Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes has vowed to keep being himself after scoring his 100th goal for the club in the 2-1 win over rivals Chelsea in the Premier League on Saturday, Afrosport reports.
The Portuguese midfielder has come under fire from fans and pundits for not being good enough to play in the middle of the park in head coach Ruben Amorim’s preferred tactical setup.
The 31-year-old however set the ball rolling as he put the Red Devils in front in the 14th minute, nine minutes after Chelsea goalkeeper Robert Sanchez was given a straight red card for rushing out his area and bringing down Cameroon forward Bryan Mbeumo.
It took Fernandes to 100 goals in 296 competitive games since he joined United from Sporting Lisbon in January 2020.
It also made it back-to-back home league games Fernandes scored in and the first time United have won consecutive home games in the top flight since Amorim took charge last November.
“I just want to enjoy playing football,” he told MUTV. “I enjoy so much being out there, even the frustration I have out on the pitch.
“I enjoy that. That is me being me. I won’t ever change that. I know I need to deal with everyone in a different way, and I’m able to do that, but I need to feel that.
“I need to feel that Bruno back. That was the Bruno who played down the streets with his cousins.
“This is the same Bruno, I just want to win games and be happy. Not just for me, for my team-mates, my family, my fans, to get days like this and wins like that.”
100 – Bruno Fernandes has scored his 100th goal for Manchester United in all competitions, while he’s also become the fifth player to scored on his 200th Premier League appearance for the Red Devils (after Denis Irwin, Phil Neville, Wayne Rooney and Antonio Valencia). Milestones. pic.twitter.com/OrvuOIcoRA
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) September 20, 2025
Meanwhile, Amorim praised his compatriot for his influence in the team and the quality he brings in the opposition’s half.
“Yeah, the most important thing is the influence that he has on the squad,” he stated.
“Sometimes he’s not in the best position to be the main man in every game but the point, especially of the captain, is to be the best he can be in every situation, to help the team to be better, and he’s doing that. I think he can play better but everyone can play better in our team. But it’s really important.
“You can change in position, you can give different things to the team. He has a lot of quality near the box, he has a lot of quality building up and he deserved all the praise.”
United will face Brentford next at the Gtech Community Stadium before hosting newly-promoted Sunderland at Old Trafford ahead of the October international break.
