The European football weekend has been and gone, but in its wake we have a ton of talking points to unpack! Let’s begin with the Premier League and the title race, with Manchester City‘s huge win at Chelsea on Sunday coming after Arsenal lost to Bournemouth. City and Guardiola now have the momentum heading into next weekend’s game with Arsenal, who only have themselves to blame for Saturday’s chastening home defeat to the Cherries; will we get a few more twists and turns between now and the end of the season?

In Italy‘s Serie A, upstarts Como had title favorites Inter on the ropes with a 2-0 lead, only for Cristian Chivu’s side to rally like champions and win 4-3 in the best game of the weekend. In Spain, Barcelona won the derby over Espanyol and Real Madrid drew against Girona to make it seem like LaLiga is almost done and dusted, while we got plenty to discuss around Liverpool (who picked up a big win), Bayern Munich (who set a new Bundesliga goal record), Tottenham (who are now officially in the relegation zone), and much, much more.

It’s Monday morning, so what better time for some musings? Let’s get into it.

– Is it happening again? Reviewing Arsenal’s prior title wobbles
– Ogden: Man City’s big win piles pressure on Arsenal in title race
– Olley: Tottenham’s relegation looks inevitable after Sunderland loss

Manchester City smack Chelsea … have they shifted momentum too?

It definitely feels that way. On Sunday, they slapped Chelsea at Stamford Bridge in a dominant second half, winning 3-0. They’ve lost one Premier League game since November, and Pep Guardiola seems to have found his formula in terms of starting XI and tactical approach. Unlike Arsenal, they’ve also been there and done that.

And then there’s the arithmetic. Six points back with a game in hand, and a head-to-head clash (next week) at home means City control their destiny just as much as Arsenal. Win out, and you’re champions.

That said, it’s worth remembering that while City are clicking nicely (and have been since February), in the past nine games they also dropped points to both Nottingham Forest and West Ham, while also losing home and away to Real Madrid. This script can easily be turned on its head next weekend. Guardiola knows this better than most, and you can be sure he won’t be getting carried away.

On Sunday, Chelsea set up to play on the counter and leave City the ball (they ended up with 67% possession in the first half). It worked (sort of) until the inevitable individual error — Andrey Santos getting brushed aside by Nico O’Reilly — and the floodgates opened. Rayan Cherki’s magic set up Marc Guehi to make it 2-0, before Moises Caicedo got caught in possession for City’s third.

Chelsea had no answer once City kicked up the pace in the second half, but you wonder how much of it had to do with their failings and how much with City’s strengths. Without his two best central defenders, his captain and Enzo Fernandez, manager Liam Rosenior only had so many cards to play, whereas City — as the three goals show — can beat you in many different ways. They’ve evolved, and the fact that City could win so comprehensively on a day when Erling Haaland was quiet (just six touches in the Chelsea box), Rodri was under-stated and they really just showed up after the break (they had one shot on target in the first half) is rather eloquent.

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Laurens: Chelsea’s project with Rosenior is failing

Julien Laurens slams Chelsea’s performance vs. Manchester City and says he believes Liam Rosenior is out of his depth.

As for Chelsea, the boos rang out (again). This wasn’t a good performance — it can’t be when more than half your xG come from Marc Cucurella’s header with seven minutes left — and Rosenior will be getting hammered by the critics once more. But there are only so many things on which you can second-guess him. The squad is what it is: some sort of Frankenstein soup of undercooked talent, real or imagined.

It’s true that picking Jorrel Hato ahead of Mamadou Sarr raises the question of why the latter was brought back from loan in midseason. The self-inflicted Enzo Fernandez suspension feels excessive (unless there’s something we don’t know), and it robbed Rosenior of his only real tactical variant as well as a healthy does of leadership. When the only attacking changes you can make are Liam Delap and Alejandro Garnacho — projects with upside, but still projects at this stage of their careers — the issues go well beyond the manager.

