After collecting both leading player-of-the-year honours, Bruno Fernandes marked Manchester United’s first home fixture with a hat-trick, underlining his determination to maintain last season’s outstanding form.
Ipswich Town threatened Michael Carrick’s team through the speed of Julio Enciso, Issa Diop and Daizen Maeda, and victory appeared possible when Leif Davis put the visitors ahead in the 29th minute.
The match changed shortly before half-time when Marcelino Núñez lost his footing. Fernandes immediately took advantage, firing a powerful left-footed finish before United went on to overwhelm Gary O’Neil’s side.
United struck three times in a 12-minute spell between the 56th and 68th minutes. Jacob Hargreaves first turned the ball into his own net, Fernandes then added two more goals to complete his hat-trick, and Bryan Mbeumo rounded off the emphatic win.
Carrick had insisted that the disappointing 2-0 defeat by Hull was an isolated result, and his players supported that view with an impressive attacking display. Defensive concerns remained, however: Davis’s opener exposed gaps at the back, while Lisandro Martínez’s late mistake enabled Enciso to create Chuka Akpom’s stoppage-time consolation.
When Fernandes performs at this level, United generally flourish as well.
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