Fernandes inspires Manchester United to Summer Series title with draw against Everton

Bruno Fernandes scored one and assisted another as Manchester United drew 2-2 with Everton in Atlanta on Sunday to secure the Premier League Summer Series title.

The draw earned United a final tally of seven points in the pre-season round-robin tournament, having already beaten West Ham 2-1 and Bournemouth 4-1 during their US tour.

“It’s improving,” Fernandes told Sky Sports. “The club is trying to bring in more quality and competition for places. That pushes everyone to do better, and hopefully, we can still add one or two more players.”

Manchester United are aiming to bounce back from a disastrous Premier League campaign last season, where they finished 15th— their worst finish since 1973–74 — with just 11 wins and nine draws in 38 games.

Reflecting on the struggles, Fernandes added, “The fans have suffered. They pay a lot to support us and now it’s on us, the players, to give something back on the pitch.”

The Portuguese midfielder emphasized the need for improvement in all aspects of the club, saying, “Every small detail matters. This club is too big to get things wrong. The culture here was always about winning, and we need to bring that back.”

Fernandes opened the scoring in the 19th minute with a penalty after James Tarkowski fouled Amad Diallo. Everton equalized in the 40th minute through Iliman Ndiaye, who converted a pass from Idrissa Gana Gueye.

Mason Mount, introduced as a substitute, restored United’s lead in the 69th minute with a well-placed strike following a Fernandes assist. However, the lead lasted only six minutes before a back-pass from Diallo deflected off Ayden Heaven for an unfortunate own goal, ensuring the match ended 2-2.

Everton manager Ruben Amorim handed a first start to new signing Bryan Mbeumo, who joined from Brentford after completing pre-season training.

Diouf shines as West Ham down Bournemouth

Earlier in the day, West Ham wrapped up their Summer Series with a 2-0 win over Bournemouth, thanks to goals from Niclas Fullkrug and Jarrod Bowen — both assisted by new Senegalese left-back El Hadji Malick Diouf.

“Both goals are down to him,” said Bowen. “He’s only just arrived but already feels like he’s been here for years. He’s humble, fits the group perfectly, and clearly has real quality.”

Diouf’s clever pass set up Bowen inside the box, who then laid it off for Fullkrug to score from close range in the 24th minute. Bowen later sealed the result with a finish in the 67th minute, again courtesy of a pinpoint Diouf delivery.

Bournemouth had strong early chances but failed to capitalize, hitting the woodwork multiple times in the opening 15 minutes.

Bowen praised West Ham’s resilience: “We didn’t start great, but we stuck together. That’s the character we need going forward.”