Bruno Fernandes has revealed that he was Manchester United's designated penalty taker for the 2-1 win over Villarreal on Wednesday night despite his shocking miss from the spot against Aston Villa.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer decided to keep faith in the Portuguese, who would've stepped up had United been awarded a spot-kick in the victory over Unai Emery's side.
It had been suggested that Cristiano Ronaldo would take charge of penalties from now on after Fernandes ballooned over the bar late on against Villa on September 25, but it appears Solskjaer will decide the taker on a game-by-game basis.
What's been said?
Speaking to CBS Sports following the dramatic win over Villarreal, that saw Ronaldo score in stoppage-time to deny the Spanish side, Fernandes said: "I was on penalties tonight but we didn't get one.
"The manager will decide before the game who takes it."
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Why does it matter?
Following Ronaldo's arrival from Juventus in the summer, the expectation was that he would be thrust straight into United's starting XI and even assume set-piece duties from Fernandes.
Fernandes' track record from penalties and free-kicks has been impressive over the last two seasons, although the return of the legendary Portuguese meant it was unclear if he would continue taking set-pieces.
It appeared the 27-year-old had been given the nod to take penalties by Solskjaer, however, with Fernandes stepping up in stoppage-time against Aston Villa in United's last Premier League game.
However, after the former Udinese and Sampdoria midfielder blazed over the crossbar, squandering the chance to earn a point for the Red Devils, there was clamour for Ronaldo to now assume spot-kick duties.
And Fernandes' revelation that Solskjaer will decide before matches who takes penalties suggests that the duo will share the responsibility between them, at least in the short term.
What is Fernandes and Ronaldo's penalty record?
| Player | Career penalties taken | Penalties scored | Success rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bruno Fernandes | 46 | 42 | 91% |
| Cristiano Ronaldo | 167 | 139 | 83% |
Fernandes has taken a total of 46 penalties during his club and international career, scoring an impressive 42.
Two of his four misses have come since he signed for Manchester United, against Villa and Newcastle United respectively, while he has scored 21 from the spot for the Red Devils.
Ronaldo, meanwhile, has scored a total of 139 penalties, missing 28 times from the spot.
The Portugal captain failed to score his last penalty playing for his national team against Republic of Ireland, with Manchester City goalkeeper Gavin Bazunu, who is currently on loan with League One side Portsmouth, making the save.
The last time he scored a penalty for Manchester United, meanwhile, was back in April 2009, when he netted from the spot in a 5-2 win over Tottenham.