Bruno Fernandes: United skipper wins season’s fourth Premier League award

Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes has collected his fourth Premier League Player of the Matchday award of the campaign, extending his lead as the division’s most decorated individual performer this term. The Portuguese playmaker, who joined Old Trafford for an initial £47 million from Sporting in January 2020, received 54 per cent of the fan vote on the league’s official website, comfortably outpacing Liverpool’s Hugo Ekitike (25 per cent) among the seven nominees.

Fernandes’ latest accolade follows his decisive display against Crystal Palace on 1 March, when United overturned an early deficit to secure a 2-1 victory that lifted the club into third place. After Wilfried Zaha had stunned the hosts inside four minutes, the 31-year-old assumed control: he threaded a defence-splitting pass that led to Matheus Cunha being felled for a penalty, which Fernandes converted with customary composure, before flighting an inch-perfect cross for Benjamin Sesko to head the winner.

The award is the fourth time this season the Portuguese has been recognised by supporters, making him the only player to lift the prize more than twice in 2024-25. United team-mates have now claimed ten of the 28 Matchday honours, underlining the squad’s upward trajectory under caretaker boss Michael Carrick, whose unbeaten run remains intact.

Fernandes’ personal haul of 105 goals and 100 assists in 317 appearances for the Red Devils places him alongside Wayne Rooney and Ryan Giggs as the only players in club history to reach triple figures in both categories. With eight matches remaining, he also retains an outside chance of eclipsing David Beckham’s single-season assist record.

Speaking to Premier League Productions after collecting the award, Fernandes turned his attention to Wednesday’s trip to Newcastle United. “It’s very tough to play away at Newcastle. You know their fans, you know their team. They’re very aggressive, they create a great atmosphere,” he said. “We are in a good moment, we want to be at the top, we just got into the top three and it’s going to be a massive game for us to get another win.”

The midfielder, whose contract expires in June 2026, turns 32 in September yet continues to operate at peak efficiency, prompting calls within the club for INEOS to prioritise an extension for the talismanic skipper.