Bruno Fernandes is on the brink of Premier League history, within touching distance of the single-season assist record that has stood for more than 20 years.
Remarkably, this season started with debate about how much Fernandes actually benefits United and whether he was the team’s problem all along. That has been proven beyond doubt to be nonsense.
Still, Fernandes could have left for the Saudi Pro League. He wanted to stay but openly admitted some months later that he would have gone had the club expressed a desire to cash in.
Thankfully, the top brass wanted to keep him, too.
The Premier League assist record for a single season is 20, set by Arsenal legend Thierry Henry in 2002–03—at the peak of his powers, the Frenchman also scored 24 goals in the league. No one has ever bettered it, although Kevin De Bruyne did match it in 2019–20.
Most Assists in a Premier League Season
| Player | Team | Assists | Season |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thierry Henry | Arsenal | 20 | 2002–03 |
| Kevin De Bruyne | Man City | 20 | 2019–20 |
| Mesut Özil | Arsenal | 19 | 2015–16 |
| Frank Lampard | Chelsea | 18 | 2004–05 |
| Cesc Fàbregas | Chelsea | 18 | 2014–15 |
| Kevin De Bruyne | Man City | 18 | 2016–17 |
| Mohamed Salah | Liverpool | 18 | 2024–25 |
| Bruno Fernandes | Man Utd | 18* | 2025–26 |
*season still ongoing
Arsenal winger Bukayo Saka looked like he would obliterate the record last season, racing his way to 11 Premier League assists in the first 13 matches by the end of November. Cruelly for Saka, a hamstring injury in December ruled him out until April and he added no more to the tally.
At this stage of the 2025–26 season, Fernandes has 18 Premier League assists to his name. The 18th of those set up Matheus Cunha’s matchwinner against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on Saturday, a victory that almost guarantees Champions League qualification.
What Fernandes Needs to Break Assist Record
It’s two to equal the assist record, and three to break it. Manchester United have five games left.
Fernandes has played 30 times in the Premier League this season, uncharacteristically missing three matches because of injury in late December into early January. Racking up 2,618 minutes on the pitch, it means the Portugal international has averaged one assist every 145 minutes he plays.
Fernandes could play up to another 450 minutes in the Premier League season and, at that rate of assists, would get the three he needs to reach 21 and break the record.
But the United captain could do more than surpass it by one.
It was a slow start to the season for Fernandes, perhaps a hangover from the summer’s uncertainty, perhaps a product of adapting to a deeper role at the behest of Ruben Amorim. He didn’t register an assist in any of the first seven Premier League matches of the season, even though his team was finding the net with some regularity. It means his 18 assists have come in his last 23 appearances.
Although still operating in central midfield, Fernandes improved after the October international break. But his assists rate has been supercharged since Michael Carrick was appointed interim manager in January and restored him to the No. 10 role that best uses his world-class abilities.
It’s 11 Premier League assists in his last 13 appearances in the competition, across 1,141 minutes. That’s an even more prolific rate of return—an assist every 107 minutes, on average. At that speed, 450 minutes remaining has the potential to yield four more assists—potentially 22.
Man Utd’s Remaining Premier League Fixtures
| Opponent | Date |
|---|---|
| Brentford (H) | Monday, April 27 |
| Liverpool (H) | Sunday, May 3 |
| Sunderland (A) | Saturday, May 9 |
| Nottingham Forest (H) | Sunday, May 17 |
| Brighton & Hove Albion (A) | Sunday, May 24 |
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Can Bruno Fernandes Break the Premier League Assist Record?.
