For nearly three years starting in May 2023, the Dominican Republic’s Consumer Price Index (CPI) has consistently held above the Central Bank’s official target range of 3% to 5%. In its latest monthly economic report released this week, the monetary authority confirmed that annual inflation measured from April 2025 to April 2026 reached 5.11% — a modest overshoot of the target’s upper bound, a result directly tied to broad-based instability across global commodity markets. On a monthly basis alone, the CPI rose by 0.49% in April 2026, with the bulk of this increase traced to upward price adjustments for regular gasoline, premium gasoline, and diesel. These domestic fuel price shifts follow rising crude oil costs on international exchanges, which have been amplified by ongoing geopolitical tensions in the Middle East, the Central Bank explained. The report also unpacked offsetting factors that kept monthly inflation from climbing higher than the recorded 0.49%. A modest -0.07% deflation in the Food and Non-Alcoholic Beverages group, paired with the recent appreciation of the Dominican peso against the U.S. dollar, acted as key counterweights to energy-driven price gains. The stronger local currency has pulled down prices for imported goods including automobiles, while also reducing costs for air travel and several products and services in the communications sector, the institution noted. Digging into food price trends specifically, the Central Bank highlighted that large declines were recorded for two high-consumption staples: fresh chicken and all varieties of plantain. Both goods saw dramatic price spikes in previous months after extreme weather events disrupted domestic agricultural production, so the current price pullback represents a partial correction of that earlier volatility. At the same time, a range of other food products posted notable price increases in April, including coffee, purified water, carbonated soft drinks, avocados, chili peppers, cod, oranges, cassava, limes, and tomatoes. Encouragingly, core inflation — a closely watched metric that strips out volatile, policy-insensitive price components — remained firmly within the official target range last month. Core monthly inflation clocked in at 0.43% in April, pushing the 12-month core inflation rate to 4.87%, which falls comfortably between the 3% and 5% target band. The Central Bank emphasized that core inflation provides a more reliable signal for guiding monetary policy decisions, as it excludes items whose prices are not driven by broader economic liquidity conditions. This includes highly volatile food goods, fossil fuels, price-regulated services such as electricity rates and public transportation, as well as alcohol and tobacco products. A breakdown of monthly CPI shifts by expenditure groups shows that six categories drove the overall April inflation result: Transportation, Miscellaneous Goods and Services, Restaurants and Hotels, Recreation and Culture, Housing, and Health. Three key groups — Food and Non-Alcoholic Beverages, Communications, and Clothing — actually recorded negative monthly price changes, which softened the overall inflation reading for the month. The Transportation group alone posted a 1.78% monthly inflation rate, making it far and away the largest single contributor to April’s overall CPI gain, accounting for 61.94% of the total monthly increase. As noted earlier, this surge is primarily the result of government-approved adjustments to domestic fuel prices. Additional upward pressure came from price hikes for private intercity bus fares and motorcycle taxi services, though the group’s overall increase was partially offset by seasonal price drops for air travel and new motor vehicles. When sorted by household socioeconomic status, inflation rates varied noticeably across income quintiles in April. The lowest-income group (quintile 1) recorded a 0.36% monthly inflation rate, followed by 0.40% for quintile 2, 0.47% for quintile 3, 0.52% for quintile 4, and 0.65% for the highest-income quintile (quintile 5). The Central Bank attributes the steeper inflation faced by highest-income households to two key factors: this group sees smaller benefit from falling food prices, and feels a larger impact from the price increases that drove April’s overall inflation. The report reinforces that while headline inflation has edged slightly above target due to external geopolitical and commodity market pressures, underlying inflation trends remain anchored within the central bank’s desired range, providing a stable foundation for ongoing monetary policy management.
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US weighs drone threat from Cuba—report
In a report published Sunday by Axios, based on declassified (still classified per source) US intelligence, the outlet has alleged that Cuba has acquired over 300 military-grade attack drones, and that Havana is currently holding internal discussions to deploy these unmanned systems against the US naval base at Guantanamo Bay, US maritime vessels operating in the region, and even targets within the US state of Florida.
This explosive claim surfaces at a moment of already simmering bilateral friction between Washington and Havana, feeding growing speculation that the Trump administration is actively building a public and intelligence case to justify future military action against the Caribbean island’s communist government.
