Bruno Fernandes’s skyward penalty for Manchester United during Sunday’s 1–1 draw with Fulham was the fifth Premier League spot-kick he has missed for the club.
Since the Portuguese penalty taker arrived at Old Trafford in February 2020, no other player in the division has spurned more.
Much to his chagrin, Fernandes was unsettled in the buildup to his blazed effort at Craven Cottage. United’s skipper inadvertently trod on referee Chris Kavanagh while in the process of backing away from the ball. Fernandes still had time to reset himself but did not discover the composure required, drilling his effort high above Bernd Leno’s net.
This was hardly the first time Fernandes has erred from 12 yards. The experienced playmaker has missed five of his 27 spot kicks in English league football. Intriguingly, this is a tally Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah can match, together with former Fulham forward Aleksandar Mitrović and West Ham United’s James Ward-Prowse, who has proven to be far more reliable from free kicks than penalties.
Fernandes’s overall penalty conversion rate in the Premier League stands at 81.5%. Of all players to have attempted at least 10 spot kicks over the last six years, United’s first-choice taker ranks 14th out of 18.
