Fernandes equals Premier League assist record with 20th assist against Nottingham Forest
The 31-year-old’s performance against Nottingham Forest sees him share the record, with one final match against Brighton offering the chance to claim the outright title.
Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes has equaled the Premier League record for most assists in a single season, reaching 20 assists after providing the assist for Bryan Mbeumo’s goal in a victory over Nottingham Forest. The milestone was achieved in the 77th minute at Old Trafford, where Fernandes delivered a low cross that Mbeumo tapped in to secure the win. The 31-year-old now shares the record with Kevin de Bruyne and former Arsenal striker Thierry Henry.
With one Premier League match remaining against Brighton on 24 May, Fernandes has the opportunity to claim the outright record. His assists have contributed to 21 points for Manchester United this season, the most by an individual player in a single season in Premier League history. The campaign has also seen him surpass David Beckham’s previous Manchester United single-season record of 15 assists, which was set in the 1999-00 season.
Fernandes has created 132 chances this season, the highest in the Premier League, surpassing Liverpool’s Dominik Szoboszlai by 58 chances. Against Nottingham Forest, Fernandes created eight chances, four more than any other player in the match. He has created 670 chances since his Premier League debut in January 2020, 238 more than Kevin de Bruyne.
He has 71 league assists for Manchester United across seven seasons, putting him level with Tottenham’s Son Heung-min. However, he remains 91 assists short of Ryan Giggs’ all-time record of 162. Fernandes also recently won the Football Writers' Association men's Footballer of the Year award, recognising his consistent influence on the pitch.
Manchester United manager Michael Carrick praised Fernandes’ ability to create opportunities after the match. "It's what he's good at. He's got a real knack and gift for creating opportunities," Carrick said. Fernandes joked to Sky Sports that his teammates had been trying to score from his passes, expressing happiness at finishing the season on a high note.
