Bruno Fernandes proved he's a worthy Manchester United captain on and off the pitch vs Everton

Erik ten Hag didn't look particularly pleased to see Marcus Rashford place the ball on the spot but it was all smiles as the forward arrowed his penalty into the top corner.

That put Manchester United 2-0 up at Everton on Sunday, an effort sandwiched between Alejandro Garnacho's wonder goal and Anthony Martial's cultured finish. All of Ten Hag's starting front-three found the net and for Rashford in particular it was a goal long overdue.

Last season's top-scorer hadn't found the net for almost three months and had just one for the season, but as Bruno Fernandes picked up the ball following a foul on Martial, he passed on the chance. Rashford took it.

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Rashford did not look like a man short of confidence when he belted the penalty past Jordan Pickford but recent performances have suggested he has been exactly that. Fernandes admitted as much after full-time when explaining his reason for giving up the ball.

"Marcus needed a bit of confidence and he is an excellent penalty taker," he told Sky Sports. "I was 100 per cent sure he could take it, it is not about who takes it, it is about scoring the penalty.

"Sometimes you need the chance to get your confidence back. Last season he was amazing, it was just about getting his goals back."

Pessimists may suggest such a decision could have gone wrong and turned the game at a key juncture, but it didn't. And if this is the point from which Rashford kicks on and replicates last season's form, then all credit to his captain.

Plenty of criticism has been aimed at Fernandes since he was given the armband permanently, some of it grossly unfair, but that was the action