Is Fernandes most creative Premier League player ever?

Bruno Fernandes equalled the Premier League assists record for a single season after setting up a goal for the 20th time in the current campaign.

The Manchester United captain's low cross was tapped in by Bryan Mbeumo as they beat Nottingham Forest on Sunday.

Fernandes' latest assist moved him level with ex-Manchester City midfielder Kevin de Bruyne and former Arsenal striker Thierry Henry for most assists in a season.

Delivered in the 77th minute, his assist was celebrated passionately by all 11 Manchester United players on the pitch at Old Trafford, including goalkeeper Senne Lammens – who ran the length of the field to hug the Portugal midfielder.

With one Premier League game remaining for United, away to Brighton on 24 May (16:00 BST), the 31-year-old could still take the outright record.

Fernandes remains in sensational form. He has created 132 chances this season, the most in the Premier League and a staggering 58 chances more than the next-best, Liverpool's Dominik Szoboszlai.

He also won the Football Writers' Association's men's Footballer of the Year award last week.

With records being reached, is Bruno Fernandes the Premier League's most creative player ever?

The numbers which put Fernandes in elite bracket

Since Fernandes' arrival in the Premier League six years ago, no player has created more chances than him – and by some distance.

He has created 670 chances since January 2020, 238 more than Kevin de Bruyne who is next on the list.

Nobody has made more assists since Fernandes' Premier League debut (71) and only five players have scored more than his 70 league goals.

When combining Premier League goals and assists, only Mohamed Salah (193) betters Fernandes' 141 in that time.

"Fernandes has just achieved something exceptional in Premier League football," said former United right-back Gary Neville on Sky Sports.

"To go level with Kevin de Bruyne and Thierry Henry for 20 assists in a single season is a magical moment for him."

Against Forest Fernandes created eight chances, four more than any other player in the game, and almost had a 21st assist of the season late on after setting up Joshua Zirkzee – whose low shot was superbly saved.

"They've been trying to score from my passes," Fernandes joked to Sky Sports after the game.

"I'm very happy for the assist and for the win, and to finish the season on a high.

"I got to 20 today, let's see – we have one more game. It's the highest I've done in the Premier League so I am very happy with it."

Manchester United manager Michael Carrick praised his captain after the match, telling Sky Sports: "It's what he's good at. He's got a real knack and gift for creating opportunities. For creating things and knowing what's around him."

Fernandes' assists have won Manchester United 21 points this season – the most by an individual player in a single season in the history of the competition.

His record-equalling campaign has also already led to him becoming Manchester United's leading creator in a single season, having surpassed the previous record of 15 held by David Beckham in 1999-00.

Fernandes' 71 league assists for Manchester United, across seven seasons at the club, puts him level with Tottenham legend Son Heung-min.

He does, however, still have a long way to go to break the record for most assists ever in the Premier League – that is held by Ryan Giggs with 162.

And he will need to create 14 more chances against Brighton next week if he wants to equal Mesut Ozil's record of most chances created in a single season (146 with Arsenal in 2015-16).

'No individual has done more to lift his team'

This time last year there was genuine debate about Bruno Fernandes and whether United would be better served accepting a huge offer from Al-Hilal and using the money to reinforce their squad.

United eventually left it to Fernandes to decide and, after some wise words from his wife asking him whether he had achieved all he wanted at Old Trafford, he decided to stay.

The club's hierarchy should be thanking Mrs Fernandes at the end of this season.

No-one knows what the alternative reality would have been, but it is tough to imagine anyone matching Fernandes' contribution this season.

Equalling the Premier League's seasonal assist record clearly took on more significance as the campaign came to its close but, in the aftermath of Michael Carrick's arrival, when the season was teetering on the edge and could have gone one way or the other, Fernandes came to the fore.

Sixteen goal contributions in 15 games swept United into the Champions League and opens the door to a bright future. Had Fernandes not been there, is it conceivable someone else would have achieved those numbers?

When his FWA Player of the Year award was questioned, the argument was Arsenal are a better team and the winner should be from their squad.

The reality is this season, no individual has done more to lift their team.

Fernandes' United future is still to be resolved. He has one more game to break the assist record, at Brighton next week.

How fitting it would be, in terms of an end to the season, that staying with the club should be accompanied by Fernandes taking the record on his own.