Now, the Champions League places are four points away, and in the rear view mirror, there are five teams within three points. Things won’t get easier.

A thriller in Serie A as Inter roar back to put upstart Como in their place

Forty-five minutes gone in Como and Cesc Fabregas was enjoying himself. Nico Paz was tearing Inter apart and had just threaded the needle to put Como 2-0 up. Inter had taken zero shots of any kind, and there was no Lautaro Martinez safety blanket.

But in the blink of an eye, Nicolo’ Barella crossed for Marcus Thuram to halve the deficit. And just out of the gates in the second half, Thuram again punished Como keeper Jean Butez for wandering into no-man’s land. Suddenly, it was 2-2, Inter had scored twice on two shots and Como had to do everything all over again. Except it was Inter who bagged two more — both from Denzel Dumfries, both on the back of dead-ball situations — before Como got a (dubious) garbage time penalty to seal the final 3-4 scoreline in Inter’s favor.

It’s a cliche to talk about Inter’s experience and grit outlasting Como’s pretty passing and exuberance, much like wheeling out the old trope about “heart of champions” and “knowing how to win.” But there’s more than a kernel of truth in it, like most cliches. They weren’t rattled and they played the margins to their advantage on a night when, in so many other ways, they were outplayed.

With Napoli drawing at Parma, Inter’s gap at the top of Serie A is nine points with six games to go. The title race isn’t over yet, but it’s close. Not a bad way for Cristian Chivu — who, by the way, is less experienced as a coach than Fabregas, despite being seven years older — to finish his first full season of coaching.

As for Como, they’re living up to the hype. It’s not just Fabregas and his patterns of play, or Nico Paz’s absurd mix of quality and quantity. They showed they can vary how they play, that they can be fearless, and that this brand of football can work in Serie A. Whether the Como project is sustainable remains to be seen, but what’s certain is they’ve been the proverbial breath of fresh air in a season that has offered little in terms of innovation, not just in Italy but across Europe as well.

Chickens come home to roost for Arsenal, but it’s not just psychological

Sure, that’s the narrative, because it fits, right? Nerves and all that, crumbling with the finish line in sight, when the going gets tough. Downright Spursy. There may be some of that — we’re not in the players’ heads after all — but I expect it’s much simpler. When you set up to play a certain way — safety-first play, predicated on intensity, physicality and set-pieces — it’s hard to change things when pieces are missing or when the opponent’s style demands it.

Ideally, Bournemouth’s high-energy, high-press approach would have been countered by passing, quality and patience. All Arsenal could muster on Saturday was the latter, and that quickly turned into sluggishness, because that’s what patience without quality can be. Arsenal’s “changed” approach this season might have gotten them to the top of the league, but it might not keep them there.

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Have Arsenal opened the door for Man City in the title race?

The “FC TV” crew react to Arsenal’s 2-1 defeat to AFC Bournemouth in the Premier League.

This was a game in which to “out-football” Bournemouth, not “outwork” them. But Arsenal rarely “out-football” opponents this season, and with Ben White and an out-of-form Myles Lewis-Skelly starting at fullback, while being without Bukayo Saka and Martin Odegaard, that was going to be a big ask. And given this was their ninth game since March 3 (and only Bournemouth’s third in that time period), they were unlikely to out-hustle them, too.

Don’t get me wrong: Arsenal could still have won this game, as they certainly had more than enough chances. You could argue that that this was as good a performance as we’ve seen in a while, and that they were unlucky for the opener. But that’s football: You work to set yourself up and diminish the impact of luck and randomness. The difference, if you like, is that they got late goals against Sporting, again Everton, against Leverkusen away and this time, they didn’t.

So how does Arteta play it now? You can’t flick a switch and go back to the old way of playing; at best, you can paint around the edges. Getting Saka back would be a start. Not running Viktor Gyokeres into the ground and sharing his minutes with Kai Havertz would add unpredictability, while trusting your skill players a little more might give you a different dimension. But yeah, City are in the rear view mirror and closing fast. Getting player buy-in alone might not be enough, both in the Premier League and in Europe.

