Bruno Fernandes shatters Premier League assist record, wins PFA Player of the Year

Let's start with a number: 21 assists. Nobody had managed that in 34 seasons of the Premier League. Not Thierry Henry, not Kevin De Bruyne. The man who finally did it, captain's armband and all, is Bruno Fernandes.

The Portuguese midfielder was named Player of the Year by the Professional Footballers' Association (PFA) this Tuesday, an award voted on by the players themselves. That's no small thing: it's the very opponents you face every weekend who have to put your name on the ballot, and as Fernandes himself pointed out, that gives it a different kind of merit than any other honor.

These are the players you go up against, and it's probably not easy to vote for someone you're competing with, so it's a really good moment.Bruno Fernandes

The award comes after he already picked up the equivalent honor from the Football Writers' Association back in May. That means he has now swept both of English football's major individual awards.

A season of numbers and leadership

The stats back up the award. Beyond the 21 assists that were enough to break the competition's all time record, Fernandes also chipped in 9 goals in a campaign that started rough for Manchester United. The team stumbled out of the gate under Ruben Amorim, but with Michael Carrick stepping in as interim manager, United found their footing again and finished the Premier League season in third place, securing a return to the Champions League next season.

The 31 year old Portuguese has long been the player United turn to when things get difficult. This season, wearing the captain's armband, that role showed up even more clearly in the numbers.

Shaw, back on top again

In the women's category, the award went to Khadija "Bunny" Shaw, the Manchester City forward. The 29 year old Jamaican was central to City's Women's Super League title, their first in 10 years, scoring 19 goals in 21 matches, the league's top mark. It's the third straight season she has finished as top scorer, and she previously won this same PFA award back in 2024.

In the young player categories, the winners were Nico O'Reilly of Manchester City and Olivia Smith of Arsenal. For Smith it's her second consecutive award, following her move to Arsenal from Liverpool in a transfer that set a world record fee for women's football.