How Brighton stop Man United assist king Bruno Fernandes
Brighton vs Manchester United in the Premier League from the Amex Stadium - Sunday, 4pm
Brighton boss Fabian Hurzeler knows just what a challenge his side will face when they try to deny Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes the “joy” of breaking the Premier League assists record.
The Portugal international equalled the single season Premier League record of 20 assists in last weekend’s win over Nottingham Forest and will be out to set a new mark when United head to the Amex Stadium for Sunday’s final game of the campaign.
Hurzeler knows just what Fernandes – voted the Football Writers’ Association men’s Footballer of the Year – can do when on the ball, but is confident his side can keep him in check as Brighton look to secure European qualification themselves.
Outstanding Fernandes
“It is very difficult to defend him one against one. He is an outstanding player, (with) outstanding skills,” Hurzeler told a press conference. “So when you see him playing, it is definitely a joy, but at the weekend we have to stop it as a team, we have to defend him as a team.
“It is not possible to defend him one against one, you need to take the joy away from him, you need to take the spaces away from him, but even then he tries to find small margins where he can be effective.
“So we have to stay alive for 90 minutes. We have to be very compact as a team, we have to play intense. We have to always create a numbers advantage near the ball and that is our responsibility on Sunday.”
Secure Europa League
Albion, who are seventh, can secure a place in the Europa League at least if they beat United, but could still end up in either of the other two competitions depending on other results – or also fail to qualify for Europe at all.
Hurzeler just wants his player to focus on their own performance levels, rather than worry about results elsewhere.
“You can focus on your effort, on your attitude, on your mindset, on your preparation. These are all things you can control, and then we will get the outcome we deserve based on our performance,” the Brighton boss said.