Quick hits

10. Bayern Munich smash goal record with five games to spare: The mark was 101 goals. That was equaled when Jamal Musiala scored after just nine minutes away to St. Pauli, and broken early in the second half when Leon Goretzka made it 102. At full-time, following the 5-0 away win, they had reached 105, an average of 3.6 plus per game. And it’s safe to say, with five matches left, they’ll add to it. In fact, they’re on pace for 123, which is PlayStation stuff.

Unsurprisingly, Vincent Kompany rested a bunch of players ahead of that Champions League return leg against Real Madrid in midweek. Other than Michael Olise, Joshua Kimmich and Konrad Laimer (all of whom came off at the hour mark), don’t expect any other outfield players to start against Madrid. The thing is, it didn’t matter, even on the road, even against a side fighting to avoid relegation. That’s the reality of the Bundesliga right now.

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Are Bayern Munich the best team in Europe?

The “FC TV” crew react to Bayern Munich’s 5-0 victory over FC St. Pauli in the Bundesliga.

9. Barcelona win derby and take huge step towards title: Things had broken their way the night before, with Real Madrid held 1-1 at home by Girona, but manager Hansi Flick still took no chances, even against an Espanyol side whose last win was before Christmas: no heavy rotation despite the Atleti game coming up. His reward was an early goal by Ferran Torres (and then another, beautifully set up by Lamine Yamal) to send them on their way. The 4-1 scoreline leaves them nine points clear with seven games to go, and yes, they can win the title in the May 10 Clasico, something they haven’t achieved in nearly a century.

Defender Gerard Martin went off injured and if he doesn’t recover by Tuesday, it would mean he’d be without his two starting central defenders since Pau Cubarsi is suspended. But without wishing to be overly snide, given the way Barca play (and whatever you think of it, it works for them) it almost doesn’t matter as long as you have a couple live bodies back there. The psychological boost of the “plus nine,” Yamal’s form and the ease with which they swatted away Espanyol (despite the usual gifted chances, like the one that fell to Kike Garcia) outweighs whatever Martin-related concerns there might be. This is Flick’s team: they’ll succeed or fail his way.

8. Robert Andrich delivers huge Leverkusen win in Dortmund: And no, Borussia Dortmund weren’t “on the beach.” They pushed, had the bulk of possession and hit the woodwork late via Serhou Guirassy. In fact, they handily won the xG battle; they may have nothing left to play for, but pride matters, especially at home.

This was more about the captain, Andrich, uncorking an unlikely long-range effort to give Leverkusen the lead at the end of the first half and Kasper Hjulmand’s side having the intelligence and resilience to pick their spots the rest of the way (and they were dangerous multiple times on the counter). It’s a massive win that keeps Leverkusen’s Champions League hopes alive… this one is going to the wire.

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Nicol: Rio Ngumoha must start for Liverpool moving forward

ESPN’s Steve Nicol has praised Rio Ngumoha’s performance in Liverpool 2-0 victory over Fulham in the Premier League.

7. Arne Slot turns to young and old(er) to mask cracks in win over Fulham: In midweek, against Paris Saint-Germain, Slot wheeled out an untested back three formation and it backfired miserably (they lost 2-0 and it could have been worse). Against Fulham on Saturday, with next season’s Champions League spot by no means in the bag, he mixed it up again, resting Ryan Gravenberch, Alexis Mac Allister, Milos Kerkez and Hugo Ekitike, unleashing 17-year-old Rio Ngumoha and dusting off Mohamed Salah, who he forgot on the bench against PSG.

