Bruno Fernandes speaks out following penalty miss
By Max Cooper
Manchester United star Bruno Fernandes has assumed responsibility for costing his side a point on Saturday afternoon, admitting that he 'failed' by blasting his injury-time spot kick over the crossbar in the 1-0 loss to Aston Villa.
The 27-year-old stepped up to take the kick ahead of Cristiano Ronaldo, but he completely fluffed his lines, blazing the ball into the Stretford End. The Red Devils subsequently lost the match, with the last-gasp penalty miss the main talking point.
A dejected Fernandes released a statement after the match, accepting his part in Man Utd's defeat. He also insisted that this experience will 'drive him on', while thanking the supporters for chanting his name at the final whistle.
"Nobody is more frustrated and disappointed than me for missing the penalty and the consequent defeat," Fernandes began. "I’ve always assumed my responsibilities and I've always embraced them under pressure in moments like this.
"Today, I failed. But I took a step forward and faced the challenge with the same ambition and responsibility as when, on the many other occasions, the ball ended up in the net. Criticism and contrasting opinions are a big part of football.
"I’ve learned to live with it, even using them to drive me on, and I consider it all a very important part of my commitment to never stop trying to improve and to become the best player I can possibly be, for me and the team. Today I once again took the responsibility given to me almost since I joined United and I will take it again without any fear or dread whenever called upon.
"The most important thing for me is to win together and I’ll always do everything I can to help my teammates and the club to be the best we can be. I'm a player who leaves everything on the pitch, with great desire and commitment. And that’s what I'll continue to do.
"Thank you for all your support after the final whistle! Hearing you chanting my name in the stadium was very emotional... I will come back stronger for me, because these are the standards I hold myself to, but most of all for my teammates and our fans who have always supported us."
Villa's Kortney Hause scored the only goal of the game on 88 minutes, heading into the near post from a dangerous corner. The hero then almost became the villain, handling in the box and gifting Man Utd a penalty to level the scores in injury time.
Ultimately, Fernandes missed the spot kick, condemning the Red Devils to their first league defeat of the season, while raising fresh question marks over Ole Gunnar Solskaer's reign at Old Trafford.