Brighton, England: Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes has etched his name into Premier League history after setting a new record for the most assists in a single season following his latest contribution against Brighton & Hove Albion on Sunday.
Fernandes registered his 21st Premier League assist of the 2025/26 season after setting up Patrick Dorgu’s goal in Manchester United’s final league game away at Brighton.
The Portuguese midfielder moved clear of Arsenal legend Thierry Henry and Manchester City playmaker Kevin De Bruyne, who jointly held the previous record of 20 assists in a season.
Most Premier League Assists in a Single Season
| Player | Assists | Season |
|---|---|---|
| Bruno Fernandes (Man Utd) | 21 | 2025/26 |
| Thierry Henry (Arsenal) | 20 | 2002/03 |
| Kevin De Bruyne (Man City) | 20 | 2019/20 |
| Mesut Özil (Arsenal) | 19 | 2015/16 |
| Cesc Fabregas (Chelsea) | 18 | 2014/15 |
| Frank Lampard (Chelsea) | 18 | 2004/05 |
| Kevin De Bruyne (Man City) | 18 | 2016/17 |
| Mohamed Salah (Liverpool) | 18 | 2024/25 |
The historic achievement came just a day after Fernandes was officially named the EA SPORTS Premier League Player of the Season following his outstanding individual campaign.
What makes the record even more remarkable is that Fernandes only registered his first league assist of the season on October 19 during Manchester United’s 2-1 victory over Liverpool at Anfield, where he set up Harry Maguire’s winning goal.
From that point, the United captain exploded into form and became the creative heartbeat of the Red Devils throughout the campaign.
Set-Piece Record Equals Gerrard
Fernandes’ assist against Brighton also saw him equal another long-standing Premier League milestone.
The corner kick that led to Patrick Dorgu’s goal marked Fernandes’ 11th assist from set-piece situations this season, equalling the record previously set by Liverpool legend Steven Gerrard during the 2013/14 campaign.
Statistics from the season further underline Fernandes’ dominance. The midfielder created 136 chances in the Premier League this season, the highest total recorded by any player across Europe’s top five leagues since Kevin De Bruyne achieved the same figure in 2019/20.
Fernandes has now registered 104 assists in all competitions for Manchester United, moving into fourth place on the club’s all-time assist rankings behind only Ryan Giggs, Wayne Rooney and David Beckham.
Closing in on Premier League All-Time Top 10
The United captain is also rapidly climbing the Premier League’s all-time assist standings. The Portuguese Maestro currently sits on 72 Premier League assists overall, placing him 17th in league history.
The player currently occupying 10th place is Brighton veteran James Milner with 90 assists, meaning Fernandes is now within touching distance of breaking into the league’s all-time top creators.
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