Four key passes, 87% passing accuracy: United maestro rewrites history with elite display against Brighton

Manchester United secured a 3-0 win over Brighton & Hove Albion at the Amex on Sunday, 24 May, to register a blockbuster end to the season. The Red Devils arrived at the game with their position in the league secure following the pulsating 3-2 win over Nottingham Forest last weekend at Old Trafford. That win had helped United secure a third-place finish in the Premier League and also provided a significant financial boost. Since then, Michael Carrick, who was appointed as caretaker manager in January, has been retained as the Red Devils’ permanent manager as a reward for his excellent work. The English manager subsequently made three changes to the team against the Seagulls. Casemiro was absent for the game as expected, following his tearful farewell at the Theatre of Dreams last weekend. Mason Mount returned to the starting XI in place of the veteran Brazilian, who is set to leave United this summer as a free agent. Meanwhile, Patrick Dorgu replaced Mateus Cunha in attack, while Noussair Mazraoui was selected ahead of Diogo Dalot at right-back. United end season on a high United had a slow start to the game, with Brighton, who were eager to pick up three points to secure European football next season, piling on the pressure. However, things changed when Dorgu headed home from a Bruno Fernandes corner to give his team a 1-0 lead. The Portuguese’s record-shattering 21st assist of the season sprang the Red Devils back to life, and Carrick’s team began to dominate proceedings. Bryan Mbeumo then got on the end of a ball from Amad to make it 2-0 for the visitors two minutes before the break. Two minutes into the second half, Dorgu turned provider for Fernandes, who scored his ninth goal of the season. That all but broke the Seagulls’ spirit and the Red Devils went on to secure a fine win. While the entire team turned up to help United end the season on a high, it was their mercurial skipper who was once again their main man. Fernandes justifies his Player of the Season tag Fernandes arrived at the game having registered 20 assists in the Premier League this season, equalling the record for the most assists in a single campaign previously set by Kevin De Bruyne and Thierry Henry. However, the Premier League and FWA Player of the Year ended the game as the sole holder of the accolade. The 31 year old managed 62 touches of the ball and completed 46 of his 53 attempted passes with an 87% passing accuracy. Fernandes registered four key passes and also created one big chance. The Portuguese attempted four crosses, one of which was accurate. He also registered seven long balls, four of which found their targets. The United skipper did not shy away from the dirty work either. He won two tackles, came out on top in two of his four duels, and registered one interception. Fernandes also had one shot on target, ending the game with a goal and an assist. Bruno Fernandes Stats vs Brighton PlayerBruno Fernandes Goals1 Assists1 Tackles (Won)2 Touches62 Accurate Passes46/53 (87%) Key Passes4 Crosses (Accurate)4 (1) Long Balls (Accurate)7 (4) Duels (Won)4 (2) Ground Duels (Won)3 (2) Aerial Duels (Won)1 (0) Big chances created1 Source: SofaScore. Final Thoughts Riding on their run of 12 wins from 17 games under Carrick, United have now produced a blistering end to the season. Central to their resurgence since the turn of the year has been Bruno Fernandes, whose award-winning season further highlights why the Red Devils must tie him down to a new deal soon. Bruno Fernandes has registered 21 assists in the Premier League this season, more than any other player in Europe’s Top 5 Leagues: 21🅰️ — B. FERNANDES20🅰️ —19🅰️ — M. Olise18🅰️ —17🅰️ — F. Dimarco Best playmaker in Europe. 🇵🇹 pic.twitter.com/NcFWoaaQL0 — Statman Dave (@StatmanDave) May 24, 2026 Featured image Steve Bardens via Getty Images The Peoples Person has been one of the world’s leading Man United news sites for over a decade. Follow us on Bluesky: @peoplesperson.bsky.social Deepungsu Pandit Deepungsu has been a Manchester United fan since 2000. In his playing days, he was an attacking midfielder with a proclivity for the back heel. Right now, however, he prefers to operate as a regista. Deepungsu has been writing about the Red Devils, Football, and other things since 2009. He has worked for over seven years with Sportskeeda, writing football reviews, opinions and news articles. Deepungsu also maintains a blog, The Thinking Me, where he writes about life and things that interest him. His favourite Manchester United player is Paul Scholes.