Slot got a 2-0 win and perhaps just as important, he got a tune out of his new/old wide men, both of whom scored. Ngumoha offered electricity and speed down the left, while Salah reminded us that he still has moments of quality that can help any side. Motivating his players (and the three points, of course) and giving them the best possible chance to turn it around against PSG are all you can ask of him right now. So much else — from the protests about the announced ticket price increase to the usual squad concerns — is beyond his control. There will be time for stock-taking, but for now, the fact that Slot can make mistakes and (partially) fix them is not nothing.

6. Juve win and Boga is great, but it’s a bug, not a feature: Juventus’ win away to Atalanta was huge, pushing them back into the top four and dealing a severe blow to a Champions League competitor. And I’m very happy for Jeremie Boga — especially after what he went through at Nice — and his game-winning goal on Saturday, which brings his count to four in six games, coinciding with their unbeaten streak. But when Boga starts at center-forward (not his natural position) ahead of Jonathan David, Lois Openda and Kenan Yildiz (also not his preferred role, but he’s still the Golden Boy), it’s just further evidence of how Luciano Spalletti views his squad (read: not favourably).

We can praise Juve’s fighting spirit all we like and shower Spalletti with praise for reinventing Boga as a central striker, but we shouldn’t be in this position. And we certainly can’t view Boga as any kind of long-term solution. Juve were never going to match up well with Atalanta stylistically (and they didn’t), but it’s another game where, somehow, Spalletti managed to find a band-aid. They may be in the Champions League spots now, but they ought to know nothing is in the bag.

5. Atletico switching it up and losing is OK, if they put the time off to good use: That’s the gnawing question. Diego Simeone made 10 changes for the trip to Sevilla on Saturday, and Atletico Madrid promptly lost 2-1. I’m totally fine with that: whether they finish third or fourth makes no difference, and it makes sense to give the regulars a breather ahead of the Barcelona clash. Sevilla needed the points and, unsurprisingly, they got them.

More important is what Atleti worked on during the time off, because serving up what they offered in the second half of the first leg — when they sat against 10 men and managed a single (albeit successful) shot on goal — is playing with fire. Two-nil is by no means a secure lead, even at home, not against this Barca side. Too many things can go wrong if your plan is simply to play on the counter, and the fact of the matter is that this isn’t your daddy’s Atleti — they’re not comfortable simply defending, nor are they built for that.

4. Napoli pay hefty price for early mistake: Manager Antonio Conte is trying to stay positive, but we can only imagine what he was thinking when Juan Jesus ran into the back of Alessandro Buongiorno for no apparent reason, paving the way for Nesta Elphege to head on Zion Suzuki’s goal kick and set up Gabriel Strefezza’s opener. Thirty-three seconds in, and Napoli were in the hole.

They pulled one back with Scott McTominay (who else?), but failed to convert the draw into a win despite creating plenty. It’s tough to swallow because for the first time in a while, Conte had his big guns back starting and had every reason to think they could at least take Inter to the wire.

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Are Real Madrid officially out of the LaLiga title race?

The ‘FC TV’ crew react to Real Madrid’s 1-1 draw with Girona in LaLiga.

3. Vibes only get worse at Real Madrid: And no, they’d be no different if Vitor Reis had been sanctioned for an errant elbow on Kylian Mbappe. All that would have changed was a penalty kick and maybe three points to keep the flimsy title hopes alive. But the overall mood would still be dark ahead of the Bayern game in midweek, as Alvaro Arbeloa didn’t get the answers he was looking for in Friday’s 1-1 draw with Girona.

Eduardo Camavinga auditioned for the Aurelien Tchouameni role (he’s suspended in Munich) and was unconvincing. Jude Bellingham did get much-needed minutes and looked on his way back to form, but it’s not clear where he’ll fit in come Wednesday. Defensively it’s still a house of cards. And while Fede Valverde struck the ball well for his goal, Girona’s Paulo Gazzaniga’s awkward attempt at a save effectively gifted him the goal. And this was at home, against an injury-hit Girona. No wonder the Bernabeu booed: Real Madrid’s season could effectively be over this time next week.

