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Fernandes Sets United Assist Record, Slams Keane

5/26/2026

Summary

Bruno Fernandes Assist Record

Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes set a club record with 21 assists after the 3-0 win over Brighton.
He previously matched 20 assists in the 3-2 victory over Nottingham Forest, joining Thierry Henry and Kevin De Bruyne.
Former Manchester United captain Roy Keane called his assist focus a “circus act,” prompting Fernandes to label the claim a lie and to ask former manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer for Keane’s phone number.

Summary

Bruno Fernandes Record

The Premier League panel confirmed the goal as a Patrick Dorgu strike, crediting Bruno Fernandes with his 21st assist.
Mark Clattenburg said the panel’s decision, made by a PGMOL representative and two experts, was “far from straightforward.”
Fernandes’s 21 assists equal the single-season assist record in Europe’s major leagues—previously only Messi and Müller—while United’s third-place finish secured Champions League qualification after rising from 15th place.

History

Historical Context

Thierry Henry set a Premier League benchmark in 2002-03, delivering 20 assists for Arsenal as the club finished second under Arsène Wenger. That record, still shared with Kevin De Bruyne, serves as a reference point for modern playmakers such as Manchester United’s Bruno Fernandes, whose own assist tallies spark debate over future statistical legacies.

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Bruno Fernandes Assist Record

Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes set a club record with 21 assists after the 3-0 win over Brighton.
He previously matched 20 assists in the 3-2 victory over Nottingham Forest, joining Thierry Henry and Kevin De Bruyne.
Former Manchester United captain Roy Keane called his assist focus a “circus act,” prompting Fernandes to label the claim a lie and to ask former manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer for Keane’s phone number.

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