The Premier League single-season assist record is 21. Bruno Fernandes set it for Manchester United in 2025/26, breaking the previous mark on the final day at Brighton & Hove Albion.
The record holders and where Fernandes stands
| Player | Club | Assists | Season |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bruno Fernandes | Manchester United | 21 | 2025/26 |
| Thierry Henry | Arsenal | 20 | 2002/03 |
| Kevin De Bruyne | Manchester City | 20 | 2019/20 |
| Mesut Ozil | Arsenal | 19 | 2015/16 |
| Cesc Fabregas | Chelsea | 18 | 2014/15 |
| Frank Lampard | Chelsea | 18 | 2004/05 |
| Kevin De Bruyne | Manchester City | 18 | 2016/17 |
| Mohamed Salah | Liverpool | 18 | 2024/25 |
| Cesc Fabregas | Arsenal | 17 | 2007/08 |
For a long stretch, no one moved beyond the level first set by Henry. De Bruyne later joined him there, and Fernandes finally took sole possession of the record in his side's last league game of 2025/26.
The record-breaking assist came in Manchester United's final league match away to Brighton. Fernandes delivered a corner for Patrick Dorgu's goal in the 33rd minute, and that also drew him level with the single-season set-piece assist record of 11, matching Steven Gerrard's 2013/14 mark.
Why the final-day assist counted
The official Premier League assist record uses Opta's definition. In simple terms, an assist is the final touch from a team-mate that leads to the recipient scoring.
There is an extra condition when the ball takes a touch off an opponent. The action still counts as an assist only if the ball is judged to have been travelling to the goalscorer regardless of that deflection.
That mattered on Fernandes's record play. Dorgu's header hit the crossbar and then Brighton goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen, but Opta ruled that the ball was going in anyway, so the goal stood in Dorgu's name. The Premier League Goal Accreditation Panel, a 3-person panel at the Premier League Match Centre, confirmed that decision. Had it been given as an own goal, there would have been no assist.
The same rule explains why some chances that look creative do not make the official totals. Earlier in May 2026, a Fernandes header was not counted as an assist because Liverpool goalkeeper Freddie Woodman palmed the ball into the scorer's path.
Official assists and FPL assists are not the same thing
| Measure | How an assist is awarded | Fernandes total in early May 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Official Premier League (Opta) | Final touch by a team-mate that leads to the goal; if there is a defensive touch, the ball must still have been heading to the scorer | 19 |
| Fantasy Premier League (FPL) | Passes or crosses into the penalty area can count even after a touch off a defender or goalkeeper, as long as the scorer receives the ball inside the box and scores | 21 |
This is where many assist discussions get mixed up. The official record is based on the Premier League's match data standard, while FPL uses a separate game rule for fantasy scoring.
So a player can have different assist numbers in the same season depending on which system is being used. For historical records, the official Premier League figure is the one that counts.
Related record: most assists in one Premier League match
| Record | Number | Holders |
|---|---|---|
| Most assists in a single Premier League match | 4 | Dennis Bergkamp, Jose Antonio Reyes, Cesc Fabregas, Emmanuel Adebayor, Santi Cazorla, Harry Kane, Paul Pogba, Jeremy Doku |
As of August 2024, 8 players shared that mark. It measures a different kind of achievement from the season record: one is a single-match peak, the other is sustained production across a campaign.
FAQ
Who has the most assists in a Premier League season?
Bruno Fernandes holds the record with 21 for Manchester United in 2025/26. He set it on the final day against Brighton & Hove Albion.
How many assists did Bruno Fernandes get in 2025/26?
He finished the league season with 21 official assists. His first one did not arrive until 19 October, when he set up Harry Maguire's winner in a 2-1 away win at Liverpool.
What counts as an assist in the Premier League?
Under the official definition, it is the final touch from a team-mate that leads to the goalscorer scoring. If the ball touches an opponent on the way, the pass or cross still has to be judged as travelling to the scorer anyway.
Which players appear more than once near the top of the single-season list?
Kevin De Bruyne appears twice in the table, with 20 and 18. Cesc Fabregas also appears twice, with 18 for Chelsea and 17 for Arsenal.