Fernandes one away from matching Henry and De Bruyne assist record | OneFootball

Bruno Fernandes is edging closer to a famous Premier League record after another key contribution in Manchester United’s 2-1 win over Brentford.

The United skipper provided the assist for Benjamin Sesko’s goal, taking him to 19 league assists for the season. That leaves him just one behind the all-time single-season record of 20, currently shared by Thierry Henry for Arsenal in 2002/03 and Kevin De Bruyne for Manchester City in 2019/20.

With games still remaining, Fernandes now has a strong chance of matching the mark and could even go beyond it before the season finishes. Considering how important he has been to United going forward, it would be no surprise to see him add to his total soon.

What makes the numbers stand out even more is that his first assist of the league campaign did not come until October, when he set up Harry Maguire’s winner away at Liverpool. Since then, he has assisted 19 times in 24 matches.

The Portuguese midfielder has now recorded 102 assists in all competitions for Manchester United, becoming just the fourth player in the club’s history to pass the 100 mark after Ryan Giggs (249), Wayne Rooney (127) and David Beckham (115).

Fernandes has also reached another milestone, moving onto 140 Premier League goal involvements for the club. That total is made up of 70 goals and 70 assists, drawing level with Cristiano Ronaldo’s overall contribution in the competition for United (103 goals / 37 assists).

While it has been a mixed season for United overall, Fernandes has remained one of their most reliable performers. If he can provide one more assist, he will share the Premier League record. Two more would see him set a new one outright.