A senior unnamed US official speaking to Axios emphasized that the development has amplified the Trump administration’s concerns over evolving threats from Cuba, pointing both to the proliferation of drone warfare technology in the region and the confirmed presence of Iranian military advisers operating on Cuban soil. “When we think about those types of technologies being that close, and a range of bad actors from terror groups to drug cartels to Iranians to the Russians, it’s concerning,” the official was quoted as saying. “It’s a growing threat.”
US officials told Axios that Cuba began sourcing attack drones from both Russia and Iran in 2023, and continues to actively pursue additional purchases of the technology to expand its fleet.
Havana has forcefully rejected the allegations, framing the United States as the unprovoked aggressor in the escalating standoff and positioning Cuba as a victim of US aggression. Writing on the social platform X, Cuban Deputy Foreign Minister Carlos Fernandez de Cossio denounced the report as part of a baseless propaganda campaign. “The anti-Cuban campaign aimed at justifying, without any excuse, a military attack against Cuba is intensifying by the hour, with increasingly implausible accusations,” he stated. “The United States is the aggressor. Cuba is the country under attack, acting in self-defense.”
The Axios report comes just days after CIA Director John Ratcliffe conducted an official visit to Havana, a trip that took place amid widespread, ongoing power outages across the island that Cuban authorities blame on the Trump administration’s strict fuel blockade. During the visit, Axios reports that Ratcliffe issued a direct warning to Cuban officials against initiating any hostile action against the US. “Director Ratcliffe made clear that Cuba can no longer serve as a platform for adversaries to advance hostile agendas in our hemisphere,” an unnamed CIA official told the outlet.
Cuba has been locked in a geopolitical standoff with successive US administrations dating back to the 1960s, following the Cuban Revolution that brought the communist government to power. The US state of Florida, located roughly 90 miles off Cuba’s northern coast, is home to a large, politically powerful Cuban exile community that has long pushed for hardline US policy against Havana.
Earlier this month, former President Donald Trump escalated rhetoric dramatically, stating that the United States would “take over” the Caribbean island “almost immediately.” He has also previously framed Cuba as the next target for US military action, following a 2020s US operation that removed longtime Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro from power. Additional US media reports have also confirmed that US federal authorities are currently pursuing criminal indictment plans against 94-year-old Raul Castro, the brother of late revolutionary leader Fidel Castro and former Cuban president.
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JTTA launches 2026 Prep and Primary School League
KINGSTON, Jamaica — On Monday, May 15, the Jamaica Table Tennis Association (JTTA) marked a key milestone for grassroots youth sports in the country, opening the 2026 Preparatory and Primary School League at Kingston’s National Arena. The launch event brought together a cross-section of the island’s table tennis community, from young competing athletes and their coaches to association administrators, funding sponsors, and family supporters, to celebrate the past season’s standout achievements and kick off a new year of competition.
The opening ceremony was anchored by host Simon Tomlinson, with an opening invocation delivered by Charles Newsam. In a featured keynote address, JTTA President Ingrid Graham offered a comprehensive retrospective of the 2025 season’s progress, laid out the association’s strategic priorities for the coming year, centered on expanding student participation across more schools, raising competitive standards for young athletes, and deepening collaborative partnerships with key public and private stakeholders invested in youth sports development.
This year’s league will draw participants from a broad network of preparatory and primary schools spanning every region of Jamaica, a turnout that underscores the rapidly growing interest in organized competitive table tennis among young Jamaicans. During the launch ceremony, top honors were awarded to standout performers and programs from the previous competition cycle: Whitfield Town Primary took home the Champion of Champions Male award, while Hillel claimed the Champion of Female title, and Hillel’s Peter Daley was recognized as Top Coach.
Special recognition was also extended to two university-level table tennis programs — the Table Tennis Club of the University of Technology, and the Taylor Hall Table Tennis Club at the University of the West Indies — for their ongoing voluntary contributions to advancing the sport at the youth level across Jamaica.
The JTTA also used the event to publicly acknowledge the critical support of its network of sponsors and development partners, whose financial and in-kind contributions have been instrumental in growing youth table tennis across the island. Recognized partners included the Jamaica Olympic Association, global table tennis equipment brand STAG, the Sports Development Foundation, Independence Park Limited, AUBYN Sports Management, Western Sports, the International Table Tennis Federation Development (ITTFD), American Jewellery Company Ltd., and Optical Solutions International.
