Bruno Fernandes set a new mark for most assists in a Premier League season on the final day as Michael Carrick won his first game since being confirmed permanent head coach with victory at Brighton.
The win means Carrick, who was confirmed as a permanent appointment on Friday, has taken 2.29 points per game since taking over, the best average of any Premier League manager this season and the best of any United boss since Alex Ferguson’s final season in 2012-13.
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Fernandes started the game level with Thierry Henry (2002-03) and Kevin De Bruyne (2019-20) on 20 assists for the season before Patrick Dorgu headed in his corner on 33 minutes.
Bryan Mbeumo added a second just before half-time and the Fernandes scored the third himself shortly after the restart, with United ending the season third on 71 points.
Here, The Athletic’s Mark Critchley breaks down the key talking points.
How did Fernandes make history?
With a Champions League spot wrapped up and a third-place finish locked in whatever happened, there was only one objective for United on the final weekend: for Bruno Fernandes to get his 21st assist.
Equalling the Premier League record for the most in a single season last weekend was nice and all, but moving past Thierry Henry and Kevin De Bruyne at the top of the rankings would be history.
It took only a little more than half an hour to happen. Fernandes had not created much from open play up until that point, but his set-piece delivery has been the backbone of his push for this record, and his delivery for Patrick Dorgu was perfect.
Fernandes would always prioritise silverware over records and awards — he would take leading United to a 21st top-flight league title over this 21st assist any day of the week.
But the newly-crowned Premier League Player of the Season is finally earning the individual recognition that his creative genius deserves, and this was a fitting way to finish an outstanding campaign.
What is possible next season?
This was Carrick’s first game in permanent charge, but his 12th win in 17 games since replacing Ruben Amorim back in January.
He ends this season having collected more points than any other Premier League manager since his appointment — 2.29 per game to be precise.
That’s an 87-point pace over the course of an entire campaign. Or in other words, more than champions Arsenal. All of which invites an obvious question on this final weekend — what is possible next season?
Nobody should be getting carried away. United have benefited greatly from free midweeks without European football, a gift and a curse that they won’t have next term.
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Seventeen games is still a small sample too — less than half a league season. United were 10 points adrift of title-challenging Aston Villa after 17 games this season. They finish six points clear of Unai Emery’s side.
But then the scale of that turnaround under Carrick is precisely why United can head into this summer optimistic about what next season could bring.
The Premier League finds itself in something of a state of flux at the end of the 2025-26 campaign. United’s form over the back half of the season should, with the right additions to the squad, put them in a position to try and take advantage.
Can Mount be central to Carrick’s plans?
Casemiro’s leave of absence left Carrick with a decision to make as to who should partner Kobbie Mainoo in midfield.
In keeping with the trip to Sunderland and post-Casemiro’s substitution last weekend, Mason Mount was preferred to Manuel Ugarte.
If that is another sign that Ugarte’s Old Trafford career will likely come to an end this summer, it could also be a sign of things to come for Mount, who has perennially struggled to nail down a defined role since joining.
Mount was capable out of possession but also added something in it, especially when marauding into the box before United’s second, which was a brilliant team goal.
His clipped pass out to Noussair Mazraoui and one-two with Amad were instrumental to the move. After Bryan Mbeumo applied the finish, Mount turned to Mainoo and celebrated with a ‘too hot to handle’ gesture.
United will sign a Casemiro replacement this summer, then perhaps a couple more midfielders on top, but Carrick clearly sees Mount as an able contributor in the middle of the park, and that is justified on this evidence.
