Bruno Fernandes assist record: Man United captain delivers against Brighton to beat Kevin De Bruyne and Thierry Henry

Bruno Fernandes has broken the Premier League assist record after registering his 21st of the season against Brighton & Hove Albion on Sunday.

The Portuguese number 10 has enjoyed a remarkable campaign, one that saw him named both the FWA Player of the Year and the PFA Player of the Year.

Manchester United have pushed on from the despair that surrounded the club under Ruben Amorim and have ended the Premier League season in third place.

The Red Devils' final game came against Brighton on Sunday at the Amex, and they took the lead in the 33rd minute through Patrick Dorgu, who scored from a Bruno Fernandes corner.

Fernandes has now produced 21 league assists this season, surpassing the previous record of 20 held by Kevin De Bruyne and Thierry Henry.

Is Bruno Fernandes the best creator in Premier League history?

It is difficult to measure creativity, as while assists are a useful metric, a player will only be awarded one if their teammate is able to finish well.

Conversely, a tap across the face of goal is not necessarily equal creatively to a line-breaking pass, though it is safe to say that Fernandes is among the most creative talents of the modern Premier League era.

The 31-year-old has produced 72 assists for United in the league, and that is enough to rank him 17th in the history of the division despite only arriving in England in January 2020.

Whether Henry or De Bruyne were superior creators is up for debate, but Fernandes has firmly established himself amongst the very best.

Bruno Fernandes assist record: Overrated compared to De Bruyne and Henry?

Rival fans have pointed out that 10 of Fernandes's 21 assists have come from set pieces, with some suggesting that the number of dead-ball deliveries has devalued his achievement.

However, the 2025-26 season has been defined by set pieces, as seen by the fact that Arsenal have won the title and rank first for set-piece goals (22).

While it is perfectly legitimate to argue that Kevin De Bruyne and Thierry Henry were better players, Fernandes should not be criticised for perfecting his dead-ball technique.

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