Bruno Fernandes has challenged Manchester United to maintain their attacking hunger after his hat-trick inspired a 5-2 comeback win over Ipswich Town in their first Premier League victory of the season.
United had fallen behind to Leif Davis at Old Trafford, but Fernandes equalised before half-time to begin a decisive turnaround. The hosts took control after the interval when Jacob Greaves scored an own goal, before Fernandes converted a penalty and completed his hat-trick soon afterwards.
Bryan Mbeumo added a fifth for Manchester United, while Chuba Akpom scored a late consolation for Ipswich Town.
The victory was a forceful response to United’s opening-day defeat by Hull City and was built on an impressive attacking display. They attempted 33 shots, their highest total in a Premier League match since recording 38 against Burnley in October 2016.
Fernandes contributed eight of those efforts, equalling his joint-highest number of attempts in a league game for the club.
The Portugal international has also continued his strong record against newly promoted opponents. His three goals took his total to 17 goal involvements – eight goals and nine assists – in his past 15 Premier League appearances against teams newly promoted to the division.
Despite United’s dominance once they recovered from their difficult start, Fernandes said the team needed to show an even greater desire to add to its goals.
“We were in control of the game and then conceded the goal, lost a bit of control after that, but then got back into the game, scored just before half-time and in the second half we were brilliant. We need to be hungry to score more goals,” Fernandes told BBC Sport.
He also insisted that his individual achievement was inseparable from the contribution of his team-mates.
“It is a great accolade for myself, but it is together with the team, because I couldn’t do any of that without them helping me.
“Obviously, it was a huge week and to end with a win at home was massive.
“I said before the game, to be honest, there are certain days you feel it. It is one of those days when everything comes to you, and you have to take it.
Fernandes said Manchester United must also learn to manage their response to both positive and negative results, rather than allowing either outcome to dictate their emotions.
“We have to do it in both ways; when we lose, we can’t get carried away with the negative things..
“I hate losing, and it is difficult to be positive when you lose games, because at this club you want to be on top of everything and win games. It is very difficult for me to control the emotions.”.
The result continued United’s excellent home record in 2026. They have won nine of their 10 Premier League matches at Old Trafford during the calendar year, with their only defeat coming in the other fixture.
Those nine victories have brought 27 points, more than any other club has earned at home in the Premier League in 2026.
United’s win over Ipswich was also the first time since July 2020 that they had scored at least five goals in a league match after conceding first. They also came from 1-0 down to beat Bournemouth 5-2 on that occasion.
For a side seeking to recover from a disappointing opening result, the performance represented a substantial response.
Head coach Michael Carrick welcomed the way his players eventually secured the points, although his assessment was notably concise given the scale of the victory.
“It was a good win. It was a really good win in the end,” Carrick told Sky Sports.
