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MANCHESTER, ENGLAND - AUGUST 30: Bruno Fernandes of Manchester United celebrates scoring his team’s third goal from the penalty spot during the Premier League 2026/27 match between Manchester United and Ipswich Town at Old Trafford on August 30, 2026 in Manchester, England. (Photo by Dan Mullan/Getty Images)Bruno Fernandes’ 25/26 season was most notably his best. PFA player of the year, 22 assists and captaining a Manchester United side to their Champions League return in third place. Many thought that he was peaking at the perfect time, ready for the World Cup. It was time for Bruno to show his class. However, it was not meant to be. A disappointing group stage saw him noticeably silent and action less, before a round of 16 exit to eventual winners Spain. To show he was worthy of being the Premier League’s best player, he needed to bounce back for the club that gave him his platform. A return to Champions League football and a fresh new season under new manager Michael Carrick seemed to be the best way to regain those plaudits after the underwhelming campaign over the summer. Many were quick to criticise the Portuguese midfielder after an embarrassing defeat to newly promoted Hull City. That storyline leading up to game week two is what makes the almost routine victory over Ipswich a Bruno Fernandes classic. When all the pressure is mounding and critics are loud before another newly promoted side, it is only the top players who can step up and perform again. It is what makes this performance so deserving of the VAVEL Writer’s Premier League player of the week. The performance MANCHESTER, ENGLAND - AUGUST 30: Bruno Fernandes of Manchester United celebrates scoring his team’s third goal from the penalty spot during the Premier League 2026/27 match between Manchester United and Ipswich Town at Old Trafford on August 30, 2026 in Manchester, England. (Photo by Dan Mullan/Getty Images) Top players and leaders can turnaround poor form and take control of games. That is what Bruno Fernandes produced in Saturday’s 5-2 victory over Ipswich. Levelling the score just before the end of the first half, supporting Cunha on the counter with an emphatic near-post finish was what United fans would have been praying for. Everybody relied on Bruno to deliver. Going winless in the opening two games of the new season against newly promoted sides is simply not possible for a club as big as Manchester United. Proceeding to then convert the penalty to take the lead in the second half and completing the hat trick seven minutes later showed just why United’s number 8 deserved the PFA Player of the Year award. The performance was summed up with an assist for fellow forward Bryan Mbuemo and rounded off a perfect game for Fernandes. The ultimate confidence booster for the Red Devils sees Bruno aim to take his form forwards into three more points away at Everton next Sunday.