Bruno Fernandes responds to claims he berated Manchester United team-mates and rejects Arsenal comparison

Bruno Fernandes says Manchester United must learn from their mistakes in Sunday’s derby defeat after berating his team-mates following the loss, while he rejected comparisons with table toppers Arsenal.

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The Red Devils shipped four first-half goals against City, losing 6-3 at the Etihad – a scoreline that rather flattered the visitors – and it was claimed afterwards that both skipper-for-the-day Fernandes and Lisandro Martinez had ripped into the players over their performance.

Such was the fury in the dressing room, the shouts were reportedly heard in the corridor outside and Fernandes has not denied that he reminded his team-mates of some non-negotiables that they failed to apply in the heavy defeat.

Asked about the claims he had berated his team-mates and reminded them of certain ‘rules’ they had broken, Fernandes replied: ‘We had a meeting as the manager said, we went to see the tough things, to see the mistakes that we did.

‘After the game I said straight away I think we conceded three goals on the counter against a team that normally plays in possession.

‘So we knew that when they don’t have the ball they have some players who stay up front, that want to counter, that want to have the ball straight away when they win it.

‘We could have avoided that that but we didn’t and they scored the goals.

‘But as I said, we saw that, we knew what were the mistakes, and now more than see and understand what mistakes we did [the key now] is not to repeat it again and get back to the best results that we can and win games – which is what counts in football.

‘And even if we have done a bad game against City and we have scored six goals and it was 6-6 everybody would probably be happier, but