Fernandes opened the scoring from the penalty spot after Amad Diallo was brought down by James Tarkowski. Everton equalised before halftime through Iliman Ndiaye, who capitalised on a poor pass from Manuel Ugarte. Substitute Mason Mount put United back in front with a curling finish, but a miscommunication between Ayden Heaven and Amad resulted in a bizarre own goal that sealed the draw. Despite the result, United secured the Premier League Summer Series title following earlier wins in New Jersey and Chicago.
Speaking after the match, Fernandes told NBC Sports that the team’s attitude was not up to standard, saying, “Our performance wasn’t the best and we were a little bit lazy today. We want to avoid that because with laziness you can pay at any moment.” He stressed the importance of squad depth and urged the club to strengthen before the transfer window closes, adding, “Hopefully we can get one or two players more to help with that.”
He praised the impact of new arrivals Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo, both of whom made their debuts in Atlanta, but reiterated that more quality is required if United are to improve on last season’s disappointing 15th-place finish.
Manager Rúben Amorim backed his captain’s comments, saying the criticism reflected the team’s understanding that improvements are still needed. “We are near to the start of the season and we are going with the feeling that we need to do a lot of things better,” Amorim said.
United have already spent significantly this summer and remain in talks to sign RB Leipzig striker Benjamin Sesko. CEO Omar Berrada confirmed the recruitment team is working intensively to bring in further reinforcements.
United begin their Premier League campaign at home against Arsenal on 17 August. While Fernandes continues to play a central role at 30, he made it clear that the team must bring in younger, more competitive players to raise their standards and avoid a repeat of last season’s struggles.
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