Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes has lashed out at referee Chris Kavanagh, accusing him of “triggering” him moments before his costly penalty miss against Fulham.
The 30-year-old midfielder stepped up to take a spot-kick in Sunday’s 1-1 draw but blasted his effort over the bar after a heated exchange with the match official.
According to Fernandes, Kavanagh bumped into him during his preparation for the run-up, an action the Portuguese claims disrupted his focus.
“I was upset. As a penalty-taker, you have your own routines, your own things that you do. It upset me because the referee didn’t apologise,” Fernandes told Sky Sports.
He stressed that while the incident unsettled him, the miss was ultimately down to his execution.
“That is what triggered me in that moment, but that’s not the excuse for missing the penalty. I had a very bad hit on the ball. I put my foot too under the ball, and that’s why it ended up going over the bar.”
The blunder cost United two valuable points in the Premier League race, with fans now divided over whether to blame Fernandes’ composure or the referee’s actions.
