The Wales winger produced arguably his best individual display of 2020 so far, troubling Watford right-back Craig Dawson with his direct runs and perhaps being unlucky not to register on the scoresheet himself, with his shot in the 65th minute flying just wide of Ben Foster’s goal.

James also cut in from the left – after spending much of the campaign on the opposite flank – to provide good chances for Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Fred in the first half, as well as playing the measured through-ball which Fernandes latched on to before being brought down for his spot-kick.

The benefits of the winter break have been much discussed in recent weeks, and the 16-day hiatus the Reds enjoyed between the Wolves and Chelsea games appears to have particularly refreshed the 22-year-old, who recorded more sprints (18) and shots (four) than any other United player, according to Opta data.