Casemiro and Joshua Zirkzee are getting attention, even more than Bruno Fernandes, after his amazing free kick opened the score against Arsenal.
The two players are being recognized for their smart placement on the field, which blocked David Raya’s view of Fernandes’ shot.
The goal happened after some debate about where referee Anthony Taylor positioned the wall – 11.2 yards from where the free kick was taken, instead of the standard ten yards.
This extra distance might have helped Fernandes lift his shot over the wall.
Jamie Redknapp from Sky Sports commented: "I want to explain why this free kick was so difficult to defend.
First, credit should be given to the player who took the shot, but I also want to highlight Zirkzee and Casemiro."
"What they do is really clever…"
"The goalkeeper, Raya, had a clear sightline initially, which is ideal because it allows him to track the ball as it’s being struck."
"However, as Fernandes approaches the ball, watch how Casemiro and Zirkzee move Thomas Partey across."
"Suddenly, that clear view is gone, and the next time Raya sees the ball is after it has cleared the wall."
"This tactic significantly reduces the goalkeeper’s chances of making a save against a shot with such trajectory and spin from Fernandes."
"It’s a very smart free-kick strategy."
This goal was very important, as it came at the end of a half where Manchester United had been under pressure.
Arsenal later responded, with Declan Rice scoring an equalizing goal in the second half.
This set-piece goal is Fernandes’ second free-kick goal in his last three matches.
United used similar tactics for his previous free-kick goal against Everton two weeks prior, where Zirkzee and Harry Maguire intentionally positioned themselves to obstruct Jordan Pickford’s view.
The England goalkeeper remained still as the shot went into the bottom right corner of the net.
Before this recent streak, Fernandes had only scored one free kick in his 183 previous Premier League games.
While Ruben Amorim’s impact on overall results might be debated, his influence on set-piece routines is clearly evident.
