Bruno Fernandes celebrated his 250th appearance for Manchester United by playing a pivotal role in Ruud van Nistelrooy’s farewell, guiding the team to a 3-0 Premier League victory over Leicester.
Fernandes opened the scoring and secured a second goal—later recognized as an own goal by Victor Kristiansen—before assisting Alejandro Garnacho for a superb third goal. This triumph marked United’s third win in four games since Erik ten Hag was dismissed.
The victory lays a strong foundation for new head coach Ruben Amorim, who is set to arrive in England on Monday. However, Amorim, the Sporting Lisbon manager, will need a few days to obtain his visa before officially assuming his role.
Manchester United has yet to finalize the composition of Amorim’s coaching staff and whether Ruud van Nistelrooy will remain part of the team.
Despite this uncertainty, United fans celebrated Van Nistelrooy as the match concluded. The Dutch coach can take pride in the team’s three wins and one draw in their last four matches, even though Manchester United still sits in the lower half of the league table.
Leicester will likely feel aggrieved by the result.
Fernandes’ first goal was United’s initial shot on target. Their second goal followed a period of intense pressure from Leicester, during which Wilfred Ndidi squandered a prime opportunity to equalize by beating the offside trap but striking his shot directly at Andre Onana, who was the only goalkeeper to challenge.
After that, Leicester focused on minimizing further damage, ultimately suffering their heaviest league defeat of the season.
Van Nistelrooy leaves United in best shape of season
Before kickoff, United co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe presented Bruno Fernandes with a framed shirt in honor of his milestone 250th appearance.
Fernandes had previously been struggling for form under former manager Erik ten Hag—a fact he acknowledged after the Carabao Cup win over Leicester on October 30, revealing he had apologized to Ten Hag for not performing at his best.
The United captain’s opener was a precise, low strike from the edge of the box after Amad Diallo set him up, marking Fernandes’ fourth goal in as many games.
He also believed he had scored the second, pointing to his thigh as he celebrated, as the ball glanced off his leg before bouncing into Victor Kristiansen and into the Leicester net.
United doubled their first-half goal tally for the Premier League season in this game, though Van Nistelrooy’s celebration was more restrained compared to the enthusiasm he showed in their recent cup win. Now, his focus has shifted to doing his “best” for the club he deeply “loves,” as he mentioned in his program notes.
Van Nistelrooy did relish United’s third goal. Substitute Alejandro Garnacho, brought on for the ineffective Marcus Rashford, had initially missed a chance, slipping while attempting to beat a Leicester defender in the box.
However, after Fernandes threaded a pass to the edge of the box, Garnacho remained composed, stepping onto his right foot and curling in his seventh goal of the season.
United fans expressed their admiration for Van Nistelrooy, a club legend celebrated for his 150 goals in five seasons as a player.
What new coach Ruben Amorim will make of his new role remains to be seen, but when he takes charge against Ipswich on November 24, he’ll inherit a United side in their best form of the season, thanks in part to Van Nistelrooy’s steady guidance.
Leicester threaten but can’t score
This could have been such a different day for Leicester.
The absence of veteran striker Jamie Vardy with a back injury was a clear blow for Steve Cooper, whose side lacked a cutting edge to finish the opportunities they did create.
Aside from Ndidi’s miss, a speculative attempt from Abdul Fatawu to beat Onana from inside his own half came to nothing when he slipped on a sodden surface as he went to make contact with his shot.
Harry Winks tried his luck from the edge of the area but couldn’t beat Onana, who also produced a low save by his post to turn away Jordan Ayew’s second-half effort, which might just have crept in.
By the end, Leicester had five shots on target compared to United’s three. It is Cooper’s bad luck that all of them ended up in the Leicester goal.