MANCHESTER, England – In a tense, eventful final home game of the 2024-25 Premier League season, Bruno Fernandes matched the league’s single-season assist record of 20, powering Manchester United to a narrow 3-2 victory over Nottingham Forest that locked in third place for the Red Devils.
Fresh off being named the Football Writers’ Association Player of the Season, Fernandes joined elite company, drawing level with Arsenal legend Thierry Henry and current Manchester City playmaker Kevin De Bruyne for the most assists in a single Premier League campaign. His milestone assist came in the 76th minute, when a drilled cross from the Portuguese captain was deflected into the net by Forest forward Bryan Mbeumo for United’s third goal.
The result extended a stunning turnaround for United since interim manager Michael Carrick took over first-team duties in January, and reports confirm the former United midfielder is set to sign a two-year permanent contract to stay in charge at Old Trafford in the coming days. Third place guarantees United a spot in next season’s UEFA Champions League, marking a strong recovery from a poor first half of the campaign. For Forest, the trip to Old Trafford came just one week after the club secured its Premier League survival, meaning both sides went into the contest with their primary seasonal targets already checked off.
That low-stakes context opened the door for an open, end-to-end clash that delivered goals and controversy from the opening minutes. United broke the deadlock as early as the fifth minute, when Luke Shaw volleyed home a well-placed cross to put the hosts ahead. Both squandered multiple clear scoring chances before halftime, but Forest pulled level just seven minutes after the restart: Elliot Anderson delivered a pinpoint cross to the back post, where defender Morato nodded home his first goal for the club.
The game’s most contentious moment came shortly after, when United’s Matheus Cunha scored to restore the hosts’ lead. The build-up saw the ball ricochet off Mbeumo’s thigh onto his arm before falling to Cunha, but referee Michael Salisbury upheld his original decision to award the goal after a lengthy VAR review – a rare outcome for a handball incident in modern Premier League play.
Fernandes’ record-tying moment followed 14 minutes from full time, before Forest hit back once more to cut the deficit. Anderson combined with England international Morgan Gibbs-White, who made his first appearance since suffering a severe facial injury in a collision with Chelsea goalkeeper Robert Sanchez earlier this month, and Gibbs-White coolly slotted into the bottom corner to make the score 3-2.
The match also featured an emotional send-off for Brazilian midfielder Casemiro, who received a standing ovation from the Old Trafford crowd when he was substituted off in the 81st minute, widely expected to be his final appearance on the ground before a summer transfer exit.
In stoppage time, Fernandes came inches away from breaking the all-time record, picking out Diogo Dalot with a perfectly weighted pass only for the full-back to hit the post with his effort. Speaking after the final whistle, Fernandes emphasized that team honors matter more to him than personal milestones.
“I want collective awards more than anything,” he said. “But knowing that your job is being recognised by many people, a lot of players came out and said I was player of the season, for that I am very grateful. I got to 20 today. We have one more game. The manager decides who will play the next game. I will be very happy to do it. But if I don’t, I am already happy because it is the most assists I have got in the Premier League.”
In his end-of-season address to fans, Carrick struck an optimistic tone about the club’s future, highlighting the rapid progress the side has made since he took charge. “We’ve had some big, big moments, big goals and big results in this place over the last few months,” Carrick said. “Hopefully there’ll be a few more of them.”