'Absolutely unbelievable footballer' - Jack Grealish left in awe of Man Utd star

It was a truly historic afternoon for Fernandes, who managed to eclipse a long-standing club record previously held by David Beckham. By setting up two goals against Unai Emery's side, the Portuguese star took his seasonal assists tally to 16, surpassing Beckham's mark of 15 in a single Premier League campaign from 1999-00. Fernandes reached this milestone in just 27 appearances, whereas Beckham required 31 games to set his previous high. The United captain is now within touching distance of the all-time Premier League record for a single season, held jointly by Thierry Henry and Kevin De Bruyne, who both managed 20 assists. With eight games remaining, Fernandes needs five more to stand alone in English top-flight history.

Despite the fierce rivalry between the two Manchester clubs, the quality of Fernandes’ delivery and vision has clearly transcended tribalism. Taking to social media, Grealish described the United skipper as an "absolutely unbelievable footballer" in his Instagram Story after witnessing the match-winning performance, with the endorsement from the Toffees star coming at a time when Fernandes is arguably playing the best football of his career.

Instagram/jackgrealish

Interim manager Michael Carrick was quick to praise his talisman, while also addressing the ongoing speculation regarding the playmaker's future at the club. He stated: "In terms of the club and moving forward, it's difficult for me to get involved in too much of that. Bruno's definitely not someone we'd want to lose, I can say that, but the summer and beyond that, it's difficult for me to kind of go too far with that, but certainly, he's important for us and he's definitely not one we would want to lose. We’re delighted to have him. He’s proven over a period of time how impactful he is in the big moments."

The victory provides United with a crucial three-point cushion in third place. After a goalless first half, Casemiro opened the scoring from a Fernandes corner, and although Ross Barkley equalised for Villa, goals from Matheus Cunha and Benjamin Sesko ensured the points stayed in Manchester. With no European fixtures to contend with mid-week, the Red Devils will return to action in the Premier League with a trip to face Bournemouth on Friday night.