Man Utd Player Ratings vs. Brighton: Fernandes Breaks Record in Dazzling Red Devils Display

Manchester United sauntered to an emphatic 3–0 victory at Brighton & Hove Albion on the final day of the season, as Bruno Fernandes broke the Premier League’s single-season assist record.

The Red Devils secured third-place long ago and were merely out to serve their creative talisman on the sunny south coast. Brighton, meanwhile, were playing for a European berth, but were comfortably second best against Michael Carrick’s team.

A slow start to the contest was enlivened by the record-breaking moment, with Patrick Dorgu leaping to meet Fernandes’s corner and head beyond Bart Verbruggen via the crossbar. United purred in the aftermath, with a relaxed performance bringing the best out of the Red Devils.

Their second goal was wonderfully crafted and finished by Bryan Mbeumo, before Fernandes added a third with a low drive at the start of the second half. With the Seagulls offering few signs of life, those in the stands were more conscious of the ongoings elsewhere.

They may have slipped a place, but Brentford’s draw at Liverpool means Fabian Hürzeler’s side qualified for the Conference League.

One Thing We Can’t Ignore

Locked in third and without all that much to play for as a collective, the trip down to the south coast was always going to be about Bruno Fernandes.

Thierry Henry’s single-season assist record has stood the test of time, with only Kevin De Bruyne matching the Frenchman’s haul of 20 since the bar was set in 2002–03. Plenty have threatened to breeze beyond this threshold, namely Mesut Özil during his north London pomp, but the figure of 20 has proven to be impenetrable.

Fernandes drew level with Henry and De Bruyne last weekend, leaving him with 90 minutes to enter uncharted territory. 21 Premier League assists has been the competition’s four-minute mile, and we’ve finally found our Sir Roger Bannister.

Fittingly, it was a set-piece that did it for Fernandes. The Portuguese’s outswinging corner was met emphatically by Patrick Dorgu to open the scoring. Nine of his 21 league assists this term have come from set plays, with typical beneficiary, Casemiro, absent on the final day.

But to say Fernandes has been reliant on dead balls would be doing him a disservice. He’s utterly dominated almost all creative metrics this season, and is bound to scoop up an array of individual awards as a result.

Man Utd Player Ratings vs. Brighton (4-2-3-1)

Bryan Mbeumo, Amad Diallo — Mbuemo finished the season with goals in back-to-back games. | Glyn KIRK/AFP/Getty Images

*Player ratings provided by FotMob*

GK: Senne Lammens—8.1: The Belgian settled after a couple of nervy moments with the ball at his feet early on. The hosts didn’t test him all that much either.

RB: Noussair Mazraoui—7.3: A rare start for the Moroccan under Carrick, who was in the wars after half-time. Mazraoui was pretty reliable here, offering technical security in the build-up.

CB: Harry Maguire—7.2: Appearing for the first time since Thomas Tuchel’s World Cup squad dropped, Maguire, omitted by the German, was sturdy on the south coast. He’s certainly had more active defensive outings.

CB: Lisandro Martínez—7.0: The defender will be content that he escaped Amex unscathed. Martínez has been assured under Carrick and is ready for the World Cup.

LB: Luke Shaw—6.9: Remarkably, Shaw earned his 38th Premier League start of the season. Arguably more impressive than Fernandes’s creative magic, given his fitness woes. The left back was bright at the Amex, providing a threat when he drove infield.

CM: Mason Mount—7.6: Mount isn’t a long-term solution in a post-Casemiro world, but the Englishman didn’t look out of place in a deeper midfield role. Paul Scholes career arc?

CM: Kobbie Mainoo—7.5: A mixed bag for Mainoo, who was sloppy in moments but also offered some divine dribbling sequences. The ball can often look glued to his feet, with Brighton’s engine room flummoxed by the speed at which he operated at times.

RM: Amad Diallo—8.1: Carrick values what the Ivorian provides out of possession, but Amad showed signs of life in the final third on Sunday.

AM: Bruno Fernandes—8.9: Man Utd were excellent, but this was Fernandes’s day. Some may roll their eyes at the significance of an assist record, yet this was still a bit of Premier League history.

LM: Patrick Dorgu—8.5: An excellent return to the starting lineup for Dorgu, who headed home superbly from Fernandes’s corner to open the scoring. The Dane was a nuisance during his hour outing and has a good relationship with Shaw down the left.

ST: Bryan Mbeumo—7.7: Mbeumo delivered from a center forward position again, poaching from close range to round off a slick United move.

SUB: Shea Lacey (62’ for Dorgu)—6.2: The youngster, sent off when these two faced off in the FA Cup, was keen and courageous, looking to cut inside from the right flank.

SUB: Joshua Zirkzee (74’ for Mbeumo)—6.1: The Dutchman got a run out in Benjamin Šeško’s absence.

SUB: Leny Yoro (74’ for Mazraoui)—6.3: Carrick utilized Yoro at right back off the bench, and it’ll be interesting to see whether we see Yoro perform that role a little more next season.

SUB: Tyler Fletcher (74’ for Mount)—6.3: Little to comment.

SUB: Tyrell Malacia (82’ for Shaw)—N/A

Subs not used: Altay Bayındır (GK), Matheus Cunha, Manuel Ugarte, Ayden Heaven.

What the Ratings Tell Us

Patrick Dorgu — Dorgu had a productive return to the Man Utd XI. | Poppy Townson/MUFC/Getty Images

Matheus Cunha was offered respite on the final day, as Carrick reverted to Patrick Dorgu down the left-hand side. The Dane made his first start since he impressed at the Emirates Stadium two weeks into the new manager’s tenure, and he was able again to highlight his proficiency in a more advanced role. Dorgu had suffered somewhat as a wing back under Ruben Amorim, but he’s a distinct threat higher up in Carrick’s framework. He found himself on the scoresheet and is a willing runner behind defenses. The difference in profile with Cunha offers Carrick greater flexibility.
It really seemed like Amad Diallo needed an outing like this. Carrick has trusted the Ivorian down the stretch, but the Englishman’s faith hasn’t exactly been vindicated. Mental errors and a lack of final third contribution have been the prevailing themes of Amad’s end to 2025–26, but the winger was determined to prove a point at the Amex. By setting up a lovely second for the visitors, Amad recorded his first Man Utd goal contribution of 2026.
The manager may be convinced by Mason Mount as a depth option in his pivot for 2026–27, while Bryan Mbeumo’s efficacy in a central role begs the question as to who should start up top for Man Utd next season.

The Numbers That Explain Man Utd’s Final Day Delight

The two teams wrestled fiercely for control, with the possession share almost evenly split.
Brighton offered very little going forward, despite recording two more shots than the victorious visitors. They mustered just 0.81 xG, two shots on target and were unable to create a single big chance.
Man Utd were far more efficient at the Amex, outperforming their xG by 1.18.
Bryan Mbeumo’s tap-in to double United’s lead boasted an xG of 0.93. He couldn’t miss.

Statistic	Brighton	Man Utd
Possession	51%	49%
Expected Goals (xG)	0.81	1.82
Total Shots	13	11
Shots on Target	2	7
Big Chances	0	4
Passing Accuracy	86%	83%
Fouls Committed	11	8
Corners	0	3

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