Manchester United cannot ignore their aspirations for the Premier League title, despite having a challenging season.

Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes has made it clear that the club “can’t hide” from their ambition to reclaim the Premier League title. As they aim to salvage a disappointing domestic season, the focus now shifts to the UEFA Europa League, where they face Tottenham Hotspur in a crucial showdown.

Despite a tumultuous campaign in the league, United have shone on the European stage. They remain unbeaten in the UEFA Europa League, recently pulling off a stunning comeback against Lyon, scoring three goals in the final seven minutes of their quarter-final clash. They then went on to dismantle Athletic Club with a staggering 7-1 aggregate victory, dashing hopes of a home final in Bilbao.

The upcoming match in Spain, set to be broadcast live on TNT Sports and discovery+ on May 21, sees United, currently sitting 16th in the Premier League, take on 17th-placed Tottenham. The stakes are high, with a coveted UEFA Champions League spot awaiting the winner.

Fernandes acknowledged that United have fallen short of expectations in the league this season but credited the passionate support of the fans for driving their European success. “We felt in the Europa League, the atmosphere from the fans, they always felt we could go to the end of this competition and win it,” Fernandes told TNT Sports’ Owen Hargreaves. “In the Premier League, we started going behind, and behind, and behind, and they felt ‘we can’t get much more of what we want from the Premier League.’

“At United, you don’t want to be in the top four. You want to win the Premier League. That’s the aim and we can’t hide from that. It’s the past of the club, it’s the history of the club, and it has to be the present and the future of this club, always fighting for that trophy.”

He continued, “As soon as the fans understood that in the Europa League we could go further, we felt that togetherness in every game. I think the Lyon game is the pinnacle of everything. In seven minutes, you can turn around three goals; it’s something unbelievable and probably not seen many times. It was that little bit of belief that everyone else had that probably in the Premier League we wouldn’t have had in a normal game.”

Fernandes also reflected on the importance of seizing opportunities, drawing inspiration from former United striker Federico Macheda. The 17-year-old made headlines in the 2008/09 title race when he came off the bench against Aston Villa to score a stunning late winner. Although Macheda’s career did not unfold as many had anticipated, his moment of brilliance remains etched in United’s history.

“As players, we need to think: anything at this club this good becomes massive in the future,” said Fernandes. “People get recognised for a lot of things. For example, let’s talk about Federico Macheda. He scored two goals in two games straight away, but the first one..

“He didn’t end up having the career that everyone probably expected him to have, for many reasons, but everyone remembers him for that goal. At this club, from a split second, you can get a memory for life – not only for yourself, but for the fans.

“Every time you have an opportunity to win a trophy, to do something great, you just have to understand that a minimum thing you do great here is going to become massive. When you get this small thing right, it drives you off.”