'Not an assist' — Former PGMOL chief disputes Bruno's assist record

Former Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL) general manager Keith Hackett has publicly disputed Bruno Fernandes' historic 21st Premier League assist, claiming the Manchester United captain's record-breaking milestone is invalid. 

Following Manchester United's 3-0 final-day victory over Brighton & Hove Albion on Sunday, May 24, Hackett took to social media to contest the 33rd-minute opening goal. "This is clearly not an assist; therefore record not broken,” he said.

The controversy stems from a whipped Fernandes corner that was met by a thumping header from Patrick Dorgu; the ball struck the post and ricocheted off Brighton goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen before crossing the line. 

Hackett’s assertion is a sentiment shared by many who argue that the decisive final touch came directly from the goalkeeper; the sequence should have been classified as a Verbruggen own goal, a ruling that would nullify Fernandes' assist credit. 

Despite Hackett's comment and the online debate, the Premier League's goal review panel officially intervened and awarded the goal directly to Dorgu, determining that his initial header was already on target before making contact with the goalkeeper. 

This decision officially confirmed the assist, allowing Fernandes to reach a staggering 21 assists for the 2025/26 Premier League campaign. 

This meant that the 31-year-old officially surpassed the long-standing single-season record of 20 assists previously shared by Arsenal's Thierry Henry (2002/03) and Manchester City's Kevin De Bruyne (2019/20).