Inspired by Bruno Fernandes (£10.4m) once more, Manchester United beat Nottingham Forest 3-2 on Sunday.
Here are our Scout Notes from Old Trafford.
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BRUNO EQUALS ASSIST RECORD
Bruno equalled the orthodox Premier League assist record on Sunday, supplying his 20th of the season.
The Portuguese playmaker’s low cross was tapped in by Bryan Mbeumo (£8.3m) in the second half.
He has now matched Thierry Henry and Kevin De Bruyne, and still has one more game – away at Brighton and Hove Albion next week – to beat it.
In truth, Bruno could easily have broken the record on Sunday, having created eight (!) chances, the joint-most by any player in a Premier League match this season.
“I got to 20 today, let’s see we have one more game. It’s the highest I’ve done in the Premier League so I am very happy with it.” – Bruno Fernandes
“Everyone knew it was important that I could get another assist at least. They were trying everything they could to finish off my passes. There were probably moments where I should have passed instead of shoot. I am very happy for the assists, but more so for the win and to end the season on a high.” – Bruno Fernandes
… AND WHY BRUNO GOT A FANTASY ASSIST
Prior to that, Bruno banked a Fantasy assist for Luke Shaw’s (£4.5m) opener.
Forest failed to deal with his cross into the box, and a poor headed clearance by Neco Williams (£4.8m) fell to the left-back, who drilled it into the bottom corner.
The Fantasy assist was awarded to Bruno because his cross was followed by only a single defensive touch – Williams’ clearance – before the goalscoring action by Shaw, which, crucially, was inside the box.
That’s now 23 Fantasy Premier League (FPL) assists for the season for Bruno, so he’s now joint-second in the all-time FPL assists table:
| Season | Player | Pos | Club | Points | Assists |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013/14 | Luis Suarez | FWD | Liverpool | 295 | 25 |
| 2002/03 | Thierry Henry | FWD | Arsenal | 271 | 23 |
| 2019/20 | Kevin De Bruyne | MID | Man City | 251 | 23 |
| 2025/26 | Bruno Fernandes | MID | Man Utd | 221 | 23 |
MBEUMO WASTEFUL
Mbeumo will have felt a sense of relief after finally scoring from Bruno’s assist in the 76th minute, having previously missed some excellent chances.
There was nothing of note to play for at Old Trafford, with Forest safe and United guaranteed a Champions League spot, but in an often-frantic encounter, Mbeumo hit the post and skied a sitter from an Amad Diallo (£6.2m) cutback.
Leading the line in the absence of the injured Benjamin Sesko (£7.2m), he took six shots in total, four of which were Opta ‘big chances’, which resulted in an expected goals (xG) tally of 2.21.
Above: Bryan Mbeumo’s xG shot map v Forest
United’s second strike was scored under contentious circumstances, when Mbeumo appeared to use his arm to help him control the ball, before Matheus Cunha (£8.1m) fired it home.
CASEMIRO FAREWELL
Casemiro (£5.9m) returned for his farewell appearance at Old Trafford and played pretty well overall.
He finished the match with just four defensive contributions (DefCon), but did produce three shots and two chances created, with one of his first-half efforts trickling just wide of the post.
For his owners, it sounds like he’ll feature, at least in some capacity, at the Amex next week.
“We know we have the next game. We need to finish the season well.” – Casemiro
ANDERSON SUPERB, GIBBS-WHITE BACK
Forest improved after Shaw’s early opener and showed plenty of character, with Elliot Anderson (£5.6m) excellent once more.
With real drive and energy from the middle of the park, he not only banked DefCon points at Old Trafford but also recorded his fourth and fifth assists of the season.
Morato (£4.3m) was the first to score for Forest, when he nodded home Anderson’s superb delivery.
Another brilliant ball from the England international later found a masked Morgan Gibbs-White (£7.5m), who made his return after his nasty facial injury.
Gibbs-White, who drifted infield from the left at every opportunity, now has six goals and two assists from his last six matches, underlining his importance for Vitor Pereira’s side.
Above: Forest’s average position map v Man Utd, featuring Gibbs-White (No 10)
It could have been more, too, when Gibbs-White was denied one-on-one by Senne Lammens (£5.1m).
Elsewhere, Chris Wood (£7.1m) was back in the starting XI at centre forward, while Ibrahim Sangare (£4.9m) made his comeback from injury as a second-half substitute.
