Manchester United midfielder Bruno Fernandes was honored as the Premier League player of the season on Saturday, following an outstanding campaign in which he equaled the league’s single-season assists record. His contributions were pivotal in securing a top-three finish for his team.
The Portuguese international matched the record of 20 assists, a milestone previously held jointly by Thierry Henry of Arsenal and Kevin De Bruyne of Manchester City, achieving this feat with one game remaining in the season. In addition to his assists, Fernandes scored eight goals, helping Manchester United secure third place in the Premier League and qualify for the next season’s Champions League.
At 31 years old, Fernandes also led the league in chances created, generating 132 opportunities, significantly outpacing Liverpool’s Dominik Szoboszlai, who ranked second with 89. His exceptional performance earned him a nomination alongside other top Premier League players, including Arsenal’s Gabriel, David Raya, and Declan Rice; Manchester City’s Erling Haaland and Antoine Semenyo; Nottingham Forest’s Morgan Gibbs-White; and Brentford striker Igor Thiago.
Fernandes has already received the Football Writers’ Association Men’s Player of the Year award this season and has been honored with Manchester United’s Sir Matt Busby Player of the Year award for the fifth time. In a significant development, he now has the chance to set a new outright assists record in Manchester United’s final league match against Brighton & Hove Albion on Sunday.
