Bruno Fernandes equals Henry and De Bruyne assist record | OneFootball

After an inconsistent start to the campaign, Manchester United have hit top form during the second half of the 2025/26 season, with much of that improvement driven by captain Bruno Fernandes.

The Portuguese midfielder has produced some of the best football of his career in recent months and has now matched a Premier League record previously held by two of the competition’s greatest creators: Thierry Henry and Kevin De Bruyne.

Bruno Fernandes has now registered 20 assists in the Premier League this season. The feat was first achieved by Henry during Arsenal’s 2002/03 campaign before De Bruyne matched the tally with Manchester City in 2019/20. Interestingly, neither player went on to win the Premier League title in the same season they reached the milestone.

Fernandes still has one final opportunity to make history outright. Manchester United travel to face Brighton on the Final Day of the season, where the Portuguese playmaker could become the outright holder of the Premier League’s single-season assist record.

United’s improvement after Amorim exit

Although Fernandes remained an important figure under compatriot Rúben Amorim earlier in the campaign, both the midfielder and Manchester United have looked significantly stronger since the manager’s departure.

United have transformed their season, climbing from mid-table struggles into third place and comfortably securing qualification for next season’s UEFA Champions League. Only Arsenal and Manchester City currently sit above them in the table.

During the first half of the season under Amorim, Fernandes managed seven assists in all competitions. Since the managerial change, however, his numbers have exploded, producing 14 assists in the second half of the campaign alone, including 13 in the Premier League.

The 30-year-old now looks almost certain to win the Premier League Playmaker award. His closest challenger is Rayan Cherki, who currently sits on 12 assists for Manchester City.