FOR more than six years Manchester United have effectively been carried by one player, Bruno Fernandes.
The Red Devils have often lived and died by the Portuguese playmaker’s displays.
This season, which could yet be his last in the United shirt, Fernandes has been second to none and put in another stunning display against Brentford.
It was his corner which found Harry Maguire at the far post who nodded the ball back for Casemiro to score the opener.
Fernandes was on hand again to play in Benjamin Sesko for the clincher two minutes before the break as United scored a blistering counter-attack.
That assist moved the 31-year-old one behind the Premier League assist record of 20 held by Kevin De Bruyne and Thierry Henry – both achieved in far more functional Manchester City and Arsenal teams than what United can boast.
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It also saw Fernandes become the first United player since Robin van Persie in 2012/13 to hit a goal or assist in seven consecutive Prem games.
With his latest goal contribution, Fernandes moved on to 140 top flight goal contributions for United – a perfect 70 goals and 70 assists split.
That is the same number as compatriot and club icon Cristiano Ronaldo, with 103 goals and 37 assists across his two stints in the North West of England.
Back in March, he overtook David Beckham’s United record of 15 for most assists in a single season set in the 1999/2000 campaign.
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In all comps his numbers are even more impressive, tallying up 106 goals and 106 assists in all competitions.
Fernandes is in the running for Premier League Player of the Year, Arsenal’s Declan Rice seemingly his main competition, as he continues to smash club and league records.
But he has the backing of Michael Carrick to be awarded that gong at the end of the season.
Speaking after the 2-1 win over Brentford, when asked if Fernandes merited the end-of-season awards, Carrick said: “Hopefully he does. He deserves it.
“For the impact that he’s had and the moments that he’s created. I think, whether that’s creating, whether that’s scoring.
“How his influence within the group is. He’s had a big season. There’s no getting away from it. And it was another good performance for him tonight.”
Bruno Fernandes’ Man Utd career in numbers
Bruno Fernandes’ stats since he joined United in January 2020:
Games: 323
Goals: 106
Assists: 106
Honours: FA Cup 2024, League Cup 2023
PFA Team of the Year: 2020/21
Sir Matt Busby Player of the Year: 2019/20, 2020/21, 2023/24, 2024/25
In a previous era at United, the talk would be of one of the all-time great Prem midfielders, with titles to boot.
However, United’s deficiencies on and off the pitch have meant the club are often far from competing at the table for football‘s top prizes.
For his part, since joining in January 2020, Fernandes could not have done much more to help the club win titles.
He came close to leaving the club last summer, but rejected a big offer of Saudi cash to be the centrepiece of the ill-fated Ruben-Amorim project.
But his performances both as a No6 in a deeper pivot role and back as a No10 under Carrick have been the heartbeat of United’s charge towards returning to the Champions League next season.
That should help the club attract the talent it needs to recruit in order to build a squad capable of a title challenge.
With a crucial victory over Brentford on United’s sixth Monday game of the season, Fernandes and Co know beating Liverpool next Sunday will confirm Champions League football for next season.
That will likely end any and all speculation over his future, though United have already told their captain they do not want him leaving regardless, as SunSport exclusively revealed.