In her remarks, Graham emphasized that the school league is far more than a series of competitions — it is a core pillar of the JTTA’s long-term strategy to build table tennis in Jamaica. “The Preparatory and Primary School League continues to stand as one of the most important pillars of our national development structure. It represents not only competition, but a sustained investment in discipline, opportunity, and the long-term growth of table tennis in Jamaica,” Graham said. She added that the steady progress of the program to date is only possible through coordinated collaboration between schools, coaches, and industry partners, and the JTTA remains committed to expanding access to the sport and raising competitive standards across every level of youth play.
Aubyn Henry, the JTTA’s chief strategy and development officer, echoed Graham’s optimism, noting that the launch event reflected the association’s growing, more inclusive organizational structure. “This programme is rooted in intentional opportunity creation, where table tennis becomes a structured vehicle for discipline, education, and personal development. By aligning schools, coaches, and partners within a unified framework, we are ensuring that young athletes are not only given access to competition, but are also supported in a way that nurtures character, focus, and long-term potential. The aim is to build individuals who can carry the lessons learned here into every aspect of their lives with confidence and purpose,” Henry explained.
Moving into the 2026 season, the JTTA has reaffirmed its core commitment to youth development through structured, accessible programming, framing the school league as a foundational pipeline to identify and nurture emerging table tennis talent across the country. With robust ongoing support from Jamaica’s corporate sector and leading national sporting institutions, the 2026 league is positioned to continue expanding opportunities for young Jamaican athletes, many of whom are expected to go on to compete at the national and international Olympic levels in the coming years.
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NHS removes more than 5 hospital directors in five months
Just months after taking the top post at the Dominican Republic’s National Health Service (NHS), executive director Julio Landrón has triggered a widespread leadership overhaul across the country’s public hospital network, with at least five senior directors removed from their posts in Greater Santo Domingo alone between January and May 2026.
Landrón assumed his role as NHS head on January 9, 2026, and quickly launched an unannounced oversight strategy: surprise on-site inspections of public healthcare facilities across the nation. The evaluations that followed these visits have resulted in a wave of leadership changes, including involuntary dismissals and voluntary resignations from long-tenured hospital directors.
The first high-profile departure came in February, when Dr. Armando José Holguín Núñez—who had led the Salvador Bienvenido Gautier Hospital since May 2023—was removed from his position. Dr. Mingkingüeis Maarlem was immediately appointed to fill the vacant director role.
Weeks later, in early March, Willi E. Victoria Ramírez, who had served as director of Marcelino Vélez Santana Hospital since October 2020, stepped down without offering a public explanation for his resignation. A new leadership trio stepped in to replace him: Dr. Freddy Amaury took over as director, while Drs. Rafael Lachapelle and Carlos Almonte Ceballos assumed deputy director positions.
A third leadership change in the capital region unfolded on May 8, when Landrón presided over the swearing-in of Andy De León Valenzuela as the new head of the Doctor Darío Contreras Traumatological Hospital. Outgoing director Joselin Valdez Offter, who had held the role only since December 2025, was reassigned to a new position as supervisor for all facilities in the National Traumatology Network. Valdez Offter had previously replaced Dr. César Augusto Roque Beato, who led the hospital for five years before stepping aside.
Two more capital-region hospitals got new leaders in recent weeks: Henry Mesa was sworn in as director of the Nuestra Señora de la Altagracia University Maternity Hospital (Humnsa), while Ernesto Rodríguez took over leadership of the Engombe Municipal Hospital. Rodríguez replaces Dr. Carmen Nurys Mateo, who had managed the Engombe facility since 2021.
The leadership overhaul is not limited to the Santo Domingo metropolitan area: regional and municipal hospitals across the country’s interior have also seen senior leadership changes under Landrón’s new administration.
In Cotuí, Sánchez Ramírez, Landrón inaugurated Dr. Simón Bautista as head of the Ramón Báez Municipal Hospital and Dr. Adderly Rodríguez Pichardo as director of the Inmaculada Concepción Provincial Hospital. In Villa Los Almácigos, Santiago Rodríguez, Pedro Muñoz Vásquez and Rosalina Bernard Jiménez were appointed to fill the new director and deputy director roles, respectively. Most recently, Catalina Fabián was named the new director of the Ángel Contreras Provincial Hospital in Monte Plata.
