Man Utd must take belief from Villa win into next season, says Fernandes

Bruno Fernandes insisted that his Manchester United team-mates should take belief from their victory over Aston Villa into next season after a disappointing campaign.

Fernandes provided the assist for Amad Diallo's 76th-minute opener, before Christian Eriksen, on his final appearance for the club, sealed the victory from the penalty spot. 

Unai Emery's team had Emiliano Martinez sent off in first-half stoppage time, while Morgan Rogers had what he thought was the opening goal controversially ruled out. 

Despite the win, United will be happy to see the back of this season. They finished 15th, their lowest ending position in the Premier League, amassing just 42 points. 

They also suffered 20 defeats across all competitions, their most in a season since losing 22 in 1973-74, in a season they were relegated from the top-flight.

Their final loss of the campaign came in the Europa League final, where they were beaten 1-0 by Tottenham Hotspur in Bilbao. 

And Fernandes, who has been the standout performer for the Red Devils this season, lauded his team-mates for their response to Wednesday's crushing defeat. 

"It was not just about Bilbao, but it was about the full season," Fernandes told TNT Sports. "It has been very disappointing for everyone, but the fans are in first place. 

"That's what I tried to transmit before the game to my players. I said just look around, look how special this place is and how lucky we are to be here. 

"We had a full stadium after a disappointing season and the disappointment of Wednesday. They were here trying to lift us up and be positive and giving energy to the team. 

"It was about giving a different image in the last game of the season. Obviously, you play with a bit more freedom and no pressure because our position won't change much. 

"I think everyone played a brilliant game and was very comfortable on the ball. This was a brilliant response, and we have to bring this into next season."

Fernandes enjoyed a fine individual campaign, registering 19 goals and 18 assists across all competitions this season. 

Indeed, he assisted 10 Premier League goals this season, the second time he has recorded that many assists or more in a single campaign (also 12 in 2020-21).

He's also the sixth United player to assist 10+ goals in two or more seasons, along with Eric Cantona, David Beckham (both four), Ryan Giggs, Wayne Rooney (both five) and Nani (two).

The Portugal international has been open about his team's struggles this season, but echoed the sentiments of Ruben Amorim, who gave an impassioned speech following the conclusion of the game, where he insisted "the brighter days are coming". 

"I was talking at the end of the game and that is what frustrates me the most. We can perform like this against one of the most consistent teams in the league," Fernandes said.

"Aston Villa are a very difficult team to play against, very well organised, and then you can pin them back, create chances and don't give anything away. 

"It's difficult to understand that we could not do this throughout the season, but obviously I understand that the pressure of playing for this club is massive. 

"Today we had a lot of freedom to go and enjoy it. We knew we wanted to give something back to show the fans that we wanted to be better and be more successful. 

"We want this belief to go into next season and, as the manager ended up saying, the bright days are coming."