Official: United star’s incredible award run continues as he bags fresh honour after electric Villa display

Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes has bagged a top award following his brilliant performance against Aston Villa last weekend. Fernandes masterclass Fernandes ran the show as United eased to a comfortable 3-1 victory over Villa at Old Trafford, to boost their chances of finishing within the guaranteed Champions League spots. Casemiro, Matheus Cunha and Benjamin Sesko got on the scoresheet but it was Fernandes who was the standout man. He assisted two of the goals in sublime fashion and in the process, set a new United record. The Portugal international’s two assists saw him surpass David Beckham to become the United player with the most assists in a Premier League season with 16. Beckham had been holding the record since the 1999/2000 campaign when he provided 15 assists. Fernandes also became just the third United player in United’s history to reach a century of goals and assists after  Ryan Giggs and Wayne Rooney. Incredibly, Fernandes achieved this feat in fewer games than football icons Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. Bruno Fernandes took fewer games to reach 100 goals and 100 assists than Messi and Ronaldo 👑 An incredible achievement 👏 pic.twitter.com/14IzmP1CEi — LiveScore (@livescore) March 17, 2026 Fernandes’ masterclass vs. Villa earned him a place in the BBC and WhoScored’s Team of the Week XI selections. Now, he has received another major recognition. Recognitions roll in The Premier League have confirmed that Fernandes has won their Player of the Matchweek award. He garnered most of the fan vote (53%), edging out Arsenal’s Max Dowman, who was ranked second (37%). The other nominees were West Ham United defender Konstantinos Mavropanos (5%), Tottenham Hotspur’s (4%), and Newcastle United man Anthony Gordon (1%). A complete performance sees Bruno Fernandes named Player of the Matchweek ⭐ The @ManUtd captain received a season-high number of votes! pic.twitter.com/V9sJWOuVbX — Premier League (@premierleague) March 18, 2026 The Premier League further note, “Fernandes’s total of 38,784 votes is the most received by a player in a Matchweek all season, beating the 38,550 that Patrick Dorgu received in Matchweek 23.” Fernandes has now won the Player of the Matchweek award five times, which is three more than any other player this term. United return to action on Friday when they go away to Bournemouth. Featured image Carl Recine 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 Derick Kinoti Derick Kinoti is a football writer at The Peoples Person who has covered Manchester United and the Premier League extensively for years. His work blends sharp analysis, tactical insight, and engaging storytelling that resonates with fans around the world. Derick has gained valuable experience in football journalism, developing strong expertise in SEO writing, digital content creation, and social media engagement. A tech enthusiast with a Computer Science degree from the University of Nairobi, he ultimately swapped code for football commentary, bringing an analytical, detail-oriented approach to his writing. Derick is convinced Wayne Rooney is the true GOAT and won’t hear otherwise!