Captain cool: Fernandes’ last-gasp penalty drags United to a season-launching victory

Old Trafford exhaled as Bruno Fernandes buried an injury-time penalty to secure a 3-2 win over Burnley and deliver Manchester United’s first victory of the season. It came at the end of a breathless, nerve-shredding afternoon in a match Ruben Amorim had labelled “must-win” after the midweek humbling at Grimsby.

United twice led and twice were pegged back before their captain settled the argument, turning a chaotic, error-strewn second half into the kind of catharsis that can reset a campaign. Relief, though, was matched by a clear to-do list: game control, set pieces, and concentration.

Redemption under the brightest glare

The decisive act was born of persistence. Amad Diallo burst for the box with Jaidon Anthony tugging at his shirt; the contact began outside but continued into the area. Referee Sam Barrott waved play on until VAR Stuart Attwell sent him to the monitor. Four painstaking minutes later, the decision flipped and Fernandes shouldered the responsibility he had spurned at Fulham six days earlier.

The captain paused, then threaded his finish into the bottom corner as Burnley protests grew. Amorim could not watch; Old Trafford could barely breathe. When the net rippled, a week’s worth of doubt and criticism seemed, momentarily, to recede. It was the cool execution United needed, and the redemption story their leader craved.

New arrivals step forward as United set the tone

United’s opening was purposeful. Pressure built, the crowd roared, and the breakthrough came via industry and a slice of fortune: Casemiro’s header cannoned off the bar and in off Josh Cullen, confirmed by goal-line technology. That platform should have been extended; instead Amad scuffed a gilt-edge chance in first-half stoppage time and the door stayed ajar.

There were bright sparks from the summer intake. After Matheus Cunha pulled up with a hamstring issue and Joshua Zirkzee replaced him, Diogo Dalot attacked the byline and Zirkzee’s deft touch released the full-back to square for Bryan Mbeumo to sweep home his first league goal for the club. Kobbie Mainoo’s half-time introduction pushed Fernandes further forward and helped sustain pressure between Burnley’s lines.

Hard lessons amid nine crazy minutes

Burnley repeatedly asked questions. Foster ghosted to the near post to equalise from Jacob Bruun Larsen’s cross, only for United to strike back immediately through Mbeumo. Even as the stadium rediscovered its voice, the fine margins remained brittle. Foster had a second chalked off by a tight offside call that served as a warning.

Then came another familiar sting. United failed to handle a routine in front of the Stretford End, Loum Tchaouna’s drive was spilled by Altay Bayindir, and Anthony bundled in the rebound for 2-2. The goalkeeping department is under scrutiny after Andre Onana’s midweek error and Bayindir’s costly fumble here. If United are to turn relief into momentum, set‑piece focus and decision‑making must sharpen.

Relief for Amorim, a platform at last

This was not neat or serene, but it was essential. Amorim’s side showed resilience to respond in the moments when fear threatened to take hold, and in Fernandes they had a captain willing to carry the weight. Mbeumo’s timing and Dalot’s delivery offered attacking balance; Zirkzee’s cameo suggested a useful link option with Cunha sidelined.

United head into the international break with a first win and a measure of belief restored, yet with clear areas to fix. The derby looms on the other side; so, too, Chelsea soon after. Between now and then, Amorim’s focus will be on turning this dramatic surge into habit—by tightening the back line, calming the goalkeeping carousel, and making sure leads are kept rather than chased.