Bruno Fernandes' impact on Manchester United since his arrival is unquestionable. Just look at his work in the March games against Crystal Palace and Aston Villa. Both teams were looking to occupy the center of the field and the games were even when Fernandes took the reins, adding a goal and three assists in the two games. Sometimes a player just knows what to do and isn't afraid to do it.
From bursting onto the Premier League scene as a January 2020 signing and leading United to the UEFA Champions League places (recording 15 goals plus assists (G+A) in 14 games) to being the creative metronome under current manager Michael Carrick, he has gotten better and better. No matter who was on United's bench or how toxic things became in the dressing room, they always had a player they could rely on to pull a rabbit out of their hat and influence games. Generally it was with his assists and goals; Even during Ruben Amorim's miserable midseason takeover in 2024-25, he somehow managed 19 G+A in the league.
The infamous theory proposed in the media is that players thrive away from the pressure cauldron that Old Trafford creates (see Scott McTominay's rise at Napoli or Antony's at Real Betis). Meanwhile, Fernandes has always thrown himself into that cauldron, being the player United needed him to be.
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Their 2025-26 season is a tale of two roles, one under the direction of Rubén Amorim and the other under the direction of Carrick. The combination of the two Brunos has led to a Premier League Player of the Year caliber season, and he is very worthy of that award. No one expected United to be this good under Carrick, and in the midst of a personal best year for Fernandes (he leads the league in assists with 16, double the next closest players (Jarrod Bowen, Rayan Cherki, eight)), it's no surprise that Carrick, by restoring him to his best, has led to an upturn in United's form.
It's a pleasure to see Fernandes in this refreshing version of Manchester United. Here we'll look at how his role has transformed this season, why this might be the best football he's played and why he deserves to win POTY.
Fernandes' evolution in 2025-26
One of the parting gifts Amorim could have given United is to inadvertently show Fernandes' versatility as a deeper central midfielder in the “register” role, making him a better overall player.
Playing that role, in which Real Madrid midfielder Toni Kroos thrived, meant controlling the game, dictating the pace and setting up attacks rather than finishing them. He combined his skills as an influential attacker capable of producing game-changing moments with a layer of calm and pace adjustment to his game.
But while it's a plus that Fernandes has given United more control and helped move the ball from defense to attack, it felt like a waste to move a player with special creative skills further away from goal. He could take advantage of a pass and find attackers, but none of the others have his “sixth sense” to make the right decision in the final third.
Since returning to his natural role with Carrick in charge, Fernandes has recorded six assists from open play, compared to two with Amorim. It suggests the tactical change has fueled United's resurgence by getting Fernandes back to doing what he does best: creating opportunities from open play that other players are unable to do. A more stable midfield pivot behind him, with Casemiro and Kobbie Mainoo, has helped with this.
Under Carrick, United are a creative, forward-first outlet. The mantra is simple: outplay opponents using the wealth of offensive talent at your disposal.
There were several games in the Amorim era where United had no idea how to break a stubborn block, such as the Europa League final or the game against a 10-man Everton, which made the decision to play Fernandes as a central midfielder baffling.
Even if Fernandes receives the ball in the above scenario, there are too many Everton midfielders around him.
Compare that to their more advanced position against Bournemouth after Carrick's arrival. Even in a crowded space, his presence attracts defenders and frees up other United attackers. You want him in these positions because he can use his quick thinking to pass the ball to a teammate. When you play deeper, the risk is greater than the reward and you could lose the ball close to your own area.
Could Amorim have placed him higher up the field? Yes, but as the season progressed, the only change he made to his 3-4-3 system was to try to be more direct and jump into second balls, which doesn't exactly suit Fernandes' strengths.
With Bryan Mbeumo, Matheus Cunha and Fernandes in attack, often at times any of the front three drops in to help in the build-up. Dynamic rotations in attack give Fernandes his coveted “free” role.
His assists with Carrick come from a strikingly similar range. If you look at the goals from below, they both come from him finding Cunha behind from an extremely wide position.
It is a testament to his qualities as a player; Opponents think that because it is off target and so far from the goal, it can't hurt them, which couldn't be further from the truth. It's difficult to score against because you don't want to order a defender to close it down in such an awkward space.
There are plenty of players in the way for the Portuguese international to hit his man, but that doesn't deter him. This is what United achieve by simply putting him close to goal: unlocking the unique magical moment that only he can provide.
Previously, when the ball fell to him in his own half, he could have tried a quick back pass. But after his move through central midfield, we see him throw a pass wide or look to take an extra second to maintain possession.
There is now a maturity evident in his game, harnessing his skills from both deeper and more advanced positions.
Why Fernandes deserves to be POTY
Now that we know how this season has evolved, how has it evolved over the years? And is this the best we've seen of him?
Well, some of the stats (according to Opta) definitely back that up.
He is creating 1.3 big chances every 90 minutes and 4.5 chances per 90, the best mark of his United career. This is also the highest percentage of successful passes ending in the final third he has ever recorded, usurping even his time under former manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer from 2019 to 2021, which included his 45 G+A 2020-21 season.
Curiously, Fernandes is making more passes than ever inside the area and is the one who touches the ball the least since arriving at Old Trafford. With the burden of scoring goals falling on the shoulders of Cunha, Mbeumo and Benjamin Sesko, this makes sense.
He continues to make a high number of forward passes, as well as the most deep passes he has ever had. And fewer touches in the opposition box combined with more assists per 90 (0.59) indicate that Fernandes finally has an attack around him that he can provide.
As expected, his heat map from this pre-Carrick season was all over the place.
Under Carrick, the areas further up the pitch where he likes to operate shine brighter in yellow.
He also shows how he frequently shifts to the left or right, where he can play as a striker towards goal from the half-space, extremely similar to his 2020-21 season.
But how does Fernandes compare to other POTY candidates? Looking at some of the other players who have been candidates for the award, such as Dominik Szoboszlai, Declan Rice and Martín Zubimendi, gives an idea of why Fernandes would be a deserving winner.
In terms of forward passes, chances created and passes into the box, Fernandes is miles ahead. Only Manchester City attacker Rayan Cherki's creativity stats come close to Fernandes', but Cherki has played more than 60 minutes on just 10 occasions this season, nowhere near Fernandes' minutes. It should also be noted that Cherki has often played as a right winger and is not as involved as Fernandes in the build-up.
It must be taken into account that Fernandes played further from the goal until January, when Carrick arrived. Even then, he averages more touches in the opposition box and more passes ending in the final third than any of the other contenders.
The statistics indicate that we are seeing Fernandes at his creative best: creating more and better opportunities than ever and becoming more efficient in the process. He has become the orchestrator of United's powerful and renewed attack.
Fernandes has always been a player who can influence games, no matter how big the occasion. But now he has also honed his ability to control its dangerous precision. A fake here, a step there, a blink twice, and somehow he's found a yard, then he backs it up with a pass that perfectly finds a teammate.
He used to have three or four “bad” games in a season, but adding a quiet class to his creation has seen him be the standout player in most of United's games.
The season has shown that he can do it all, wherever he is on the field and that is why he is the Player of the Year.
