Holly Shand: “Fernandes is quickly gaining essential status once again, having been the highest scoring midfielder in the game before a hamstring problem kept him out of much of the festive period.
“Playing as more of a number 10 has elevated his attacking threat and we saw him create six key passes in the 2-0 win against Manchester City, including four big chances.
“He’s the most prolific creator in the Premier League this season, where he’s leading the way among all players for both key passes (62) and big chances created (15). He has nine assists, dominating on set-pieces, including spot-kicks.
“The Gunners have a leading 11 clean sheets this season, including in consecutive games. They won the reverse of this fixture 1-0, but crucially Manchester United have confidence with a new manager bounce, plus an emphatic derby win.
“In that tougher game, Fernandes notched the two defensive contribution points, which bodes well for his routes to points against Arsenal – he has a higher ceiling than Bryan Mbeumo for example.”
Statman Dave: “Bruno had more touches than any other Manchester United player in an advanced area against Manchester City.
“He created six chances and got an assist – against a Pep Guardiola team in the Premier League that has never happened.”
