Most people know that Manchester United are over-performing expectations this season. The Red Devils are third in the table after Premier League Matchweek 30 and odds-on favorites to qualify for the Champions League. At the heart of this success is an all-time great season by Bruno Fernandes.
On Sunday, the Portuguese international broke David Beckham’s Man Utd club record for most assists in a season. He has 16 in the EPL so far this campaign, double the second-ranked player (Manchester City’s Rayan Cherki).
In case there was any doubt about whether Fernandes’ assists were flukes, you just have to look at his chance creation numbers. Per FotMob, the Man Utd captain has created 98 chances in the EPL. That’s 40 more than Declan Rice, who has created the second most chances this season.
Fernandes’ historic year is also backed up by Man Utd’s shot numbers. The midfielder himself has taken the sixth most shots in the EPL this season. Bryan Mbeumo (30), Benjamin Šeško (28), and Matheus Cunha (28) are all in the top six for most shots on target in the EPL. These three are each good players and have contributed to the Red Devils’ resurgence this year, but it’s hard to see them being as productive as they have been this season without Fernandes.
These numbers make it clear that Fernandes has been world class this season and, in my opinion, the best player in the EPL. However, the general consensus says otherwise.
Arsenal’s Declan Rice is the favorite to win the PFA Player of the Season Award, with Erling Haaland just behind. Some rankings even have Gabriel Magalhaes ranked in the top three most-likely winners.
If Arsenal get the job done or if Man City make a comeback win the title, one of those three players will probably win. It would be a shame though. A season like the one Fernandes is having this year only comes around every so often. It really should be celebrated instead of overlooked like it likely will be at the end of the year.
