Bruno Fernandes’ brace helps Man United beat West Ham in pre-season clash Khelja  |  27/07/2025 11:21:04

New Delhi: Bruno Fernandes picked up right where he left off last season, netting twice as Manchester United defeated West Ham 2-1 in their pre-season encounter at New Jersey’s MetLife Stadium. The Portuguese midfielder once again delivered when it mattered, scoring a goal in each half to guide the Red Devils to a morale-boosting win.

Fernanadez was often United’s standout performer in a difficult 2024-25 campaign and seems to carry the same touch in the upcoming season considering his stellar performance against Hammers. However, Jarrod Bowen did pull one back for West Ham in the second half with a composed finish but it wasn’t enough to deny United a deserving victory in what was an encouraging outing for manager Ruben Amorim’s side.

United got off to a lively start, pressing West Ham high and forcing mistakes early. That pressure paid dividends just minutes into the game when West Ham goalkeeper Alphonse Areola dropped a high ball under pressure and then brought down youngster Ayden Heaven in the scramble that followed. Fernandes calmly stepped up to convert the penalty, opening United’s account for the pre-season.

Amad Diallo thought he had doubled the lead late in the first half with a smart finish from a Manuel Ugarte pass but the flag went up for offside. Despite that disappointment, United’s work off the ball stood out as they consistently forced West Ham into errors with their aggressive pressing.

Fernandes strikes again after the break

West Ham enjoyed more of the ball in the first half, registering 57% possession but struggled to break down United’s backline. Tomas Soucek’s tame header into Altay Bayindir’s gloves was the closest they came before the interval.

United came flying out after the restart and while Areola made a couple of sharp stops denying Fernandes one-on-one and tipping a De Ligt header wide the breakthrough came shortly after. Fernandes, left unmarked at the edge of the box, curled in a stunning effort into the top corner to make it 2-0 and underline his importance to the team once again.

Amorim made wholesale changes with 25 minutes left including a debut for Diego Leon, as both sides rotated heavily. While the flow of the match suffered, United remained in control and saw out the win without further scares.

Bournemouth thrash Everton

Earlier, Everton suffered a 3-0 defeat to Bournemouth despite a bright start with chances for Ndiaye and Beto and finally faded in the second half. Philip Billing opened the scoring with a powerful strike for the Cherries followed by Dango Ouattara’s effort that deflected off Pickford’s post. Daniel Adu-Adjei sealed the win after a poor backpass from Jake O’Brien. Everton’s threadbare squad was without the key defenders, struggled to respond. Thierno Barry made his debut but Moyes’ side offered little threat.

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