Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes equalled the Premier League record for most assists in a season after registering his 20th of the campaign in his side’s 3-2 win over Nottingham Forest, the report says.
Per the report, the record‑tying pass arrived in the 76th minute at Old Trafford when Fernandes’ ball across the box was turned in by Bryan Mbeumo. The report adds that United pushed to break the mark late on but were denied by a combination of the woodwork and Forest defending.
Fernandes has now levelled a mark jointly held by Arsenal’s Thierry Henry (2002-03) and Manchester City’s Kevin De Bruyne (2019-20), the report says. The piece notes that set pieces have played an increased role in Fernandes’ tally this season, with only half of his assists coming from open play compared with higher open-play totals recorded by Henry and De Bruyne.
The report recalls a previous near-miss when Fernandes thought he had matched the record in United’s win over Liverpool, but Opta – identified in the report as the Premier League’s official statistics partner – did not credit him after Liverpool goalkeeper Freddie Woodman got a hand to the header; the report notes that the Fantasy Premier League game nonetheless awarded assist points for that touch. Fernandes told Sky Sports that teammates had been trying everything to score from his passes, that there were moments he might have passed instead of shot, and that he was pleased both for the assist and for finishing the season on a high.
The report also places Fernandes’ season in broader context, saying it has coincided with United’s renaissance under Michael Carrick and that he was named the 2026 Footballer of the Year by the Football Writers’ Association. United have one game remaining away at Brighton, in which Fernandes could move clear at the top of the single-season assist list, the report says.
