Bruno Fernandes broke the Premier League single-season assist record when he set up Patrick Dorgu’s opening strike in Manchester United’s trip to Brighton & Hove Albion on Sunday.
Fernandes entered the game on 20 assists, tied with both Thierry Henry and Kevin De Bruyne right at the top of the standings. With United already guaranteed to finish in third, the sole focus of their season finale was to try and steer Fernandes to the all-time record.
It took 33 minutes for the Red Devils to deliver, with Dorgu heading home a Fernandes corner to seal the Portugal midfielder’s 21st assist of the campaign.
Most Premier League Assists by a Player in a Single Season
| Player | Season | Assists |
|---|---|---|
| Bruno Fernandes | 2025–26 | 21 |
| Thierry Henry | 2002–03 | 20 |
| Kevin De Bruyne | 2019–20 | 20 |
| Mesut Özil | 2015–16 | 19 |
| Cesc Fàbregas | 2014–15 | 18 |
| Frank Lampard | 2004–05 | 18 |
| Kevin De Bruyne | 2016–17 | 18 |
| Mohamed Salah | 2024–25 | 18 |
| Cesc Fàbregas | 2007–08 | 17 |
In the build-up to Sunday’s game, Fernandes made it clear he relished the opportunity to eclipse a record held by Premier League legends Henry and De Bruyne.
“It’s something that I think about because we are talking about Kevin and Thierry, they were two of the best players that the Premier League has seen in a long, long time,” he told Sky Sports.
“Having the chance to be up there with their names—just for this category, let’s not talk about the rest they have done in the Premier League—is very good, and I'm very proud of that.”
It marks a stunning end to a dazzling individual campaign for Fernandes, who has already been crowned the Premier League Player of the Season and the Football Writers’ Association Footballer of the Year.
Fernandes Ties European History
While 21 assists is enough to break the Premier League record, it only ties the record from across Europe’s major leagues.
Thomas Müller and Lionel Messi both managed 21 during their respective spells with Bayern Munich and Barcelona—both doing so in the 2019–20 season—and Fernandes now sits alongside the pair atop the all-time European rankings as well.
Whether Fernandes will still be playing for United for another attempt at breaking that European record next season has been the subject of fierce debate, but the playmaker has long made it clear that he has no desire to leave Old Trafford before leading the club to major honors like the Premier League and Champions League titles.