2. Milan nosedive continues, and it’s time for some accountability: Saturday’s 0-3 humiliation against Udinese, a mid-table side with nothing to play for, marks Milan’s third defeat in four and now, as coach Max Allegri himself points out, a Champions League place is far from a foregone conclusion. He added that fans were right to boo, and it’s hard to disagree. If they were just booing about the result, they’re selling themselves short: there are far more important things to vent about.

Like why he suddenly switch to a back four after playing a 3-5-2 formation most of the year. Or why he deployed Rafael Leao up front (he was awful, and the fans let him have it). Or why the vast majority of Milan’s players are performing worse this season than last season. Milan had no European football this year, which means he had plenty of training sessions to work that (supposed) Allegri magic. What was he building towards all year? A side with a 40-year-old Luka Modric as its shining light? Leao (and others) will be scapegoated, but surely accountability has to run deeper than that. Otherwise, next season will just an ugly re-run of this one.

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Laurens slams De Zerbi after Tottenham’s loss to Sunderland

Julien Laurens reacts to Tottenham’s 1-0 loss Sunderland in Roberto De Zerbi’s first game as manager.

1. Bad luck, worse result for Spurs in Roberto De Zerbi’s debut as manager: An away trip to a physical and intense Sunderland was never going to be the ideal way for De Zerbi to start his Tottenham tenure. Nor was he going to be able to radically change this team’s DNA, even with several weeks of training sessions before their first match. But still, hope springs eternal and the mere fact it wasn’t Igor Tudor moping on the bench gave you some reason to believe.

The problem is, there are things you can’t control as a manager. Like Nordi Mukiele’s shot, which was going nowhere, deflecting off Micky Van de Ven and into the back of the net for the only goal of the game. Or Brian Brobbey not getting sent off, whether for shoving Pedro Porro to the ground or pushing Cristian Romero into Antonin Kinsky (causing both to get injured). Or Randal Kolo Muani trying to win a penalty in the clumsiest way possible. De Zerbi’s Spurs showed glimpses, and his words post-game suggest that right now it’s going to be more carrot than stick in the fight to avoid relegation. What’s evident is that it doesn’t look good.

Former NFL defensive back Chris Payton-Jones was killed in a car crash in Florida on Saturday night, officials said. He was 30.

Payton-Jones was traveling in a vehicle when he struck a pickup truck and overturned, the Florida Highway Patrol said. Payton-Jones’ vehicle caught fire and he was pronounced dead at the scene, according to FOX 2 Now.

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He played for four NFL teams between 2018 and 2021 before he played for the Seattle Sea Dragons of the XFL. He then joined the St. Louis BattleHawks of the United Football League (UFL).

The UFL released a statement on his death.

“The United Football League is in mourning after the tragic passing of former St. Louis Battlehawks Defensive Back Chris Payton-Jones. Chris was a beloved teammate and leader in the locker room, who demonstrated the importance of hard work, determination, and resilience throughout his career.

REX CULPEPPER, FORMER SYRACUSE QUARTERBACK, DEAD AT 28 FROM INJURIES IN GEORGIA DIRT BIKE CRASH

Cornerback Chris Jones of the Arizona Cardinals warms up before the NFL game against the Seattle Seahawks at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Ariz., on Sept. 29, 2019. (Ralph Freso/Getty Images)

“As importantly, Chris was always a bright soul who everyone throughout the league enjoyed spending time with off-the-field during his three-year tenure. From fan appearances and media engagements to his own content creation and openness to share the highs and lows of his personal journey, Chris carried himself with humility and integrity. Our condolences are with his family, friends, teammates, and all others who are impacted by this loss.”

Payton-Jones was a standout collegiate player at Nebraska. He joined the Arizona Cardinals in 2021 as an undrafted free agent. He then played for the Detroit Lions, Minnesota Vikings and Tennessee Titans.

