Chapter 825 – The Streak Ends
After the final international window of 2020, Bruno returned to England and rejoined Manchester United's preparations.
With year's end approaching, United were set for their toughest run: from late November to the end of December, just 38 days, they would play 12 matches across the Premier League, Champions League, and League Cup.
The only reason this was even feasible was that the Club World Cup had been pushed to February.
On the evening of November 21, United hosted West Bromwich Albion in Round 9 of the league — the start of the gauntlet.
United had won 7 of their first 8 league matches to lead the table by three points, while West Brom were winless (3 draws, 5 losses), third from bottom.
United started with Kylian Mbappé, Harry Kane, Marcus Rashford, and captain Bruno Fernandes in attack, Fred with İlkay Gündoğan as the double pivot, and a back four of João Cancelo, Harry Maguire, Virgil van Dijk, and Luke Shaw. West Brom set up in a 5-4-1, with Branislav Ivanović marshalling the defense, Conor Gallagher in midfield, and Karlan Grant up top.
Inside two minutes, Mbappé's header threatened.
In the 16th, Rashford slid a cross from the left; Bruno fed Mbappé in the middle, but Sam Johnstone's save denied the close-range effort.
United dominated the ball above 60% but fashioned few clear chances. Halftime: 0–0.
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After the restart, within two minutes Gallagher went down in the box after slight contact with Bruno and the referee, David Coote, awarded a penalty. VAR stepped in; after an on-screen review the decision was overturned — United survived.
In the 53rd minute it went the other way. Rashford's left-wing cross struck Darnell Furlong's arm — penalty to United. Bruno's first attempt was saved by Johnstone.
Just as Bruno thought his perfect penalty streak had ended, VAR ruled Johnstone had left his line early. Retake.
Bruno made no mistake the second time.
It proved the only goal, and the match ended 1–0.
Elsewhere, Liverpool thrashed Leicester City 3–0 at Anfield, extending United's lead to four points.
Another headline match saw Tottenham Hotspur beat Manchester City 2–0 in London — City's second league loss of the season.
With a match in hand, City had just 12 points, 13th in the table, and now 12 behind leaders United.
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Midweek brought Matchday 4 of the Champions League group stage against Atalanta at the Theatre of Dreams.
It was a dogfight.
With weeks of two-matches-per-week looming, Mourinho rotated judiciously.
Bruno created danger down the right in the sixth minute to win a corner — which he delivered for Harry Kane to head home.
United held the lead into the second half.
Mourinho subbed Bruno in the 61st minute to conserve him for the packed schedule. But by the 80th minute, legs faded, and without N'Golo Kanté's shielding, defensive gaps grew. Two late Atalanta strikes turned the match on its head.
1–2. The Champions League winning streak that began at Old Trafford on April 24, 2018, ended at 30.
United's other epic streak — 40 Champions League matches unbeaten since the start of 2017–2018 — ended as well.
...
Still, the press largely gave United grace. For three years they had been colossal.
Thirty straight wins in the Champions League proper; forty unbeaten — records no one dared dream of.
Previously, even United's 25-match UCL unbeaten run was deemed unbreakable.
Yet they not only eclipsed it but pushed it to forty — a span that, in normal seasons, exceeds three full campaigns.
Fittingly, United had lifted three straight Champions League titles in that period.
For three entire seasons, no European side could beat them.
Everyone knew the streaks would end. Few imagined it would be at Atalanta's hands — a side United had beaten 5–0 just three weeks earlier in Bergamo.
Shockingly, after leading most of the night at home, United conceded twice in the closing minutes and lost.
The one criticism leveled at Mourinho: making the "big" change too soon, removing Bruno just past the hour at 1–0 up. Until that point, United had controlled the match with authority.
Even with the upset, United still topped the group by two points. Ajax and Atalanta sat on 7 points (2 wins, 1 draw, 1 loss), Ajax second on goal difference, Atalanta third, and Midtjylland four losses from four, already eliminated.
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On November 29, United visited St Mary's for Round 10 against Southampton.
A minute's silence honored the late legend Diego Maradona.
The midweek collapse had dented United's edge, and they struggled early. Southampton's counters cut through repeatedly.
In the 23rd, from a corner, Jan Bednarek rose at the near post to glance in — 1–0 Saints.
In the 27th, Ryan Bertrand's advance and Stuart Armstrong's shot deflected onto the far post and out — nearly 2–0.
In the 33rd, James Ward-Prowse whipped a free kick into the top left corner — 2–0.
It was his fourth direct free-kick goal of the season. Only Bruno Fernandes, Jacob Murphy, Matheus Pereira, and Eberechi Eze had scored direct free kicks this campaign — and each only once.
Historically, Ward-Prowse was also among the Premier League's best direct free-kick scorers: nine, level with Frank Lampard and Jamie Redknapp, trailing only Bruno's fifteen and David Beckham's eighteen — second-most by an Englishman.
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Mourinho fumed at halftime and let the team have it.
At the break he made a double change: David de Gea — at fault earlier — and Mason Greenwood were withdrawn for Sergio Romero and Riyad Mahrez.
The switches worked. Romero stabilized the back, preventing a third. Up front, Mahrez became the key.
In the 59th, João Cancelo's outside-of-the-foot pass found Mahrez on the right; a low ball inside, Bruno's touch and composed finish — 2–1.
In the 73rd, Rashford's right-sided corner was tipped by Alex McCarthy; Bruno's shot deflected; Mahrez stooped to head home — 2–2.
In the 93rd minute, Bruno broke from midfield and released Rashford on the left; the cross flashed across goal and Mahrez ghosted in to volley into the corner — 3–2, the comeback complete.
With Liverpool earlier held 1–1 at Brighton, United's lead stretched to six points.
After 10 matches, the table looked familiar: United 27 points clear at the top, Liverpool second on 21, Chelsea third with 19, Spurs fourth with 18.
The other Big Six sides? City, with a game in hand, had 15 points in 11th; Arsenal were down to 14th on 13.
(END CHAPTER)
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