With the Reds a goal down in the early stages on Merseyside due to a freakish and uncharacteristic error from David De Gea, the lads had it all to do against Carlo Ancelotti's buoyant side.
But as fears turned to last season's demoralising 4-0 defeat on the same ground, United responded, with a spell of gloriously positive attacking play built around the buzzing imagination of Fernandes.
They received their reward in the 31st minute, when the former Sporting Lisbon captain turned onto Nemanja Matic's adroit pass and instantaneously fired the ball past Jordan Pickford and into the Gwladys Street goal.