He played in 29 NFL games and had 48 tackles and seven pass breakups.

St. Louis Battlehawks cornerback Chris Payton-Jones waits for play to resume during a game against the Memphis Showboats at The Dome at America’s Center in St. Louis, Mo., on April 20, 2024. (Rick Ulreich/Icon Sportswire)

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He played 18 regular-season games for the BattleHawks, recording 56 tackles and two interceptions.

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Bruno Fernandes‘ impact on Manchester United since arriving is unquestionable. Just look at his work in the March games vs. Crystal Palace and Aston Villa. Both teams looked to pack the middle of the pitch, and the games were level when Fernandes grabbed the reins, tallying a goal and three assists in the two matches. Sometimes a player just knows what to do and isn’t afraid to do it.

From bursting on to the Premier League scene as a January signing in 2020 and powering United to the UEFA Champions League places — registering 15 goals plus assists (G+A) in 14 games — to being the creative metronome under current manager Michael Carrick, he has gotten better and better. No matter who was in United’s dugout or how toxic things became in the dressing room, they always had a player to rely on to pull a rabbit out of his hat and influence matches. Usually, it was with his assists and goals; even during Ruben Amorim’s miserable midseason takeover in 2024-25, he somehow managed 19 G+A in the league.

The infamous theory proposed in the media is that players thrive away from the cauldron of pressure Old Trafford creates — see Scott McTominay‘s rise at Napoli or Antony‘s at Real Betis. Fernandes, meanwhile, has always thrown himself into that cauldron, being whatever player United needed him to be.

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His 2025-26 season is a tale of two roles, one under Ruben Amorim and the other under Carrick. Combining the two Brunos has led to a Premier League Player of the Year-caliber season, and he is well worthy of the award. No one expected United to be this good under Carrick, and amid a personal-best year for Fernandes — he leads the league in assists with 16, twice as many as the next closest players (Jarrod Bowen, Rayan Cherki, eight) — it is no wonder that Carrick restoring him back to his best position has led to a uptick in United’s form.

Fernandes is a joy to watch in this refreshing iteration of Manchester United. Here we’ll take a look at how his role has transformed this season, why this might be the best football he’s played and why he deserves to win POTY.

Fernandes’ evolution in 2025-26

One of the parting gifts Amorim might have presented United with is inadvertently showcasing Fernandes’ versatility as a deeper central midfielder in the “regista” role, making him a better player overall.

Playing that role, which longtime Real Madrid midfielder Toni Kroos thrived in, meant controlling the game, dictating the tempo and setting up attacks instead of finishing them. It combined his abilities as an influential attacker capable of producing game-changing moments with a layer of calmness and tempo-setting to his game.

But while it’s a plus that Fernandes provided United with more control and helped get the ball from defense to attack, it felt like a waste to move a player with special creative abilities further away from goal. He could pick a pass out and find attackers, but none of the others has his “sixth sense” of making the correct decision in the final third.

Since moving back to his natural role with Carrick in charge, Fernandes has registered six open-play assists, compared with two under Amorim. It suggests that the tactical switch has turbo-charged United’s resurgence by getting Fernandes back to what he does best: creating chances from open play that other players aren’t capable of. A more settled midfield pivot behind him, featuring Casemiro and Kobbie Mainoo, has helped with this.

Under Carrick, United are a “forward-first” creative outlet. The mantra is simple: outscore opponents using the plethora of attacking talent at their disposal.

There were several matches in the Amorim era where United had no idea how to break down a stubborn block, with the Europa League final or the match against a 10-man Everton coming to mind, making the decision to play Fernandes as a central midfielder baffling.

Even if Fernandes gets the ball in the above scenario, there are too many Everton midfielders surrounding him.

Compare that with his more advanced position against Bournemouth after Carrick’s arrival. Even in a crowded space, his presence attracts defenders and frees up other United attackers. You want him in these positions because he can use his quick thinking to play the ball to a teammate. When he plays deeper, the risk is greater than the reward, and he could lose the ball close to his own box.

