Goal of the Month Focus: Fernandes v Everton

And for all the subsequent focus on Pickford, let’s have a little bit of praise for the shot itself. Low, fierce, and with a perhaps underappreciated amount of swerve and dip present, it was probably a lot easier to save in theory than in practice.

Boxer Mike Tyson once famously said “Everyone has a plan – until they get punched in the mouth” and, in a similar sense, you feel it was Fernandes’s speed of action and the unexpected trajectory of the shot that caught Pickford out rather than the accuracy.

As a fan, it was just about excitement. Arguably, not since Paul Scholes or David Beckham have we had a player as threatening from outside the box, and if defenders have to close Bruno down the minute he finds a bit of space in those areas, it opens up a world of possibilities for Rashford, Martial, Greenwood or whoever is in advance of the Portuguese playmaker.

Was it March’s best? That’s for you to decide, but there’s little that’s more thrilling than a glorious piece of skill from a new player that makes you hungry for the future.

Vote for your Goal of the Month in the Official App now. The winner will be announced on Saturday.