Bruno Fernandes carries Manchester United to first win against Ipswich

Bruno Fernandes finished with 3 goals, 1 assist and a 10 rating as Manchester United beat Ipswich 5-2 at Old Trafford for their first win of the season. In a game that still had a VAR argument in the middle of it, Fernandes was the part nobody could dispute. He scored the equaliser, completed his hat-trick in the 68th minute and then created the fifth.

Fernandes ran the game as well as finishing it

The headline from Manchester United vs Ipswich is obvious enough: Fernandes scored three and made one. The rest of his numbers fill in why the display felt so complete.

He had 3 shots on target, 63 passes and 3 key passes, which is a strong summary of the game by itself. United were not just getting a finisher arriving in the box. They had their captain dictating possession, finding the final pass and then ending moves himself.

That was needed after Leif Davis gave Ipswich the lead in the 29th minute. Fernandes dragged United level in the 40th, then took over again after the break. He completed his hat-trick in the 68th minute and set up Bryan Mbeumo in the 82nd as the scoreline widened.

Gary Neville, quoted by skysports.com, called him "Without a shadow of a doubt, United's best signing in the post-Ferguson era," and this was exactly the kind of performance behind that view. On a day when United needed a first win, Fernandes looked like the one player who could settle the match every time it threatened to drift.

The VAR call did not change who owned the match

United's second goal will still get its share of attention. The goal stood after a VAR check in the 56th minute, but the verified outcome is clear: it was an own goal by Jacob Greaves, not a direct goal for Harry Maguire.

The explanation from the officials matched that. The Premier League Match Centre, quoted by manchestereveningnews.co.uk, said: "The referee’s call of goal for Manchester United was checked and confirmed by VAR – with it deemed that Maguire was not the immediate goalscorer after an accidental handball."

Jarred Gillett, quoted by metro.co.uk, gave the same reasoning: "It's an own goal and the accidental handball is not punishable, so we recommend you award the goal," with the ball deflecting in off Greaves after contact from Maguire.

It was a pivotal moment in the game, but it should not blur the wider point from the afternoon. United scored five, collected their first win of the season, and Fernandes drove almost all of the damage. A hat-trick, an assist and a perfect 10 is not a normal outing, even for a player who already carries a lot of this team.

Ipswich still had their moments and grabbed a late consolation, but United left with the result they badly needed. Fernandes left with the match ball, the top rating on the pitch and the clearest claim on the whole game.