Bruno Fernandes just broke a record that looked untouchable. Twenty-one assists in a single Premier League season — past Thierry Henry's 2002-03 benchmark, past Kevin De Bruyne's equal in 2019-20. That kind of company tells you everything about what Fernandes produced this year.
The United captain didn't just rack up numbers — he was the best player in England's top flight, picking up the Football Writers' Association Footballer of the Year and Premier League Player of the Season to go with the Playmaker Award. On a United side that wasn't lifting any trophies, Fernandes carried the creative load so completely that the individual honours piled up anyway.
Haaland ties Shearer and Kane — again
Erling Haaland won the Golden Boot for the third time in four Premier League seasons. Twenty-seven goals. He now sits level with Alan Shearer and Harry Kane on three Golden Boots, with only Thierry Henry and Mohamed Salah ahead of him. At this rate, Haaland will own that record outright before this decade is out.
The goals kept City in the title race until Arsenal pulled clear, which is worth remembering. Without Haaland, City aren't protagonists — they're mid-table noise. His eight assists this season were also a deliberate effort to reshape the narrative around him as more than a pure finisher. Whether that stuck is another debate.
Igor Thiago was the season's most compelling storyline in the scoring charts. Brentford lost Bryan Mbeumo and Yoane Wissa and promoted Thiago to lead the line. He responded with 22 goals — second only to Haaland — nearly dragging the club into European football and earning himself a place in Brazil's 2026 World Cup squad. Brentford punching above their weight is nothing new, but Thiago made it look effortless.
- Erling Haaland (Man City): 27 goals — Golden Boot
- Igor Thiago (Brentford): 22 goals
- Antoine Semenyo (Bournemouth/Man City): 17 goals (10 + 7 after January move)
- Ollie Watkins (Aston Villa): 16 goals — top English scorer
- João Pedro (Chelsea): 15 goals
- Morgan Gibbs-White (Nottingham Forest): 15 goals
Antoine Semenyo's January switch to City added a new dimension to his season — 10 goals at Bournemouth, seven more at City, 17 in total. That kind of mid-season transition rarely produces those numbers. It also tells you Pep Guardiola saw something worth paying for. Semenyo at 26 is a serious Premier League player now, not just a highlight reel.
Raya makes it three in a row
David Raya claimed his third consecutive Golden Glove, leading the division with 19 clean sheets in 37 appearances. Arsenal haven't won the league in 22 years — and Raya's consistency between the sticks was a defining reason why that drought finally ended. Only Joe Hart and Petr Čech have more Golden Gloves in the competition's history.
Gianluigi Donnarumma arrived at City to replace Ederson — six league titles, three Golden Gloves, a near-impossible act to follow. The Italian had his wobbles but finished with 15 clean sheets. Serviceable. City will want more next season if they're going to close the gap on Arsenal.
Elsewhere, João Pedro's 15 goals in a Chelsea season that fell apart around him says more about Chelsea's dysfunction than it does about the Brazilian. Morgan Gibbs-White scored 15 goals that kept Nottingham Forest up, then was left off England's World Cup squad by Thomas Tuchel. Forest survived. Gibbs-White will be spending the summer watching from home.
