Bruno Fernandes walked off at Selhurst Park with the kind of numbers that always ignite arguments. Two assists in a 2–1 comeback win at Crystal Palace—both from set pieces—pushed him to 56 Premier League assists for Manchester United, past Paul Scholes and into fourth on the club’s all-time list. Only Ryan Giggs, Wayne Rooney, and David Beckham sit above him now.
The reaction split predictably. Some supporters point out that neither pass at Palace will live long in the memory, that Fernandes still leaves the team too stretched between the lines. Others see a player who keeps dragging a flawed side into relevance, stacking up goal contributions while the squad around him churns.
The numbers don’t care about those arguments. Since arriving from Sporting CP in January 2020, Fernandes has scored 64 league goals and supplied 56 assists in 208 Premier League matches—more than a direct goal contribution every two games during a stretch when United have spent as much time in crisis as in contention.
The Palace game didn’t suddenly make him a better footballer. It just carved his name permanently alongside four club icons in the metric supporters love to fight over: who really made United’s goals happen.
| Rank | Player | Premier League Assists |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ryan Giggs | 162 |
| 2 | Wayne Rooney | 93 |
| 3 | David Beckham | 80 |
| 4 | Bruno Fernandes | 56 |
| 5 | Paul Scholes | 55 |
How United’s assist kings changed with every era
Any list of United creators still begins with Ryan Giggs. The Welshman’s 162 Premier League assists remain both a club and league record, built over 22 seasons and 632 appearances. He won 13 league titles, scored in 21 straight campaigns, and provided the kind of constant on the left flank that doesn’t exist in the modern rotation era.
Giggs’ assists often felt like the final flourish on moves already destined for goals. Early in his career he beat full-backs with pace and balance, then squared for tap-ins. As his legs went, he drifted inside and turned into a midfielder who happened to start on the wing—picking out runners with passes they didn’t have to break stride for. Good luck replicating that. You’d need two decades of availability, a squad full of finishers, and a manager who never gets sacked.
If Giggs is the pure provider, Wayne Rooney is the hybrid. Official numbers give Rooney 93 Premier League assists alongside 183 league goals—the club’s top scorer and one of the division’s most complete forwards. He started as a ferocious runner who finished moves at the end of counter-attacks and evolved into a roaming playmaker who dropped into midfield to sling diagonals to the wings.
That’s why the stats never quite capture him. One year he’d bang in 30 as a striker; the next he’d play second fiddle to Ronaldo or Van Persie and still look like the most important player on the pitch. When fans argue about whether Fernandes is “complete,” Rooney is usually the comparison.
David Beckham’s 80 Premier League assists came in just 265 games. His creativity was more predictable than Giggs’ improvisation, yet no easier to defend. Everyone in the stadium knew the flat cross to the far post was coming, and it still arrived on a striker’s head with cruel precision. His set pieces, especially from the inside-right channel, turned dead balls into scoring chances in ways the league had rarely seen.
For supporters wondering how to judge Fernandes’ delivery, Beckham’s tape is the gold standard. The captain isn’t that kind of stylist, but he’s inherited the same responsibility—making every free kick and corner feel dangerous.
Paul Scholes looks slightly out of place in a conversation about raw assist totals. His 55 Premier League assists sit modestly next to his 107 league goals and reputation as the metronome of multiple title-winning sides. But his presence here explains a lot about the arguments around Fernandes.
Scholes’ value rarely showed up in the final pass. He controlled tempo from deep, setting the platform so others could deliver the statistic-friendly ball. He also won 11 Premier League titles. When fans bristle at comparing Fernandes to Scholes, they’re really arguing that sustained control of matches and trophy hauls should matter more than headline numbers.
Fernandes lives in that tension. The Palace performance captured it perfectly. For long stretches he looked loose in possession, struggling to knit United’s moves together. Then his lofted pass found Joshua Zirkzee for the equaliser. His quick free kick released Mason Mount to win it. The captain left with two assists, another line on his resume, and all the usual questions trailing behind him.
Zoom out and his contribution sharpens. Fernandes has never recorded fewer than six league assists in a United season. Last year he produced 19 goals and 19 assists across all competitions while the club slumped to their worst league finish in half a century. This season he leads the Premier League in assists again, with all five of his set-ups coming away from home for five different scorers.
Critics note that many assists come from dead-ball situations, that his high-risk passing opens gaps for opponents to counter into. Fair. But United’s attack often looks lost without him, and his willingness to keep trying the difficult ball is one of the few reasons they still win close games.
Where he stands historically is beyond dispute. Fernandes has already passed Scholes’ assist total in 291 fewer league appearances. He sits 24 behind Beckham, 37 behind Rooney, and a long way behind Giggs. Two more strong seasons put Beckham within reach. Rooney would require either an extended stay into his mid-thirties or one monster campaign. Catching Giggs would demand something close to perfection—longevity, fitness, and a far more stable United side than the one he’s captained so far.
Whether he sticks around long enough is another question. Saudi clubs have tested both his resolve and the hierarchy’s willingness to cash in. Fernandes has turned those offers down, encouraged by Ruben Amorim and his own desire to compete at the highest level. If that changes, Beckham and Rooney could stay ahead of him forever.
So where does that leave him? United have really only had five players who made the attack tick in the Premier League years. Giggs and Beckham worked the flanks. Rooney did a bit of everything. Scholes ran games without needing the final ball. And now Fernandes, trying to be all of them at once for a team that can’t decide what it wants to be.
None of this ends the debate. People will keep arguing about whether Fernandes is actually good for United or just good at padding his stats. But the record book doesn’t do nuance. It just counts assists. And by that measure, Bruno Fernandes now belongs alongside the best creators the club has ever had.
