Bruno Fernandes reached a landmark moment in his Premier League career on Monday night, equalling Cristiano Ronaldo’s total of 140 goal involvements during Manchester United’s victory
over Brentford at Old Trafford—achieving the feat in 11 fewer matches than his former teammate.
The United captain played a decisive role in the win, assisting Benjamin Sesko for the team’s second goal after Casemiro had opened the scoring. The contribution brought Fernandes to 70 goals and 70 assists in the competition, underlining his rare balance of scoring and playmaking ability.
Ronaldo, a three-time Premier League champion, accumulated his 140 goal involvements across two spells at United between 2003–2009 and 2021–2022. His tally consisted of 103 goals and 37 assists, contrasting with Fernandes’ evenly split record.
Fernandes’ current form has also placed him among the club’s most consistent attacking performers in Premier League history. He has now registered a goal or assist in seven consecutive league matches, becoming the first United player to do so since Robin van Persie’s 10-game run between 2012 and 2013.
At Old Trafford, his streak is nearing elite company. Only Ronaldo and Wayne Rooney have produced longer sequences of goal involvements at the venue, with 10 and eight consecutive matches respectively.
Beyond milestones, Fernandes’ creativity has defined his season. With 19 assists so far, he leads the race for the Premier League’s Playmaker award and is closing in on the all-time single-season record. Just two more assists in United’s remaining fixtures would see him surpass the benchmark jointly held by Thierry Henry (2002/03) and Kevin De Bruyne (2019/20), who each recorded 20.
As the season nears its conclusion, Fernandes is not only matching club legends—but positioning himself to eclipse them. Photo by Agência Brasília, Wikimedia commons.
