Darwin Nunez shows why he’s an enigma as Bruno Fernandes underlines his worth as United’s talisman

Arsenal’s failure to beat a struggling Manchester United, coupled with Liverpool’s 3-1 win over Southampton, saw the Reds extend their lead atop the Premiership to 15 points over the weekend. Here are three key talking points.

Relentless Nunez vital for Liverpool

In first-half stoppage time, with Southampton leading 1-0 against Liverpool, Reds fans had their hearts in their mouths as Darwin Nunez’s late challenge on Saints defender Kyle Walker-Peters was checked as a potential red card.

Referee Lewis Smith’s on-field decision of a yellow card stood. Six minutes after the break, Nunez equalised for Liverpool before earning the first of two penalties converted by Mohamed Salah as they won 3-1.

This is the enigma that is Nunez.

Three years after joining Liverpool for an initial €75 million (S$108 million), Nunez – who has 39 goals in 133 matches for them – continues to be criticised for his tendency to miss gilt-edged chances.

But twice in a week, the Uruguayan has shown that in a squad packed with finesse, he offers unpredictability up front. He came off the bench in midweek Champions League action to provide a match-winning assist in a 1-0 win over Paris Saint-Germain, who never looked troubled before that.

At the business end of the season, when the Reds need to grind out results, the relentlessness and energetic presence of Nunez creates chaos, which often spells trouble for the opposition.

Big battle for Champions League places

Barring a catastrophic fall, Liverpool have all but sewn up the title and Ipswich Town, Leicester City and Southampton look set for relegation. It seems only one storyline is worth following in the remaining weeks of the season: The race for Champions League spots.

All eyes will be on the race for the third and fourth places which will guarantee Champions League qualification, with the Premier League also in pole position to get a bonus fifth spot, based on Uefa’s coefficient rankings.

At least eight teams are vying for those spots. While Nottingham Forest and Chelsea consolidated their hold on third and fourth places with 1-0 wins over Manchester City and Leicester City respectively, only seven points separate the Blues from 10th-placed Fulham.

Every team in between – Guardiola’s City, Brighton, Aston Villa, Bournemouth and Newcastle – are in with a chance of a top-four finish.

Guardiola summed up the situation perfectly when he said after the loss to Forest: “We have 10 finals (to come)”.

Captain Fernades shows talismanic abilities

Where would 14th-placed Manchester United be without their captain Bruno Fernandes?

Just over a week ago, former Red Devils skipper Roy Keane said on the Overlap podcast that “Bruno is not a fighter” and questioned the Portuguese international’s leadership abilities, which sparked a heated debate with former Arsenal striker Ian Wright.

Fernandes has responded where it matters – on the pitch.

First, with the team 2-0 down against Everton on Feb 22, he stepped up to score a free kick which sparked a 2-2 draw. Four days later, three set-piece deliveries from Fernandes led to three goals as United pipped Ipswich Town 3-2.

On March 9, Fernandes scored the opener against Arsenal just before half-time when he curled a free kick beyond goalkeeper David Raya. It was his 12th goal in all competitions this season, the highest at United.

Ruben Amorim’s men went on to hold Arsenal to a 1-1 draw, a surprise result against a side looking to stay alive in the title race.

Languishing in the bottom half of the table, United have dished out turgid football for most of the season, first under Erik ten Hag and now Amorim. Regardless of who is in the dugout, Fernandes has delivered.

Reports suggest that a squad overhaul is on the cards in the summer. At the rate that staff at United are being made redundant – with the total number of layoffs set to reach 450 in just a year of cost-cutting measures under co-owner Jim Ratcliffe – no player is safe from a sale.

He may not play with a cape on, but Fernandes is proving to be a superhero by dragging a bunch of misfits over the line. Amorim must build the team around him to get the Red Devils out of this rut.