Rangefinder! Bruno's six distance strikes

Sunday 16 January 2022 10:00

Bruno Fernandes netted his sixth Premier League goal from outside the box for Manchester United, as the Reds were held 2-2 by Aston Villa on Saturday evening.

According to Opta, that tally has only been bettered by one player in England's top division since Fernandes signed for the Reds in the January 2020 transfer window - Southampton's free-kick specialist James Ward-Prowse, with seven.

The goal that brought up Bruno's half-dozen also came from a set-piece situation, but the ball had just re-entered open play when he unleashed an effort that Villa's usually excellent keeper Emilio Martinez really ought to have saved.

Bruno's brilliant goals from outside the box Video

Bruno's brilliant goals from outside the box

Fernandes's opener against Villa on Saturday was his sixth long-distance strike in the Premier League...

As you can see in our video above, one or two other shot-stoppers may feel they could have done better but Bruno's brilliance was certainly the major factor when finding the net from distance against Everton and Newcastle United.

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Bruno's second goal of the evening at Villa Park didn't make the cut for our video as it came from inside the box - just - but it was still notable for taking his overall Premier League tally to 33. Opta report that is only one less goal than Tottenham talisman Harry Kane has scored in the same period, dating back to Fernandes's arrival on these shores.

Our no.18 has now scored more than one goal in eight different games for the Reds, across all competitions. After a double at Brighton (3-0) in June 2020, he bagged five braces in his second campaign, 2020/21 - against Everton away (3-1), Leeds United (6-2), Istanbul Basaksehir (4-1) and Roma (6-2) at home, as well as Real Sociedad in Turin (4-0).

This season, he netted a hat-trick in the home drubbing of Leeds back in August (5-1) and now has another pair to his name, at Aston Villa's expense.
Which is the best of Bruno's Premier League goals from outside the box?poll

Which is the best of Bruno's Premier League goals from outside the box?

Villa and Leeds are Fernandes's favourite opponents when it comes to finding the net. He has scored five goals against each of them, while Everton (four), Brighton (three) and Newcastle (three) have also been on the receiving end of multiple strikes by the Portuguese magnifico.

Bruno's total of 47 goals in 106 games breaks down into 33 in the Premier League, eight in the Europa League, four in the Champions League and two in the FA Cup. This leaves the Carabao Cup as the only competition in which he has yet to open his account, having made four appearances in it so far without scoring.

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