Mancunian vibes would’ve been high if someone would’ve walked up to the average Manchester United fan prior to this season and told them the following:
Bruno Fernandes will create the most chances in the 2024-25 Premier League season.
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Sure, there’s still two weeks to go so that information isn’t in concrete with Cole Palmer and Mohamed Salah just three behind Fernandes’ Premier League-best 88 created chances, but it’s why your average Premier League year-end awards list doesn’t always catch all the glimmering lights from the campaign.
This season has, however, opened the door to admiration for a number of clubs and players thanks to the rest of the Premier League’s reticence to get in the way of Arne Slot’s Liverpool winning the title. Our three writers’ Best XIs saw 18 different players named among the 33 chosen as the top performers of this season.
So this post is here to wave the flag for seasons like Bruno’s, which is ironically being lost in the wake of Man United’s lost season.
Chelsea were better than most would suspect, outside of average goalkeeping
The Blues took 448 shots in open play, 173 more than they conceded to opponents. That’s on par with Man City and only Liverpool can really claim to be better than Enzo Maresca’s team.
In fact, if you could go back to the start of the season and put this same team on the pitch instead of one performing for a new boss against Man City in Week 1, perhaps the Blues would be comfortably in second.
Chelsea’s midfield was a dominant force for most of the season, and the unit was so loaded that Maresca often used Moises Caicedo at right back. Perhaps only Newcastle puts out a scarier unit on a weekly basis.
Maresca’s team may well wind up in the top four when all is said and done, and that’s an achievement given that this is his first season and Chelsea gave him 400 players to satisfy via first, second, and third impressions.
Nicolas Jackson and Noni Madueke delivered almost four goals fewer than their xG totals, and Christopher Nkunku was two below his expected mark. Cole Palmer’s 27.32 xG+xA total is well ahead of his 23 actual goal contributions.
The Blues had the third-best average possession and are tied for the third-best goals conceded per match number (1.2). Had they managed above average goalkeeping instead of middle-of-the-road work between their posts, the Blues probably would’ve already sealed their Champions League berth.
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Bruno Fernandes was spectacular for miserable Man United
Maybe United really would’ve been in the bottom three instead of the bottom half without their Portuguese hero.
Fernandes created 2.8 chances per 90 minutes played in the Premier League, and he again was defied by the finishing touch of his teammates. Alejandro Garnacho’s 14 big chances missed ranks 12th in the PL, though it should be noted that Fernandes himself is in the top-30.
Fernandes’ nine assists put him seventh on the leaderboard, while he’s fourth in expected assists, and trails only Salah and Palmer in fotmob’s player rating system. His range of passing was also exceptional, as Fernandes sits third in accurate long passes per 90 minutes (4.7).
Winning trophies is what matters at Old Trafford and Fernandes may claim his third as a Red Devil if Man United beat Spurs in the Europa League Final. At this point, however, there’s a risk that he’ll one day leave town as an elite, all-time Red Devil who happened to star in their modern era’s worst stretch.
Imagine him feeding a traditional electric group of United forwards instead of what he’s seen since 2020, which has essentially been streaky Marcus Rashford joined by a rotating cast of old, young, and average — Edinson Cavani, Anthony Martial, Antony, Garnacho, Rasmus Hojlund, and about a season of post-prime Ronaldo.
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Arsenal played really, really solid football, undone by luck and failure to address striker
It doesn’t make the Gunners a powerhouse, but the numbers probably tell us quite a bit about why Mikel Arteta has been sounding like an ornery, bewildered guy who can’t find his winning lottery ticket.
Where did he put that thing? And where was his transfer backing for a finisher in January? Anyyywaaaayyyy...
Arsenal have conceded the fewest expected goals in the league (32.6), more than two goals fewer than the champions and they rank near the top in created chances. And in attack, the Gunners are near the very top in touches inside an opponents’ 18. This is a team that keeps the opposition away from danger and rivals anyone in terms of finding its way to the scary places.
Here’s where things get wild — the unpredictable stats.
Arsenal have won only two penalties this season, tied with Everton, Ipswich, and Southampton for second-worst (Wolves have not been awarded a pen this season).
The yellow card numbers say the Gunners are seemingly well-behaved, seeing the third-fewest yellow cards this season at 61. But Arsenal’s players have piled up a league-worst six red cards this season (Leicester City, meanwhile, have not had a men sent off. Weird one).
A lot of teams will end this season thinking they wasted a chance, whether it be to win the league, make it to the Champions League, or sneak into Europe. Arsenal has to live this summer knowing they were better than most but won absolutely nothing.
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