Fulham star rubs salt into Bruno Fernandes wounds after Man Utd penalty humiliation

Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes sent a penalty over the bar in the Premier League meeting with Fulham and one of the Portugal star’s opponents has had his say

Fulham defender Calvin Bassey believes Bruno Fernandes’ penalty miss against the Cottagers was justice. Manchester United captain Fernandes failed from the spot in the first half, with the teams later exchanging second half goals in a 1-1 draw.

Bassey had been penalised for a foul on Mason Mount before Fernandes missed the target from the spot. And the Nigeria international continued to argue his case when speaking to Sky Sports after the match.

“I’d say it was justice!” Bassey said when asked after the game about United failing to take advantage from the spor. “I didn’t think it was a pen. It was a bit of relief.”

“I still think it’s harsh. I understand why it’s given,” he said on the penalty awart itself. “I’m trying to stay strong because I know the block’s coming, and then I’ve pulled him over my foot.

“But the ref has got to protect us as well. I’m strong, so it looks a bit more aggressive. If it’s someone stronger [than Mount], I don’t think it looks as bad.”

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He continued: “It’s hard. Sometimes, when you feel the contact early, you go down and the ref can give you a foul. When you’re in the game and the ball’s there to be one, sometimes you’re tyring to get to the ball as quickly as possible and you’ve got to get the man out the way.

“There’s a fine line between giving a foul away and getting away with it. On another day, maybe the ref doesn’t look at it. We as players just have to try to be clever.

“I tried to communicate with the ref because I knew the block was coming. I told him, on every corner, ‘watch the blocks, watch the blocks’, but he made his decision. It’s something to learn, just be a bit more streetwise and smart with it.”

United eventually got their noses in front at Craven Cottage when Leny Yoro’s effort was deflected in off Fulham striker Rodrigo Muniz. The lead didn’t last long, though, with Emile Smith Rowe ensuring the spoils were shared.

“I was upset,” Fernandes told Sky Sports when assessing his own penalty miss. His preparations had been accidentally interrupted by referee Chris Kavanagh, and the Portugal midfielder referenced this as a factor.

“As a penalty-taker, you have your own routines, your own things that you do,” Fernandes adde.d “It upset me because the referee didn’t apologise. That is what triggered me in that moment, but that’s not the excuse for missing the penalty. I had a very bad hit on the ball. I put my foot too under the ball and that’s why it ended up going over the bar.”

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