Soccer
Bruno Fernandes hat-trick helps Manchester United to thumping Ipswich win
Bruno Fernandes’ hat-trick helped Manchester United bounce back from their Hull humiliation and a poor start against Ipswich to secure a 5-2 comeback victory on Sunday.
Michael Carrick’s Red Devils suffered a deserved defeat in their Premier League opener last weekend and were facing further embarrassment against promoted opposition at Old Trafford.
Leif Davis fired Ipswich ahead but United showed the spirit and intensity sorely lacking at Hull, with Fernandes levelling and Harry Maguire surviving a VAR check for handball after his effort went in off Jacob Greaves.
The Ipswich defender soon gave away a penalty that Fernandes converted, before the freshly-crowned PFA Player of the Year completed his hat-trick from close range.
Bryan Mbeumo added gloss and Chuba Akpom scored a late consolation for Ipswich on a day when Marcus Rashford made an impressive first Old Trafford appearance in 90 weeks.
United paraded new £70million signing Carlos Baleba, out with an ankle issue, before a match they began brightly as Matheus Cunha lifted over following some enterprising work by Rashford.
Diogo Dalot saw a curling effort well stopped by Kjell Scherpen, but Julio Enciso had a great chance to put Town ahead on the break. Senne Lammens denied him and sparked a counter that so nearly ended with Rashford getting a toe on a cross.
United were playing with the kind of aggression lacking at Hull but defensive shakiness remained, with Lammens denying Daizen Maeda before finally being beaten in the 29th minute.
Abdul Fatawu all too easily got past Luke Shaw and sent over a cross that Davis skilfully fired home to give Ipswich a dream lead and raise more questions about United’s left-back options.
Lammens tipped over a Davis effort after Fatawu again got the better of Shaw, but the visitors’ excitement would soon be punctured by a Marcelino Nunez slip.
Cunha capitalised and perfectly played though Fernandes, who caught goalkeeper Scherpen out with a fierce 40th-minute strike.
It was a much-needed shot in the arm for United, who improved vastly after the break.
Mbeumo turned the ball onto the underside of the crossbar from point-blank range after Scherpen got a vital touch on stretching Rashford’s cross, with the hosts scoring in the 56th minute.
Maguire ignored handball appeals when bringing the ball down to laser a low effort that flew in off the unfortunate Greaves. The VAR, Jarred Gillett, said having reviewed the incident: “It’s an own goal and the accidental handball is not punishable, so we recommend you award the goal.”
Things quickly got worse for Town and Greaves, with referee Craig Pawson pointing to the spot after the centre-back brought down Cunha.
Fernandes ignored Scherpen’s mind games to convert the 61st-minute spot-kick and, after Rashford saw a strike saved, the skipper completed his hat-trick.
Lively Mbeumo saw a shot deflect kindly for the United skipper to take a touch and score from close range to remove any jeopardy from proceedings in the 68th minute.
Such was the confidence Fernandes was playing with he would soon try his luck from the halfway line, with backpedalling Scherpen relieved to see the ball land on the roof of his net.
Fernandes, Rashford and Cunha tried to add a fifth, with the Old Trafford roof struggling to cope with a downpour as Ipswich failed to deal with the hosts’ attack.
Fernandes sent Mbeumo through to score a looping goal that went in off the underside of the bar with eight minutes remaining.
Patrick Dorgu tried to add another, but Ipswich substitute Akpom scored the last goal after Enciso coolly played across after winning the ball in stoppage time.