Beyond individual hospital leadership posts, Landrón has also made new appointments to specialized national healthcare networks. Manuel Tadeo Escarramán was sworn in as coordinator of the Peripheral Oncology Network, while Víctor Cabrera García took over leadership of the national Diabetic Foot Network.
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WATCH: Burnt Savannah residents say curfew preventing them from earning
In the tight-knit community of Burnt Savannah, Westmoreland, simmering frustration over a months-long curfew boiled over into public protest on Friday, May 15. Local residents and small business owners have taken to the streets to decry the restrictions, which they claim have destroyed their livelihoods, subjected community members to aggressive police harassment, and exposed a total lack of attention from national leadership in the wake of a recent natural disaster.
The curfew, which has been in continuous effect for more than two months, restricts all public activity through 6:00 pm from Wednesday to Sunday each week, leaving only the two slowest business days of the week – Monday and Tuesday – for evening operations. Community members are pushing for an extension of curfew hours to midnight, a small adjustment that would allow them to recoup much-needed income after severe economic disruption. Many local families are still struggling to rebuild their lives and finances in the aftermath of Hurricane Melissa, covering ongoing childcare costs and basic living expenses even as the curfew slashes their earning potential.
The demonstration was directly triggered by a violent incident that unfolded on the night of May 14, during a candlelight vigil held to honor Clayon “Taj” Campbell, a local community member who died in a recent motorcycle crash. Relying on unconfirmed local reports that the curfew had been lifted for the evening, residents gathered to pay their respects to Campbell and support his grieving family – only to be confronted by a large contingent of Jamaican Constabulary Force (JCF) officers who moved to shut the event down at 7:00 pm.
Kalia Forrester, a community spokesperson speaking on behalf of the protesters, described the chaotic scene to reporters. After seeing just two police vans arrive initially, additional units surrounded the gathering from both sides, boxing attendees in. Even after Campbell’s mother appealed to the crowd to cooperate fully with police orders and residents began cleaning the site to leave, officers escalated tensions by deploying pepper spray into the crowd, Forrester alleged. The chemical agent triggered a stampede that left multiple people injured, including an 8-year-old child who was directly sprayed. Attendees further claimed officers chased fleeing residents with machetes and later harassed the father of the injured 8-year-old at his home.
Beyond the curfew’s economic harm, the most heated grievance among residents centers on the aggressive and dehumanizing treatment they say they have endured from law enforcement during the restrictions. “That is not how they should deal with it, they are talking to us like we are animals,” Forrester said.
Community members are also demanding formal clarity on the curfew’s legal status, noting that the JCF has failed to publish any official notice of the Burnt Savannah restrictions on its social media channels – the standard protocol for announcing such measures in Jamaica. According to residents, police simply arrived unannounced one evening and informed the community the curfew had been implemented over unspecified recent murders, with authorities claiming unmarked back roads connecting Burnt Savannah to neighboring Georges Plain and Frome were being used by criminal groups to move through the area.
Residents push back hard against this justification, pointing out that the unregulated back roads cited by police remain unpatrolled and unblocked even during curfew hours, and that violent crime including murder has continued uninterrupted since the restrictions were put in place. They argue the curfew does nothing to improve public safety and instead unfairly targets local small business operators, who rely on evening trade and community events to earn a living.
Many local business owners depend on popular community gatherings such as the recurring Bar Hop party series to generate enough income to cover household costs and school fees for their children. These events have been completely banned under the curfew. Residents also point to inconsistent enforcement of the restrictions: some local establishments are allowed to operate late into the night with no interference, while others are aggressively forced to close, leading to accusations that the policy is intentionally designed to cut off income for certain community members rather than reduce crime.
Forrester added that residents have even been threatened with violence for gathering in groups, claiming officers have stated they will open fire on large assemblies and that if residents want to host community events, they must travel outside the area to Savanna-la-Mar or Grange Hill.