Could Amorim have played him further up the pitch? Yes, but as the season went on, the only change he made to his 3-4-3 system was trying to go more direct and hop on second balls — not exactly suited to Fernandes’ strengths.

With Bryan Mbeumo, Matheus Cunha and Fernandes in attack, often at times, any one of the three forwards drops to help the buildup. The dynamic rotations in the attack give Fernandes his coveted “free” role.

His assists under Carrick have come from a strikingly similar range. If you look at the goals from below, they both come from him finding Cunha in behind from an extremely wide position.

It’s a testament to his qualities as a player; opponents think that because he’s wide and so far from goal, he can’t hurt them, which couldn’t be further from the truth. It’s difficult to mark against because you don’t want to instruct a defender to close him down in such an awkward space.

There is a heap of players in the way for the Portugal international to hit his man, but that doesn’t deter him. This is what United get by simply moving him closer to goal: unlocking the unique magic moment that only he can provide.

Previously, when the ball fell to him in his own half, he might have tried a quick pass in behind. But after his stint in central midfield, we’re watching him spray a pass wide or look to take an extra second to hold possession.

There’s maturity evident in his game now, harnessing his skills from both deeper and more advanced positions.

Why Fernandes deserves to be POTY

Now that we know how he has evolved this season, how has he evolved over the years? And is this the best we’ve ever seen from him?

Well, some of the stats (per Opta) definitely back that up.

He is creating a United career-best 1.3 big chances per 90 minutes and 4.5 chances per 90. This is also the highest percentage of successful passes ending up in the final third he has ever registered, even usurping his time under former coach Ole Gunnar Solskjaer from 2019 to 2021, which included his 2020-21 season of 45 G+A.

Interestingly, Fernandes is playing more passes than ever into the box while touching the ball the least since coming to Old Trafford. With the goal-scoring burden falling on the shoulders of Cunha, Mbeumo and Benjamin Sesko, this makes sense.

He continues to play a high number of forward passes, as well as the most through balls he ever has. And fewer touches in the opposition box combined with more assists per 90 (0.59) indicate that Fernandes finally has an attack around him that he can provide for.

Predictably, his heatmap from this season pre-Carrick was all over the place.

Under Carrick, the areas further up the pitch that he likes to operate in shine brighter in yellow.

It also shows how he frequently peels left or right, where he can play a forward through on goal from the half-space — extremely similar to his 2020-21 season.

But how does Fernandes compare with other POTY candidates? Looking at some of the other players who have been tipped for the award, such as Dominik Szoboszlai, Declan Rice and Martín Zubimendi, gives an impression of why Fernandes would be a deserving winner.

In terms of forward passes, chances created and passes played into the box, Fernandes is well ahead. Only Manchester City attacker Rayan Cherki‘s creativity stats get somewhere close to Fernandes’, but Cherki has played more than 60 minutes on just 10 occasions this season — nowhere near Fernandes’ minutes. It also must be noted that Cherki has often played as a right winger and isn’t involved as much as Fernandes is in the buildup.

Keep in mind that Fernandes was playing further away from goal until January, when Carrick arrived. Even then, he is averaging more touches in the opposition box and more passes that end up in the final third than any of the other contenders.

The statistics indicate we’re seeing Fernandes at his creative best: making more and better chances than ever and becoming more efficient in the process. He has become the orchestrator of United’s potent new-look attack.

Fernandes has always been a player who can influence matches, no matter how big the occasion. But now he has also honed the ability to control his dangerous precision. A feint here, a stepover there, blink twice, and he has found a yard somehow, then backs it up with a pass that finds a teammate perfectly.

He used to have three or four “bad” matches in a season, but adding a serene classiness to his creation has led him to be the standout performer in most of United’s matches.

The season has proved he can do it all, wherever he is on the pitch, and that’s why he is the Player of the Year.