Analysis: Fernandes for Player of the Year prize?

There is a lively debate raging about who should be awarded the main Player of the Year prizes.

Arsenal duo Declan Rice and Gabriel have their supporters, so too Manchester City duo Erling Haaland and Antoine Semenyo. Two of that quartet will finish the season as Premier League champions. Bernardo Silva is the sentimental choice before he leaves English football. Ryan Cherki the bolter.

But no attacking player has been more effective, so consistently this season than Fernandes.

At times it has felt he has carried Manchester United.

Thierry Henry and Kevin de Bruyne are two of the Premier League's all-time greats. It is surely only a matter if of time before Fernandes eclipses them with the most assists in a season.

He is now one behind, with four games left.

His 19th - and seventh in as many matches - almost brought a look of apology for Bryan Mbeumo, so keen to make an impact against his old club.

Instead, as Fernandes streaked to the edge of the Brentford box, he passed left instead of right and Benjamin Sesko scored the 11th goal of his debut campaign in English football.

That proved to be enough as it turned out. But before it all, Kobbie Mainoo had produced a wonderous mazy run into the Brentford area, then set up Amad Diallo, who missed.

At the end, Casemiro used all his experience to win a couple of free-kicks in the home penalty area as Brentford presser to find a leveller.

The Casemiro-Mainoo midfield pairing has been the standout improvement from the Ruben Amorim era. Casemiro has four games remaining of his Manchester United career. He will be badly missed.