Bruno Fernandes officially equals Golden Ball version Ronaldo

Bruno Fernandes continues to assert his influence at Manchester United by surpassing Cristiano Ronaldo's record and aiming for a historic assist milestone in this Premier League season.

The Portuguese star is experiencing an extremely impressive season, directly contributing 26 points to Manchester United inthe Premier League through his goals and assists. This achievement helps Bruno Fernandes equal the milestone set by Cristiano Ronaldo in the 2008/09 season, when the superstar won the Golden Ball before moving to Real Madrid.

Up to now, Fernandes has scored 7 goals and provided 16 assists, contributing nearly half of Manchester United's 54 points this season. Meanwhile, Ronaldo, when setting a similar record, scored 18 goals and made 6 assists in his final season of his first stint at Old Trafford.

Bruno Fernandes's influence was clearly demonstrated again in the 3-1 victory over Aston Villa last weekend. His two assists for Casemiro and Matheus Cunha helped the Old Trafford side secure all 3 points. Previously, the 31-year-old midfielder also shone in the 2-1 win over Crystal Palace (1 goal, 1 assist) and the 3-2 victory over Fulham (2 assists).

If measured by points contributed to the team, only Robin van Persie's performance in the 2012/13 season (with 26 goals and 9 assists contributing 38 points to Manchester United) surpasses Bruno Fernandes.

Moreover, Manchester United's captain is also approaching another milestone: breaking the record for assists in a single Premier League season set by Thierry Henry. The Arsenal legend had 20 assists in the 2002/03 season, a record later matched by Kevin De Bruyne in the 2019/20 season.

With 9 assists in the last 10 matches, Fernandes is performing at a very high level and has a real chance to surpass the aforementioned milestone as there are still 8 rounds left in the season.

Under manager Michael Carrick, Manchester United has significantly transformed in the race for the top spots. The Old Trafford side currently ranks third in the standings, 3 points ahead of Aston Villa, 5 points ahead of Liverpool, and 6 points clear of Chelsea.

On a personal level, Bruno Fernandes has also broken David Beckham's record of 15 assists in a single Premier League season, a feat achieved in the 1999/2000 period.

Considering his entire club career, Fernandes has 105 goals and 103 assists in 319 appearances, establishing himself as one of the most creative and effective players in European football in recent years.

Additionally, he has risen to fourth place on Manchester United's list of top Premier League assist providers with 67 assists, behind Beckham (80), Wayne Rooney (90), and legend Ryan Giggs (163). Fernandes has also surpassed Paul Scholes' milestone of 54 assists to etch his name into the club's history.