Fernandes: We need to improve in the Premier League

Despite reaching the Europa League final in midweek, Sunday's 2-0 defeat at home to West Ham was the fifth loss of our last seven top-flight outings, and there is no getting away from the fact that it has been a difficult season overall on a domestic front.

But Fernandes and co were by no means outplayed against the Hammers and, in line with the words of the skipper, we created enough chances to come out on top when it came to the result.

"We created enough opportunities to score goals and to be in front in the result," he told MUTV's Liam Bradford after the match at Old Trafford.

"Then when you don't score, you end up conceding in a moment where we were in full control of the game. It's been happening a lot for us, we're in control, can't score and then you concede a goal from a little bit of a scramble in the box.

"We know we need to improve in the Premier League, be more aggressive, get much more into their box, be more dangerous, be more effective." 

Thursday's Europa League semi-final second leg win over Athletic Club required another energy-zapping performance to confirm our place in this month's Bilbao final, and that will have no doubt played a part in our XI, which featured six changes for the Hammers' visit.

But Bruno doesn't think the sheer number of alterations for the game - or our recent post-European matches - is a major factor when it comes to getting a result, saying the squad is full of players ready to play their part when called upon.

"Everyone has been training very hard, very well," the skipper added in this MUTV debrief. "Everyone is prepared to play at any moment, so I don't think that's the point [that changes and managing workload ahead of the final is affecting us].

"The team is prepared for that, and every chance and every opportunity is one to get into the next XI. If you get your chance, [and] you do things rightly, you're going to end up playing."

The final is 10 days away against a side similarly struggling this term in the Premier League, Tottenham Hotspur - who also lost 2-0 in their Sunday outing at home to Crystal Palace - but before then is a chance to reignite some momentum with Friday's top-flight trip to Chelsea.

Our penultimate clash of the league campaign presents the opportunity for a statement result as far as our domestic form is concerned too, against a Chelsea side that will provide a "tough" test, according to Fernandes, as they fight to finish inside one of the competition's five Champions League places at the top end of the table.

"We have some days to recover, to prepare well for that game," our no.8 said, turning the page to Friday's 20:15 BST kick-off at Stamford Bridge.

"We know it's going to be a very tough game, Chelsea is fighting for a place in the Champions League, but we want to finish the season in the best way possible. So, we need to go to Stamford Bridge and do that, to get the best result there."