19 February 2021

Bruno Fernandes looking to build on Premier League landmark

19 February 2021

Bruno Fernandes goes into Manchester United’s game with Newcastle looking to build on a personal Premier League landmark.

Fernandes reached 38 Premier League appearances, the equivalent of a full season, against West Brom last time out and marked the occasion with his 22nd goal in the competition.

His 16 assists in that time mean a combined total of 38 key contributions when added to his goal return – one per game, and the most of any current Premier League player in his most recent season’s worth of games.

A comparison of Bruno Fernandes to other Premier League players

Tottenham striker Harry Kane is second on that list with 36, ahead of Manchester City playmaker Kevin De Bruyne (33) and Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah (32), and Kane and Salah are also two of only three current Premier League players to have surpassed Fernandes’ total of 38 in as many games at any point in their careers.

Kane had a remarkable run of 47 in 38 games to January 2018, with 40 goals and seven assists, while Salah had 45 to December 2018 and City striker Sergio Aguero 42 to November the same year. The latter pair scored 31 goals apiece in those runs, Salah with 14 assists to Aguero’s 11.

Historical data also helps shape the top 10 current sequences as Gareth Bale places fifth, a legacy of the strong finish to his first spell at Tottenham before he joined Real Madrid. The Welshman has just one goal in seven appearances since returning but 22 goals and eight assists in 38 games dating back to 2013.

Harry Kane, right, and Son Heung-min (PA Wire)

Kane’s partner in crime Son Heung-min is on a run of 28 goals and assists in 38 appearances, Leicester’s Jamie Vardy has 25 and a three-way tie sees Aguero, team-mate Raheem Sterling and Manchester United forward Marcus Rashford all on 24.

All 10 have at some point in their Premier League careers managed at least 30 goals and assists in a 38-game stretch, and there are only five other current top-flight players to have done so.

United’s Juan Mata peaked at 35 in 2013, when he was with Chelsea, Arsenal captain Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Southampton winger Theo Walcott’s best 38 games each produced 33 goals and assists combined, Sadio Mane had 32 for Liverpool up to January last year and Riyad Mahrez 30 up to May 2016, when the current Manchester City winger was part of Leicester’s title-winning side.

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