At a Glance:
- Bruno Fernandes praises Arsenal legend.
- Fernandes lauds his Premier League legacy.
- Stat comparison.
Being the maverick that he is, Manchester United midfielder Bruno Fernandes would have likely grown up admiring several Arsenal players.
Even currently, Fernandes admires Declan Rice and admitted that he was “sad” to see the England international sign for the Gunners instead of United.
Not many clubs in world football can boast of having more elegant attacking players than Arsenal, with names like Thierry Henry, Dennis Bergkamp and Robert Pires rolling off the tongue.
Fernandes could break Henry’s record of 20 assists for a Premier League season, a feat the Frenchman shares with Kevin De Bruyne as the Portuguese international has registered 19 with two games to go.
Bruno Fernandes heaps praise on Thierry Henry
Fernandes was quizzed about talkSPORT how he would feel to surpass Thierry Henry’s assist record this season.
Thierry Henry is arguably Arsenal’s greatest-ever player as well as the Premier League’s and for the former Sporting CP phenomenon to break his record would be an outstanding achievement.
Fernandes was full of praise for the World Cup winner, saying: “It’s a very special record because it’s owned, let’s say by Thierry and Kevin, they were standout players in the Premier League for many, many years.
“Obviously, that record will be an amazing achievement but not something I’m focusing on.”
Comparing Bruno Fernandes and Thierry Henry’s assist records in the Premier League
Considering Thierry Henry was a number nine, the fact that he set the assist record in the first place goes to show how extraordinary a footballer the legendary goalscorer.
In the same 2002/2003 season, the retired striker also managed to score 24 goals in the Premier League.
However, based on the numbers, Fernandes is a superior creator than Henry.
- Henry: 74 assists in 258 Premier League appearances
- Fernandes: 70 assists in 220 Premier League appearances
The 31-year-old has just four less assists than Thierry Henry despite making 30 fewer league appearances.
However, as players, the former Juventus man was a far more well-rounded attacker.
