Manchester United midfielder, Bruno Fernandes has slammed critics for judging him unfairly after his move to the club. He compared his situation with that of Arsenal forward Nicolas Pepe, who is now on loan at Ligue 1 club OGC Nice.
After joining United for £58m from Sporting Lisbon, the Portuguese midfielder scored eight goals as the Red Devils finished third in the Premier League. In 2020–21, he scored 28 goals and added 13 assists.
Fernandes has, however, struggled to replicate the form he demonstrated when he joined Manchester United in January 2020, with some comparing him to Arsenal’s Ivorian winger Pepe.
He managed 10 goals and six assists last season, but only one goal and one assist in his first six games this season. This has drawn criticism from Premier League pundits and fans.
What Did Fernandes Say About Pepe?
Fernandes, however, is not happy about how his form has been judged in relation to others, using Pepe as an example.
“He [Pepe] had some bad games and everyone was saying: ‘He still has to adapt’,” Fernandes told the Athletic.
“But when Bruno was having a bad game, it was just because he was moaning or not focused on the game. For me, that was good, because it meant that I was ready and that’s why they were demanding so much from me.”
Pepe signed with Arsenal in August 2019 for a club-record £72m He arrived with a stellar reputation after tallying 23 goals for French club Lille in 2018–19, and there were expectations that he would shine at the Emirates Stadium.
However, that was not to be as he only managed to score eight goals in his debut season before double that total in 2020–21.
He played in 23 games in all competitions last season, most of them as a substitute, and only managed to score three goals due to his inconsistent play and limited playing time.
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