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Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes has blamed referee Chris Kavanagh for disrupting his penalty routine during their 1-1 draw with Fulham at Craven Cottage.
The Portuguese midfielder missed a golden chance to give United the lead in the first half after Calvin Bassey was penalised for handball.
Fernandes’ strike flew over the bar, and he later revealed he had collided with Kavanagh while backing away for his run-up, forcing him to restart.
Speaking to Sky Sports after the match, Fernandes expressed his frustration:
I was upset. As a penalty-taker, you have your own routines, your own things that you do. It upset me because the referee didn’t apologise. That is what triggered me in that moment but that’s not the excuse for missing the penalty. I had a very bad hit on the ball. I put my foot too under the ball and that’s why it ended up going over the bar.
Bruno Fernandes missed penalty
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Despite the miss, United took the lead in the 58th minute when Leny Yoro’s header deflected in. However, Emile Smith Rowe struck late for Fulham to deny Erik ten Hag’s side their first Premier League win of the season following an opening-day defeat to Arsenal.
Pressure mounts on Red Devils
The draw leaves United under pressure early in the campaign, with Fernandes’ missed spot-kick becoming a major talking point.
Bruno Fernandes disappointed after missed penalty
Meanwhile, United manager Ruben Amorim is under pressure with many Red Devils supporters calling for him to change his traditional three-back system.
Comments shared by a section of United fans online suggest Amorim should play a 4-2-3-1 system featuring Kobbie Mainoo and Casemiro as the double pivot so Fernandes can slot in as an attacking midfielder.
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United travel to Grimsby Town on Wednesday in the EFL Cup second round.