Former Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL) boss Keith Hackett has shared his controversial take on Bruno Fernandes' assist against Brighton to take the Premier League assist record.
Manchester United beat Brighton 3-0 on the final day of the season, with Fernandes grabbing a record-breaking assist and a goal in his side's comfortable victory at the Amex Stadium.
He set up his team's opening goal after whipping a scrumptious corner into the box, which Patrick Dorgu met with a thumping header. But controversy emerged when it looked like Brighton goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen handled the ball before it hit the back of the net, which would see it go down as an own-goal and not a goal for Dorgu, ruling out an assist for Fernandes.
After footage of Verbruggen's involvement in the goal surfaced on social media, the Premier League issued a verdict on whether the assist should stand.
Ex-PGMOL Chief Delivers Verdict on Bruno Fernandes' Assist
Bruno Fernandes and Patrick Dorgu celebrate for Man Utd
Fernandes' assist against Brighton, which saw him overtake Thierry Henry and Kevin De Bruyne as the outright Premier League assist record holder, continues to rumble on.
Keith Hackett, a former referee and chief at the PGMOL, has taken to social media to give his take on Fernandes' assist against Brighton.
He claims the 31-year-old has not broken the long-standing Premier League assist record after arguing it wasn't an official assist. On X, he wrote:
"This is clearly not an assist therefore record not broken."
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Bruno Fernandes: 'I Feel Very Proud' After Breaking Record
Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes reacts in Premier League fixture
Fernandes enjoyed a spectacular individual campaign, having broken the assist record. He also chipped in with nine league goals, making it 30 goal contributions for Man United.
Speaking after the game on Sunday, he said he was "very proud" of his achievement.
"It’s great. I feel very happy for that. Very proud moment, obviously it is not something I would dream or think about until I got this close," he said.
"Today I was lucky enough to get that. Jonny [Evans] believed more than me in that set-piece we prepared for Patrick because I was not so sure he would be able to score with his head. I got my assist but the main thing is we won today and finished very strong."
The Portuguese star added: "It was already special being in their [Thierry Henry & Kevin de Bruyne] company. We are talking about two players that made the Premier League so great, and they were two of the greatest in the Premier League.
"My style of playing has always been the same. Creation has not been something that has changed or improved. The biggest difference is my teammates have scored more goals than before and I get the credit for that."