Bruno Fernandes Reflects Proudly On Pulling Level with Henry and De Bruyne

Key Takeaways:

• Bruno Fernandes provided his 20th assist of the Premier League season during Manchester United’s 3-2 victory over Nottingham Forest
• Fernandes has become the third player to record 20 assists in a single Premier League campaign, matching Thierry Henry (2002/03) and Kevin De Bruyne (2019/20)
• The United captain could surpass the record, aiming for a 21st assist in the upcoming season finale at Brighton on Sunday

Fernandes Joins Exclusive Assist Club

Bruno Fernandes has expressed his pride after matching the Premier League’s single-season assist record, previously achieved only by Thierry Henry and Kevin De Bruyne. The Manchester United captain reached the 20-assist mark as he set up Bryan Mbeumo’s strike in United’s 3-2 win over Nottingham Forest, securing third place for Michael Carrick’s side on Sunday.

By reaching this milestone, the 31-year-old Portuguese international becomes just the third player to provide 20 assists in a Premier League season, following in the footsteps of Arsenal icon Henry from the 2002/03 campaign and Manchester City playmaker De Bruyne from the 2019/20 season.

Among the greats. ✨

Bruno Fernandes goes level with Thierry Henry and Kevin De Bruyne for the most assists in a Premier League season. pic.twitter.com/Syj0HGONKt

— Premier League (@premierleague) May 17, 2026

Pride in the Achievement

Reflecting on the historic feat at Old Trafford, Fernandes stated: “Obviously I’m very proud,” emphasising the significance of sharing this record with “main names” like Henry and De Bruyne. He added, “We’re speaking about Thierry and Kevin, two of the main names of the Premier League, and for me I’m very grateful and I’m very happy to do it. It’s a very proud moment.”

This accomplishment comes in a season where Fernandes has also been named Manchester United’s player of the year for a record fifth time. He now has an opportunity to surpass the joint record as United head into their final match of the season against Brighton.

Chance to Make History at Brighton

With one match remaining, Fernandes has his sights set on breaking the record outright. While discussing the potential for a 21st assist, he commented: “Let’s see,” noting that he intends to maintain his creative style regardless. “It doesn’t change the way I play my game, so I will still have to create things for my team, and hopefully it can happen. But if it doesn’t happen, I’m already very happy because I’ve never done 20 assists in the Premier League. I’ve never done 19 either, so even if I had finished with 19, I would be very happy.”

The 76th-minute assist for Mbeumo was met with a raucous celebration, as even Senne Lammens joined United’s outfield players to mark the achievement. Fernandes revealed the record only started to cross his mind after he reached his 19th assist of the season.

Team Spirit and Reflections

Citing the celebrations that followed Mbeumo’s goal, Fernandes commented on the unity within the team: “I’m very grateful to see their reaction more than mine because I wanted Bryan to celebrate his goal,” he said. “I didn’t want to make it about myself because at the end of the day scoring the goal is the biggest thing in football and all credit to Bryan because if he doesn’t put it in the back of the net, my record will not be there.”