Bruno Fernandes' Man Utd form under the microscope and three reasons he's come off the boil

Within months of his arrival in Manchester Bruno Fernandes was hailed as something of a saviour.

His £67m fee looked good business as Manchester United lured him from Sporting Lisbon, where he had scored 33 times in his last full season in the Portuguese capital. A debut cameo against Wolves was followed by his first goal against Watford.

United looked set to meander towards a Europa League finish before his arrival, then all of a sudden they found form and, even with a lockdown disruption, went unbeaten in 14 matches with Fernandes central to their efforts as they finished third. He scored 12 times in 22 games and continued to drive Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's side to a second place finish the following season.

However, Fernandes now looks a shadow of the player he was for the first two-and-a-half years of his Manchester career. His demands that were once hailed as driving standards are now criticised as moans. Performance levels have dipped, so much so that his place in the team is being debated by some.

A new deal, which now sees him earn around £240,000-a-week, could not have come at a worse time. United and he are desperately out of form and the club's hierarchy has seemingly protected their asset based on reputation alone. Erik ten Hag's arrival is imminent and there are no guarantees the 27-year-old fits into his plans, especially with Donny van de Beek set to be handed a second chance.

This last week has been a microcosm of Fernandes' season. Ineffective in a poor display as they were cut apart by Liverpool at Anfield. Then, on Saturday, he missed the chance to level from the spot at Arsenal, hitting the post when the score was 2-1 before the Gunners went on to secure victory.

Cristiano Ronaldo, so often the man