Bruno Fernandes channels Man Utd legend with yet another extraordinary Premier League stat

Barely a Premier League gameweek seems to go by without Bruno Fernandes' name being mentioned alongside some ridiculous stat highlighting his incredible impact since joining Manchester United.

The Portugal international's arrival in January 2020 has been the catalyst for the Red Devils' recent revival, with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's side now level on points with league leaders Liverpool (or 'joint top' if you ask a United fan).

Friday night's 2-1 win over Aston Villa was yet further proof of the strides made by the club as they battled their way to an impressive 2-1 win over a spirited Villans outfit.

And in typical Fernandes style he grabbed the headlines by notching the winner just past the hour mark. Of course, said winner came from the penalty spot (insert tedious play on words regarding his penalty exploits here).

The clash at Old Trafford marked the 26-year-old's 30th Premier League appearance for United, and in that time he's been directly involved in 33 goals - scoring 19 and assisting a further 14. Amazingly, that tally has only bettered in the Premier League by United legend Andy Cole, who notched 37 goal contributions in his first 30 games while at Newcastle (via OptaJoe).

Time for Fernandes to record a cover of Cole's R&B classic Outstanding which peaked at number 68 in the UK charts back in 1999? Yes, the answer is yes.

Naturally, those desperately searching for a reason to snub Fernandes' extraordinary figures will lean on the fact that many of said goals have come from the spot, and in truth they're not entirely without merit.

Douglas Luiz's contentious foul on Paul Pogba saw United awarded their 11th spot kick of the season so far. 11th. In 25 games. An incredible number it must be admitted, however, the Portuguese midfielder's ability to dispatch said penalties shouldn't be discredited. Nor should his incredible impact in all areas of the pitch to turn United into actual title contenders.

The win over Dean Smith's side means Fernandes has already bagged his team all three points via a penalty conversion on three separate occasions this season, adding Villa to a list already including West Brom and Brighton. Outstanding.