Manchester United's U23's earned a vital point on the road against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on Friday night, thanks to a stunning Alvaro Fernandez strike late in the game.
The hosts took the lead in the 73rd minute through midfielder Harvey Vale, but with just three minutes left on the clock Fernandez powered his way into the box from the left-hand side.
The 18-year-old blasted the ball across the face of goal and into the side netting to level things up with a super finish, with the game finishing one apiece soon after.
The left-back was applauded by Reds supporters online for his exquisite blend of power and finishing ability, with many hailing him as the United Academy 's next great prospect.
"Love seeing our investment in academy shaping up to be a great production line for excellent footballers," tweeted @NatrajManUnited.
Some commenters compared Fernandez to Chelsea's first-team left-back Marcos Alonso, while others proclaimed that he is the future successor to Luke Shaw.
"I'm afraid Manchester United already have a Luke Shaw replacement," one person remarked on Twitter, echoing the sentiments of many fans.
The unusual level of finishing for a full-back did not go unnoticed either, with @chanman_chukky saying "What do you mean we have a Cavani Regen playing left back for us at reserves."
Born in March 2003, Fernandez joined United from Real Madrid in 2020 and scored on his U18's debut against Burnley.
The Seville-born defender was quickly promoted to the U23's, where he made five assists in 20 appearances for Neil Wood's team in the 2020/21 campaign.
Friday night's encounter was United's first away game of the campaign after drawing with Leicester City at home in the league opener, meaning the side is still winless after two games.