Compounding these grievances is widespread anger over the Jamaican government’s failure to deliver disaster relief support to Westmoreland in the months after Hurricane Melissa hit the region. “Our Prime Minister has turned a blind eye to us. Westmoreland hasn’t really gotten anything for the Hurricane Melissa relief. So we have to help ourselves,” Forrester explained. With little outside aid, local families have leaned entirely on small business revenue to rebuild – a lifeline that the curfew has now cut off.
“When we are under curfew from six in the morning till six in the evening, how are we going to cope? How are we going to take care of our children?” Forrester asked.
As frustration reaches a breaking point, protesters are calling directly on Prime Minister Dr. Andrew Holness to intervene in the situation. They demand the full removal of the curfew, an end to excessive use of force against community members, and the implementation of targeted, effective policing that actually addresses root crime concerns rather than punishing local residents and business owners. As of press time, Jamaica’s Observer Online has not received any comment from the Westmoreland Police Division on the residents’ allegations.
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Three shot, one fatally during police confrontation in Trelawny
TRELAWNY, Jamaica — A violent late-night confrontation between a group of male suspects and local law enforcement left one person dead and two others hospitalized in the rural Jamaican community of Hague Saturday evening, according to initial law enforcement reports.
Shortly after 8:00 p.m. local time, a small group of men traveling through the area in a Toyota Probox vehicle encountered responding police officers. The encounter quickly escalated into an exchange of gunfire between the two sides, law enforcement representatives confirmed.
Once the shooting stopped, three male members of the group were found with multiple gunshot wounds. Emergency first responders transported all three casualties to a nearby regional hospital for urgent medical care. At the medical facility, one of the wounded men was officially pronounced dead from his injuries. The two surviving injured men remain in hospital care, where they are being held under continuous police guard as the investigation moves forward, an anonymous police source shared with media.
Per standard protocol for police-involved shootings in Jamaica, the Independent Commission of Investigations — the country’s independent oversight body that probes incidents involving law enforcement use of force — has launched a formal investigation into the circumstances of the confrontation to determine the full sequence of events and whether any procedural violations occurred.
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Rare earth reserves could be larger; Paliza says studies will conclude by the end of the year
As global demand for critical rare earth minerals surges amid a sweeping reorganization of global supply chains, the Dominican Republic’s ongoing exploration of large rare earth deposits has emerged as a potential game-changing development for the Caribbean nation’s economy, a senior government official has confirmed.
Speaking at the inaugural International Congress of Geopolitics this week, Minister of the Presidency José Ignacio Paliza shared key updates on the exploration project, revealing that a full assessment of the quantity and grade of the country’s rare earth reserves will be completed by the end of 2024. Early estimates already point to far larger deposits than initially discussed: while President Luis Abinader previously referenced a preliminary figure of 60 million gross tons, Paliza confirmed the actual reserve could be as much as double that volume.
The project remains in its active exploration phase as of the time of the announcement. To date, exploration teams have completed 3,527 meters of borehole drilling and 3,100 meters of small-to-medium test pit excavations, and are on track to collect 10,000 geological samples for analysis by the end of the year.
Paliza emphasized that the rare earth development opportunity comes at a pivotal moment for global markets. Global demand for rare earth elements — critical inputs for the energy transition, artificial intelligence, national defense systems, electric vehicle batteries, and consumer electronic components — is projected to double by 2030. If the Dominican Republic can bring its reserves into commercial production, it will secure a place at the center of one of the 21st century’s most strategically important global supply chains.
When compared to existing major mining operations in the country, the scale of potential rare earth production is staggering. As Paliza noted, even a large established operator like Barrick Gold would be considered relatively small next to the economic footprint a fully developed domestic rare earth industry could create for the nation.
A key advantage of the Dominican Republic’s deposits, located in the Ávila Fiscal Mining Reserve in Pedernales, is their favorable geological characteristics that would allow for extraction with minimal environmental harm. Paliza pointed out that many known rare earth deposits around the world are not commercially viable because processing generates toxic waste that makes exploitation environmentally and economically unsustainable. “In our case, it seems that we have them in very healthy, very favorable conditions, to put it plainly,” he said.
Due to the lengthy timeline and high level of technical specialization required to develop a full rare earth industry from exploration to commercial production, Paliza noted the project will likely span multiple future Dominican government administrations, requiring long-term commitment and institutional continuity.
