pl scores: Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes was named Premier League player of the season after a campaign built on 132 chances created and eight goals in 37 games. The award gives United a major individual honour in a season that also ended with third place and Champions League qualification.
Fernandes edged a shortlist that included Arsenal's David Raya, Gabriel and Declan Rice, Manchester City's Erling Haaland and Nico O'Reilly, Brentford's Igor Thiago and Nottingham Forest's Morgan Gibbs-White. The winner was decided by public votes combined with votes from a panel of football experts.
Fernandes and United's attacking output
His 132 chances were 43 more than Liverpool's Dominik Szoboszlai, a gap that shows how far Fernandes separated himself from the rest of the league in chance creation. Last weekend, he set up his 20th goal against Nottingham Forest and equalled the Premier League season assist record.
The award arrives after Fernandes was also named Football Writers' Association men's Player of the Year this month. For United, it is the first time one of their players has won the league award since Nemanja Vidic in 2011.
Premier League vote goes to Fernandes
That run of recognition matters because the Premier League award is not handed out by a single panel alone. Public votes are combined with those from football experts, and Fernandes came through a field that featured players from Arsenal, Manchester City, Brentford and Nottingham Forest.
Nico O'Reilly took the Premier League Young Player of the Season award after five goals and three assists in 34 league appearances. He won ahead of Rayan Cherki, Junior Kroupi, Alex Scott, Kobbie Mainoo, Lewis Hall, Michael Kayode and Matheus Fernandes.
Vidic's 2011 benchmark
United had not produced a winner since Vidic, so Fernandes' award resets a gap that had stretched across more than a decade. He did it while scoring eight goals, creating 132 chances and helping United finish third.
For supporters, the immediate takeaway is simple: United's season produced a league award winner, and Fernandes' numbers supply the case. His output turned a strong individual year into a prize that now sits beside his club captaincy and the team's Champions League return.
