Bruno Fernandes Sets All-Time Premier League Assist Record, Surpassing Thierry Henry and Kevin De Bruyne

Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes has rewritten the Premier League record books, becoming the first player in the competition’s history to record 21 assists in a single season. The Portuguese midfielder achieved the landmark during a 3-0 victory over Brighton on the final day of the 2025/26 Premier League season.

The record-breaking moment arrived early in the match at Brighton, when Patrick Dorgu — making his first start since recovering from injury — converted a precise pass from Fernandes to open the scoring. That delivery represented Fernandes’ 21st league assist of the campaign, surpassing the previous benchmark of 20, a figure set by Arsenal forward Thierry Henry in 2003 and later matched by Manchester City midfielder Kevin De Bruyne in 2020. OptaJoe confirmed the record via their official account on 24 May 2026.

The victory itself carried additional significance for United, as the result helped secure their place in next season’s UEFA Champions League. Bryan Mbeumo doubled the visitors’ lead before half-time, assisted by Amad Diallo, before Fernandes added a third goal in the second half to complete the comprehensive 3-0 rout.

The record caps an extraordinary individual season for the 31-year-old, who has already been named Premier League Player of the Season and Football Writers’ Association (FWA) Player of the Year for 2025/26. The assist record now positions him as a strong contender for the PFA Players’ Player of the Year award, an honour voted on by fellow professionals. Should Fernandes claim that prize, he would join a highly exclusive group — Thierry Henry, Mohamed Salah, and Cristiano Ronaldo among them — as one of the few players to win all three of the Premier League’s major individual accolades in a single campaign.

The PFA award is not yet confirmed, with Arsenal midfielder Declan Rice, who won the league title with the Gunners this season, and Manchester City striker Erling Haaland, the division’s top scorer, also among the leading candidates. The outcome will determine whether Fernandes completes what would be an unprecedented individual treble for a player whose club did not win the championship.

Fernandes joined Manchester United from Sporting CP in January 2020 and was appointed club captain ahead of the 2024/25 season. His 21-assist campaign represents the peak of his Premier League output to date, having previously posted double-digit assist tallies in multiple seasons at Old Trafford. De Bruyne’s record of 20 assists, set during Manchester City’s 2019/20 title-winning campaign, had stood for six years before being broken on Sunday.

The Brighton fixture marked the conclusion of United’s domestic programme. Their Champions League qualification adds further context to a season in which individual brilliance from Fernandes was a consistent feature despite the club’s inconsistent form across the campaign.