Bruno Fernandes has quietly placed himself in the PFA Player of the Year conversation in recent weeks.
The Manchester United captain has been in terrific form of late, with his performances contributing to the club’s rise into the Champions League spots.
Though the Red Devils saw their unbeaten run end at Newcastle on Wednesday, Fernandes made his mark again with yet another assist. His free-kick found Casemiro, who nodded in an equaliser in the eventual 2-1 defeat at St James’ Park.
The Portugal international has provided seven Premier League assists in his last nine appearances and now has 14 for the campaign.
It’s his best-ever return in a league campaign, eclipsing the 13 assists he provided for Sporting Lisbon during the 2018-19 Primeira Liga campaign.
Fernandes has six more assists than his nearest challenger in the race for the Premier League’s Playmaker Award, with Manchester City’s Rayan Cherki (8) a distant second.
Meanwhile, Fernandes is now just one assist from equalling Manchester United’s club record for a single season in the Premier League era. The milestone currently belongs to David Beckham, who assisted 15 league goals during the 1999-2000 season.
On current form, Fernandes should have no problem passing that mark, while the Premier League’s single-season record (20) is within his sights, a record currently held by Thierry Henry (2002-03) and Kevin De Bruyne (2019-20).
With nine games to go, can Fernandes get there?
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