Carrick makes Bruno Fernandes appeal after record-breaking Man Utd display

Manchester United beat Aston Villa at Old Trafford on Sunday to bolster their hopes of a Champions League spot with captain Bruno Fernandes playing a starring role once again

Michael Carrick hailed Bruno Fernandes after seeing him break a record belonging to David Beckham in Manchester United's crucial win over Aston Villa.

'Captain Fantastic' Fernandes set-up two of United's three goals in the 3-1 triumph at Old Trafford. The win saw United cement their place in third - and take a huge step towards Champions League qualification.

And in the process, Fernandes reached 100 assists in all competitions in the Premier League era, while overtaking Beckham's United record of 15 in a single season, set in 2000. The future of Fernandes remains unclear, with the Portuguese star admitting he will wait until the summer before deciding his next move.

But Carrick outlined Fernandes's ongoing value to the team when he said: "We're delighted to have him. He's not someone you'd want to lose.

"He's proven over a period of time how impactful he is in the big moments. He's there all the time.

"You can always count on him to be there. It's a really good trait to have. He's been through ups and downs here but it's never knocked him. He is there to make the difference."

On his milestone, Fernandes said: "I am more pleased because I did it serving my team-mates. That is even better, giving joy to the others is very good. I am very happy I can help them to score and be happy. It's a huge achievement for me."

Villa have now lost three league games on the spin and boss Unai Emery said: "We could have dominated more. We lost it in the second half.

"We have been struggling more in the last two months. We competed, but United played a very intelligent match. But we can get better. This s a bad result for us now, but we must prepare for the next challenge."