The rare earth potential extends beyond the Dominican Republic’s borders, Paliza added. Since the deposits are located in a mountain range that crosses into neighboring Haiti, the shared geological formation means Haiti is also likely to hold significant rare earth reserves, putting both Caribbean nations on the global strategic minerals map.
Currently, more than 80% of global rare earth production is concentrated in China, a supply dynamic that has sparked growing concern among the United States and other Western powers that rely on a single source for these critical strategic materials. Paliza argued that nations that can develop reliable supplies of strategic minerals including lithium, cobalt, copper, and rare earth elements will hold outsized economic, technological, and military competitive advantages in the coming decades.
To fully capitalize on this once-in-a-generation opportunity amid the ongoing reshaping of the global economy, Paliza stressed that the Dominican Republic must first upgrade its energy, logistics, and technological infrastructure. He tied the Pedernales mining potential to a broader national strategy to boost the country’s regional standing, anchored by ongoing high-impact projects including the development of the Port of Manzanillo, the expansion of utility-scale renewable energy generation, and Google’s major investments in national digital infrastructure.
“The Dominican Republic has all the underlying conditions to become a regional hub for logistics, energy, and technology,” Paliza said. “To achieve this, we just need to consolidate institutional stability, invest in growing our human capital, and strengthen the state’s capacity to deliver on large-scale strategic projects.”
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Young men encouraged to shape future, unlock potential
KINGSTON, Jamaica — On the occasion of the International Day of the Boy Child, Jamaican officials have launched a targeted skills development initiative designed to empower young male students across the island, urging them to push back against harmful societal pressures and claim control over their personal and professional growth.
Held Friday at the Ministry of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport’s New Kingston headquarters, Growth Lab 1.0: Skills Discovery Workshop for Young Men brought together dozens of high school-aged boys for a full day of hands-on learning, guided discussion and personal development activities. Under the overarching theme “Igniting Growth, Unleashing Potential”, the event centered on core pillars of self-awareness, intentional goal-setting, practical trade and professional skill-building, and long-term personal growth.
Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport Olivia Grange delivered the event’s opening call to action through Permanent Secretary Denzil Thorpe, who presented her prepared remarks to attendees and organizers. In her address, Grange emphasized that the workshop was intentionally crafted to create a secure, supportive space where young boys could explore their interests and ask questions without judgment, addressing a critical gap in support for Jamaican youth.
“The Ministry recognizes that many boys today are navigating extremely complex realities,” Grange stated in her remarks. “Some are trying to discover who they are, while balancing societal expectations, peer pressure, limited opportunities of their own, and trying to figure it out without the help of others. They need guidance, they need a safe space, and they need support to truly thrive.”
Beyond creating a supportive environment, the initiative was designed to expand young participants’ vision of what is possible for their lives, exposing them to career and personal pathways they may not have access to in their daily communities. Grange directly addressed the young men in attendance, emphasizing their inherent agency to reject limiting narratives about their futures.
“You do not have to become one of the statistics,” she underscored. “You don’t have to succumb under social pressure or negative labels that say how or what you will become. You have the power to define your own path.”
The workshop featured collaborative participation from a range of local educational, workforce development and public health organizations, which hosted interactive exhibitions and facilitated discussions across a diverse array of topics. Partner groups included the HEART/NSTA Trust, Jamaica’s National Council on Drug Abuse, Northern Caribbean University’s Recruitment and Admissions department, The Village Academy, and First Tech Competition Jamaica.
Attendees took part in hands-on demonstrations of in-demand skills spanning multiple growing industries, including general construction, automotive repair, agricultural sustainability practices, and robotics innovation. Complementary guided discussions covered topics ranging from healthy lifestyle decision-making to career pathways in engineering and communication studies, giving participants a broad overview of opportunities available to them after high school.
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Iran have ‘constructive’ meeting with FIFA over World Cup preparations
In a pivotal weekend meeting hosted at the Turkish Football Federation’s Istanbul headquarters, FIFA and the Iranian Football Federation (IRIFF) have wrapped up discussions focused on paving the way for Iran’s smooth participation in the 2026 FIFA World Cup, co-hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico. Top FIFA official Secretary General Mattias Grafstrom characterized the closed-door talks as both excellent and constructive, echoing positive feedback from Iranian federation leadership.
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Fernandes equals assist record as Man United edge Forest thriller
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.”