Bruno Fernandes breaks Manchester United penalty record in win over Everton

The Portugal international stepped up in the 12th minute of the contest after Alejandro Garnacho had been brought to the ground, and he picked out the bottom corner to send the Red Devils into the lead.

Fernandes has now scored more penalties for the club than any other player, moving onto 29, which has seen him pass Ruud van Nistelrooy (28), while Wayne Rooney (27), Cristiano Ronaldo (21) and Eric Cantona (18) complete the top five.

The statistics relate to all competitions, with Fernandes managing 17 successful penalties in the Premier League, but he passed up the chance to move onto 30 spot-kicks for the club in the latter stages of the first period when Garnacho was brought to the ground by Ben Godfrey, instead handing the ball to Rashford.

"Obviously, as I said many times, we have more than one penalty-taker and we have a list in the dressing room," Fernandes told MUTV after the match.

"Marcus [Rashford] is the second name as a penalty taker and I am more than confident whenever Marcus steps up to take a penalty,

"I am more than confident that he can have the same effect as me. I did score the first one but I felt that with the second one, we should have changed because it then moves the mind a little bit of the goalkeeper.

"He has to move differently, he has to adapt to a different kind of penalty-taker, so I think it was the best decision for the team in order to help us get another goal.

"It was not because I wasn't confident I would score, because I was, but because I spoke to Marcus and asked him if he wanted to take it. He said: 'I would be happy to take one', so I said 'go ahead'."

Meanwhile, Man United head coach Erik Ten Hag added: "They [Fernandes and Rashford] decided on the pitch, we have more very good penalty-takers in our squad. Bruno is one, Rashy is one, Casemiro is one, Christian Eriksen is one. So we have more. Also, even others.

"That's very good when you have that in your squad and when you get, at such notice, two different penalty-takers, it's more difficult for the opposition goalkeeper."

Fernandes has now scored eight goals and registered nine assists in 37 appearances for the 20-time English champions during the 2023-24 campaign.

Meanwhile, in total, the 29-year-old has 71 goals and 63 assists in 221 outings for Man United since arriving at the club from Sporting Lisbon in January 2020.

The victory over Everton moved the Red Devils to within three points of fifth-placed Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League table, although the North London club now have two games in hand on the side directly below them.