Amorim’s “key” Man Utd star just showed he’s undroppable

In one of the dullest Manchester Derbies in recent memory, Manchester United were held to a 0-0 draw by Manchester City at a sunny Old Trafford on Sunday afternoon. Neither side had many chances of note, both opting for a more passive approach, helping them to earn a point each.

There were not many chances of note across the game. Omar Marmoush forced United goalkeeper Andre Onana into a couple of saves in the second half, first with a free kick, followed by a superbly struck volley.

For United, it was probably second-half substitute Joshua Zirkzee who came closest to finding the back of the net. He looked to hook Patrick Dorgu’s cross into the back of the City net, but Ederson made a sharp save from close range.

The stats from Sofascore reflect just how drab of an affair it was. United had 13 shots, but just two on target, and had an expected goals tally of 0.92xG. As for City, they had just nine shots but got five of those on target and had a 0.49xG.

It was not a classic, as far as Manchester Derbies go. However, there was still a standout player on the pitch, who looked a class above anyone else. That man was United captain Bruno Fernandes.

Fernandes’ stats vs. Man City

As you might expect, Fernandes was the one player on the pitch who looked like he would make something happen. The man who is lovingly dubbed “Portuguese Magnifico” by United fans continued his excellent form at Old Trafford.

If there was one word to sum up that Fernandes performance, it would be influential. The Red Devils captain had 70 touches and completed 93% of his passes, and created three chances, more than any other player on the pitch.

He was everywhere, starting the game as a number ten before dropping into the more familiar number eight role that he has played in recent weeks. Yet, there was not one part of the game that Fernandes did not feel involved.

Samuel Luckhurst, United correspondent for The Manchester Evening News, rated Fernandes’ performance highly. He gave the Red Devils skipper a 7/10 and explained that he was ‘as reliably creative as ever’. Classic Fernandes.

It was a memorable performance for United’s number eight in an otherwise forgettable Manchester Derby. However, he was not the only United player who impressed against their cross-city rivals.

The Man Utd star who’s making himself undroppable

What an impressive performance it was from Leny Yoro against the reigning Premier League champions. The young French defender was calm and composed at the back, helping to keep City’s attackers at bay.

Yoro’s stats from the game show just how well he performed in his first Manchester Derby at Old Trafford. The Frenchman had 54 touches of the ball, completing 89% of his passes. He also showed excellent reading of the game, making three interceptions.

Luckhurst was certainly impressed with the United number 15’s day at the office. Just as he did with Fernandes, the journalist gave Yoro a 7/10 for his efforts, explaining he ‘had little trouble from City’ on the left of United’s back three.

This performance was really a continuation of excellent form from the youngster. According to Statman Dave, he has now gone 12 games in all competitions without being dribbled past, showing just how tough he is to get past.

In many ways, Yoro has become undroppable for Ruben Amorim, and was described as a “key” member of the United side by Dev Bajwa, football content creator and United fan. He is making that left centre-back role his own and has clearly become a problem for many attackers, as the stats show.

It is certainly encouraging for the Red Devils that Yoro is establishing himself as a certain starter in this side. His recent form is something to get excited about, and he will surely have a vital role to play in the remainder of United’s season.

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