According to The Athletic, Youri Tielemans, Aston Villa's midfielder, mimics Bruno Fernandes' running rhythm during penalty kicks to time potential rebound opportunities and potentially distract the goalkeeper.

When Bruno Fernandes stepped up to take a penalty on Sunday afternoon local time, all eyes were initially on him. The Manchester United captain had missed two penalties during preseason, so the scrutiny was warranted.

However, after Fernandes converted his penalty—his third goal for Manchester United against Ipswich—attention turned to Tielemans, who was standing behind him.

As Fernandes ran toward the ball in his normal fashion, Tielemans perfectly mimicked his movements from behind. Both players moved side to side and adjusted their stride in sync.

Two penalty experts told The Athletic that while this tactic is unconventional, it's not entirely new for Tielemans.

In Aston Villa's FA Cup match against Preston in 2025, Tielemans mimicked Rashford, who was on loan at Villa at the time.

But what is the true purpose behind this peculiar "ghosting" running motion?

Geir Jordet, penalty expert and author of "The Psychology of the Penalty Shootout: Pressure," explains: "The clearest function is to help you time your run for a rebound. In one sense, it's clever—particularly against a player like Bruno Fernandes who uses a stuttered run-up. You need to match his rhythm to get your timing right."

Jordet explains that ideally, a player should accelerate from the start and maintain momentum when preparing to challenge for a rebound. However, if any player other than the penalty taker enters the penalty area or moves before the shot, they risk being penalized. For instance, if they score from a deflected penalty, the penalty may need to be retaken. Timing your approach is therefore crucial.

Against Fernandes, who uses a stuttered run-up, mimicking his movements helps Tielemans time his approach precisely.

Jordet notes: "Fernandes disrupts his own rhythm to make it harder for the goalkeeper to predict. So if you use a standard rebound run without paying attention to the shooter's movement, you might also miss the best timing."

On Thursday morning local time, Manchester United posted a video on social media. In it, Tielemans confirmed that he mimicked Fernandes' run-up to time his entry into the penalty area. He uses the same method to defend against penalties, such as Pereira's penalty for Fulham against Aston Villa in 2024.

Beyond timing his own run, the practice may offer another benefit: psychological warfare and disruption. Ben Littleton, author of "Twelve Yards: The Art & Psychology of the Perfect Penalty," notes that Ipswich goalkeeper Scherpen also attempted to disrupt play.

Littleton says: "Scherpen clearly positioned himself on one side of the goal, trying to distract Bruno by leaving the other side open. I've seen this work before."

"But this time, Tielemans was in Scherpen's line of sight, mimicking Bruno's movements. I've never seen this before, and I'm not sure whether it distracted the goalkeeper more than standing in the center or not. It's ironic that Scherpen tried to create a psychological advantage initially."

Jordet observed that before the penalty was taken, Manchester United's Matheus Cunha pulled Ipswich's Issa Diop to the other side of the penalty arc, giving Scherpen and Tielemans a clear line of sight to each other.

Jordet says: "This certainly may have made it easier for Tielemans to run toward the rebound position or given him a clearer view in the goalkeeper's sight line. I like this kind of disruption."

"Many players wave their arms or shout something, but few actually mimic the penalty taker's movements. So within the goalkeeper's field of vision, this could genuinely create disruption."

A quick review of past match footage reveals that several other players have used this "ghosting" run-up technique. Szoboszlai has repeatedly mimicked Liverpool teammate Salah's lateral movement and normal run-up. Henderson has also employed a similar tactic in the past.

In the example below, a Manchester City defender appears to understand this tactic and clearly attempts to prevent Szoboszlai from rushing into the penalty area.

Amadou Onana, Tielemans' former Aston Villa teammate, also mimicked Rashford's run-up in a match against Manchester City in 2025.

Coventry used a similar tactic in a classic FA Cup match in 2024 at Wembley against Manchester United. Haji Wright scored to send the game to extra time, and his teammate Callum O'Hare, now playing for Wrexham, was captured on video mimicking Wright's run-up.

This is an unconventional technique, but should it be used more often?

Jordet says: "If I were a goalkeeper and had the choice between opponents standing still or facing a group of opponents moving around the penalty area and perfectly timing their runs by mimicking the shooter, I'd choose the first option every time."

Players constantly seek new ways to exploit small advantages in the game, and data shows there's room for improvement in penalty rebound finishing.

Over the past five Premier League seasons, there have been 484 penalties, with 400 converted. Of the 84 that weren't scored, 22 missed the target entirely and 62 were saved by the goalkeeper. Of course, some saves result in the goalkeeper catching the ball cleanly or punching it away, but some create rebound opportunities.

Teams rarely capitalize on these chances. Over the past five Premier League seasons, only 11 goals have come from rebounds after a goalkeeper saved a penalty, and all but two were scored by the original penalty taker.

Could players positioned outside the penalty area play a more creative role in penalty attacks?

Littleton says: "I'd like to know how Tielemans will explain this attempt, and whether we'll see this practice again in the future. Will it be another player, or two players on either side of the shooter? Will there be choreographed five-man penalty sequences? When will the referee step in?"

"I always welcome new approaches to penalty kicks, but this practice could be quite interesting, or it might attract rule restrictions and be banned quickly. Regardless, Tielemans' attempt is both clever and creative."

Jordet says: "If you think about it, being able to adjust your position and distract the goalkeeper, standing still seems rather silly."

"Why not try these methods? Teams should use this approach more. Penalties are vital to scoring and match outcomes."

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