Bruno Fernandes' goal drought continues as Manchester United's struggles in front of goal lead to costly results

When Bruno Fernandes whacked in a shocking strike along with his weaker left foot from 25 yards and slid on his knees in front of the Stretford End in celebration of clinching a comeback win over Sheffield United final April, he had racked up seven objectives in his final 5 video games for Manchester United.

Twelve matches on, he's nonetheless ready for an additional one.

Fernandes' most prolific spell of his Man Utd profession has been adopted by his longest drought.

His failure to break the streak has not been by means of a need of attempting. Just ask any Manchester United fan who has agonised at Fernandes' speculative and typically determined makes an attempt to discover the online. (There have been two pictures in opposition to Southampton lately which have been every given barely greater than a one per cent probability of going in by Opta.)

He has had 30 pictures with out success through the previous dozen matches.

His complete of 17 makes an attempt in the Premier League this season is the best of any participant but to rating in Europe's main divisions.

Fernandes has not even hit the goal in his previous 4 Premier League video games, though he did go shut in opposition to Crystal Palace, bouncing a shot up off the bottom and onto the body of the goal.

A slash broad of a publish in the second half of that match at Selhurst Park was the third massive probability he has missed this season, including to the 2 he spurned from one-vs-one possibilities on the opening evening of the marketing campaign at house to Fulham.

Unfortunately for United boss Erik ten Hag, this isn't simply a problem remoted to his captain.

Man Utd rank third for anticipated objectives this season in the Premier League, with a complete of 9.10. The high quality of openings they're carving out is impressively excessive. But they've missed extra massive possibilities than any facet in the division, spurning 17 out of 19 clear-cut alternatives. Only relegation-threatened Southampton have a worse conversion charge.

It leaves them with simply 5 objectives to their title, virtually half as many as they'd be anticipated to have scored from the probabilities they've created.

Joshua Zirkzee – who has missed all 4 of his personal massive possibilities, though he does have one goal to his title – joins Fernandes and Alejandro Garnacho among the many prime six gamers in the league with the worst xG efficiency this time period.

With simply two wins from their first 5 Premier League video games, Ten Hag can rightly look to the 2-1 defeat at Brighton and 0-0 draw at Crystal Palace as results which might simply have been improved with sharper ending from his gamers.

With United down in eleventh in the early Premier League desk, already 4 factors off the highest 4, floor has been misplaced.

The hope can be Rasmus Hojlund's return to full health will assist. And Marcus Rashford has proven indicators of getting again in direction of harmful type.

But the frustration for Fernandes goes on. Can the Portuguese lastly discover Stretford End salvation in opposition to Spurs on Sunday?