains the one player that seems to have the capability to drag his team-mates along with him and elevate their performances to something approaching the level that should be expect from a Man United side.
However, there’s still one stat where he trails captain, Harry Maguire, and, reading between the lines, Bruno doesn’t appear to be happy about it.
According to the Daily Star, a recent study showed that the attacking midfielder had the fourth most minutes played in world football – with Maguire top of the pile.
“I’m not happy. I need to say this to the coach: ‘I want to be the first one!’” he was quoted as saying by the Daily Star.
“Of course, it’s really important to play. The more games and more minutes you play, the more confidence you have. It’s always like that.
“I feel the confidence from the staff and the coach. It’s very important for me as this is part of the way I am settling down.
“I feel the trust from the coach. ‘I need you and I want you to play, I will give you the chances’.
“When you see the minutes I have had this season, it’s trusting in me and I have to give something to the club.”
The influence of both players is clear in any event, and as long as they can remain injury free, then United have half a chance of a reasonable finish to their 2020/21 campaign.