Man Utd star just proved why he’s the best in the league

Manchester United bounced back from a disappointing 2-1 defeat on the road at Newcastle United with an emphatic 3-1 win over Aston Villa at Old Trafford on Sunday afternoon.

This looked like it could be a difficult test for Michael Carrick’s Red Devils in the Premier League, after suffering that loss on their travels to St James’ Park.

But, it was a confident showing all-in-all from the hosts, who are now three points ahead of the Villans, who occupy fifth, as they continue to look like the prime team to finish inside the coveted top-four positions.

Bruno Fernandes remains as one of Carrick’s first names on the teamsheet for good reason, as he continues to reaffirm his status as one of United’s modern-day greats, off the back of another goal-and-assist-laden display falling into his lap on Sunday.

Fernandes’ sublime performance vs Villa

Amazingly, the silky playmaker is now up to a staggering century of assists donning United red, after collecting another two against Villa on Sunday.

His game-changing assist for United’s second goal of the game was trademark Fernandes, as he cut open the opposition defence with ease, before Matheus Cunha thankfully stroked an effort past Emiliano Martinez to restore the Red Devils’ lead.

With a bumper six key passes amassed across the course of the action-packed match, it’s clear now that the 31-year-old is one of the best in the division, if not the very best player that England’s top-flight has to offer.

Indeed, his 16 assists for the entire season are the most a United player has managed to collect since the glory days of David Beckham in the midfield ranks, who had set the previous Theatre of Dreams record at a sublime 15. He also now four assists behind Thierry Henry’s seasonal record of 20.

Moreover, he is eight assists clear of the likes of Rayan Cherki in the assist rankings now for the entire league, as it’s becoming more crystal clear by the match how untouchable he is when at full flow.

At 31 years of age, Fernandes will no doubt continue to age like a fine wine as Carrick’s main attacking spark, but he’s not the only one in red proving why he’s one of the best in the league.

Man Utd star proving he’s one of the best around

A lot has been made about United needing to cough up the big bucks in the off-season to win themselves a fresh defensive midfield option, with Elliot Anderson’s signature from Nottingham Forest potentially set to cost any suitor as much as £100m.

However, until that point where they need to splash that absurd amount of cash, they should savour every last second of Casemiro’s midfield renaissance at the Theatre of Dreams, when he was once written off as a tired performer destined to exit on sour terms.

Now, the cries inside Old Trafford are demanding that the ex-Real Madrid battler stay put for one more year, as his United contract comes to an end at the close of the season.

Casemiro’s opener against Emery and Co means he is now sitting on seven goals for the season in the Premier League. The aforementioned Anderson has just four goal contributions next to his name in stark contrast in league action, while Declan Rice, who is regarded as the cream of the crop in Casemiro’s anchor role, has only smashed home a lesser four strikes.

He is also an exemplary performer when completing his gritty basics in the midfield ranks, with five duels won, ensuring Villa didn’t mount a late comeback.

Again, Anderson – who has been labelled as “world-class” by Statman Dave – isn’t head and shoulders above his Brazilian counterpart, here, with the exact same amount of duels won against Fulham in a 0-0 draw on Sunday.

At this moment in time, Casemiro will certainly be viewed as the more game-altering presence, with the 34-year-old veteran now sticking out as one of the standout performers in his position in the league, next to the equally experienced – and classy – Fernandes.

At one stage, it looked as if he would exiting Old Trafford with a whimper.

Now, there’s a renewed sense of life coursing through Casemiro’s veins, as he strives to clinch a glorious top-four position as a parting gift.