Bruno Fernandes had a big impact in England. The Portuguese midfielder was signed by Manchester United for around £ 50 million in January, and has drastically improved the way the team performs on the pitch to such an extent that it is at a point anywhere else based on the 11 Premier matches. League played since its arrival.
He moved with a solid reputation from Portugal, operating as Sporting’s reference man contributing essentially to everything rather than focusing on specific departments.
The numbers below the surface captured the way Fernandes delivered an unstoppable product in the Primiera Liga, at least in terms of production that is quantifiable.
The big question, however, was whether his influence would translate into a more competitive and higher quality division like the Premier League.
Various prominent names have moved on to the British top flight in recent years just to fail or fight before they have to be sold, but is Fernandes different?
Against Southampton on Monday evening, the 25-year-old overcame 900 minutes of the Premier League for United. This equates to 10 full games, which is generally considered sufficient for a fairly accurate comparison to be made with colleagues.
So how does Fernandes perform compared to others in dividing into different areas?
Let’s start with the progression of the ball. How much does the Portuguese talisman contribute when it comes to moving his team on the pitch? Below, it is classified according to the passages in the penalty area and the progressive passages by 90.
(Image: @DistanceCovered)
The high quality version of the graph above can be viewed here.
Fernandes looks good, especially considering how close to the target he is generally deployed. He averages 7.2 progressive passes for 90 – more than Jack Grealish, Willian and Granit Xhaka – and about two passes in the area.
Progressive passes are defined as completed passes that move the ball to the opponent’s goal at least 10 yards from its farthest point in the last six passes or completed passes in the box. They offer an insight into the frequency with which a player advances the ball, and Fernandes is a fairly solid presence alongside Paul Pogba.
Unlike the Frenchman, however, Fernandes also shoots very often. It has an average of around 3.1 shots per 90, as shown below coupled with expected targets (xG).
(Image: @DistanceCovered)
The high quality version of the graph above can be viewed here.
His xG for 90 is not as high as the others who shoot as often as he does, but this is mainly due to the fact that Fernandes is inclined to attempt to score from unrealistic areas. The United midfielder shoots regularly from outside the box, with only 32% of his efforts coming from inside the box.
Fernandes’ xG per shot – which offers insight into how clear a player’s odds tend to be on average – is very low, which again captures his tendency to shoot from anywhere when presented with an opening.
In addition to his shots, Fernandes also generates a lot for his teammates. He averages around 2.5 shooting assists for 90 and benefits from taking kicks placed at United, with around 30% of his creative contributions from dead ball situations.
(Image: @DistanceCovered)
The high quality version of the graph above can be viewed here.
As shown above, he ranks among the division’s most inventive players, with the exception of Kevin De Bruyne, who appears to be operating on another planet than his competitors.
Probably the most impressive aspect of Fernandes’ game since he joined was his ability to deliver meaningful goals and assists. He has already bagged seven goals and seven assists in the Premier League and is compared to other players below with the penalties removed.
(Image: @DistanceCovered)
The high quality version of the graph above can be viewed here.
The £ 50m man publishes targets and is seeing a considerably faster pace than his predicted numbers suggest, but it’s likely to come from his experience on the set.
Fernandes scored three times from the penalty spot and once from a direct free kick, and added two assists from the corners and one from a set game scenario. He certainly benefits from being introduced with responsibility for managing the kicks he placed, but perhaps Ole Gunnar Solskjaer deserves credit for allowing his January signing to join the club before being encouraged to do what he is good at?
In the end, the numbers so far paint Fernandes quite accurately. He is a player who is involved in practically everything, and offers quantity in addition to quality in offensive areas in terms of his willingness to try things that are unlikely to come out.
He is at high risk and high reward, and is more dangerous than most when he is allowed to take control of corner kicks, free kicks and penalties.
These are the first few days, but Fernandes is already introducing himself as the exit trader United bought from Sporting six months ago. Some decline once by moving to England, but not Bruno.
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