Manchester United's Bruno Fernandes explains why Garnacho didn't celebrate after stunning goal

Since Erik ten Hag‘s departure, Manchester United has seen a resurgence in form, climbing up the Premier League and Europa League table, and progressing to the next stage of the Carabao Cup. Their strong run of form continued in Matchday 11 of the Premier League with a commanding 3-0 victory over Leicester City. However, a curious moment arose during the match when Alejandro Garnacho chose not to celebrate his spectacular goal, prompting an explanation from team captain Bruno Fernandes.

The Argentine winger entered the match in the 57th minute, replacing Marcus Rashford with United holding a 2-0 lead at Old Trafford. Garnacho sealed the scoreline in the 82nd minute with a stunning strike, but instead of celebrating with his usual enthusiasm, he appeared subdued.

Addressing the incident, Fernandes provided insight into Garnacho’s muted reaction: “It was a good day at work, I have to say. We have a lot of players with big qualities, but people can get too excited after one game and too down after another. Garnacho scored a banger but didn’t celebrate like he should because he thinks he has lost faith from some fans. I told him people will always moan but lots of people like you and enjoy what you do.”

The Portuguese captain revealed he encouraged Garnacho to embrace the moment and celebrate with the fans. “I told him to celebrate, it was something special. He is a special player, we have difference makers. They are the ones who win us games. We want them to score every game but that isn’t going to happen,” the Portuguese stated.

Despite this particular incident, Garnacho has been a standout performer for United this season. After scoring the decisive goal in last season’s FA Cup final against Manchester City, the 20-year-old has carried that momentum into the 2024-25 campaign. So far, he has featured in 18 matches, scoring seven goals and providing four assists.

Bruno Fernandes reaches milestone with United

Sunday’s victory was also a special occasion for Bruno Fernandes, as the Portuguese star made his 250th appearance for Manchester United across all competitions. Before the match, he was honored with a commemorative shirt featuring photos of his most memorable moments with the club.

Fernandes played a pivotal role in the win against Leicester City, opening the scoring and providing the assist for Garnacho’s goal. The performance brought Fernandes’ Premier League tally to 99 goal contributions, comprising 56 goals and 43 assists in 170 league appearances. Across all competitions, his total stands at an impressive 156 goal contributions, with 83 goals and 73 assists.