Will Bruno Fernandes be stripped of assist record? New footage casts doubts on Man United star's milestone moment
Bruno Fernandes broke the Premier League’s all-time single season assist record on the final day of the season.However, viral video footage now suggests the assist for Patrick Dorgu’s goal for Man United against Brighton could have been given as an own goal.The 31-year-old set a new Premier League record with his 21st assist in the 2025/26 campaign, moving clear of previous joint-holders Kevin De Bruyne and Thierry Henry.It was a milestone that had lasted for 23 years, first set by Henry and then matched by the Man City legend in 2020.It was the icing on the cake for a truly unforgettable season for the Portuguese, where he also picked up the Football Writers’ Association and Premier League Player of the Season.Though now some question marks have been raised about whether the record should, retrospectively, be taken off him.Dorgu goal or own goal?Fernandes’ corner was headed home by Dorgu at the Amex Stadium on Sunday to give the Man United star that all-important 21st assist of the season.Footage soon started to emerge of goal line cameras that showed it may actually not be Dorgu’s goal after all.The ball hit the bar and then hit Bart Verbruggen’s hand before finally going in.Fans have claimed that it should, therefore, have gone down as a Verbruggen own goal instead.This would have meant no assist for Fernandes and no record to go with it, he would have been stranded on 20 alongside De Bruyne and Henry.Will it be changed?talkSPORT understands the assist will not be taken off Bruno Fernandes.Data collector Opta initially awarded it, and the Goal Accreditation Panel (former players and a referee) made no change.What has been said?Former Premier League referee Mark Clattenburg cast doubt over whether it should be awarded to the Man United man."I've looked at the incident several times now, and I can understand why there’s confusion surrounding the decision to award Bruno Fernandes the assist," Clattenburg said."From a referee’s perspective, these situations are never as straightforward as they initially appear."The ball clearly makes contact with the crossbar first, and after that there’s an important touch from the goalkeeper which changes the entire discussion."That's where the controversy begins because officials then have to determine whether the attacking phase remains unchanged or whether the goalkeeper's involvement becomes decisive enough to alter the ruling. If the goal were eventually to be classified differently, particularly as an own goal, Bruno Fernandes would lose the assist immediately, and naturally the record attached to it would disappear as well."That's the reality of elite football. Records, statistics, and historic moments can sometimes depend on the smallest deflection or the finest interpretation of a single phase of play."I don’t believe this takes anything away from Bruno Fernandes or the season he’s had because he’s been outstanding for Manchester United."But moments like this show just how fine the margins are at the top level of the game. And if there is any reversal to the decision later on, I think this will become one of those incidents people continue debating for a very long time."
