Ranking the Premier League's Top Assist Providers and Examining the History of Assists in the League
Ranking the Premier League's Top Assist Providers and Examining the History
of Assists in the League
We'll take a look at some of the top performers in the assist department this season, ranked by how many goals they have created for their team. We'll also delve into the history of Premier League assists.
The Five Premier League Players with Most Assists This Season
Manchester City playmaker Kevin De Bruyne came at the top of the list of Premier League assists as he set up Erling Haaland for the opener in last week's 4-1 win at Southampton. It was the Belgium international's fourteenth assist of the current campaign which also saw him become the quickest player to record the tally in Premier League history.
Signing for Chelsea in 2012, De Bruyne failed to make an impact at Stamford Bridge under Jose Mourinho. However, after three seasons in the Bundesliga with Werder Bremen and Wolfsburg, the midfielder signed for Manchester City in 2015 and is now regarded as one of the greatest players to ever grace the Premier League.
Bukayo Saka meanwhile, is next on the list with ten assists for table-toppers Arsenal. The Gunners team-mate Leandro Trossard is third with nine goal creations, having spent the first part of the season with Brighton before making the switch to the Emirates Stadium in January.
When Manchester City host Arsenal in a potential title decider at the end of April, the encounter could well be worth a Both Teams To Score bet with the league's top assisters taking to the field in the same fixture.
Michael Olise is fourth in the chart with eight assists for Crystal Palace, three of which came in Sunday's 5-1 thrashing of Leeds.
Manchester United midfielder Christian Eriksen is tied on seven assists in fifth place with Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah and Arsenal's Martin Odegaard.
Breaking Down How Assist Records Are Set and Broken in the Premier League
In the Premier League, assists are awarded to players who set up a goal-scoring opportunity for their team. An assist is credited when a player passes or crosses the ball to another player who then scores. The number of assists a player makes in a season can be used as an indicator of how well they perform and how influential they are in helping their team score goals.
Ryan Giggs boasts the most assists in Premier League history with a staggering 162 (that's 51 more than any other player). The winger was a constant threat on the left and set up countless goals as he helped Manchester United win a record 13 Premier League titles.
Cesc Fabregas is next on the list having assisted 111 goals during spells with Arsenal and their London rivals Chelsea.
England's all-time top scorer Wayne Rooney is third after setting up 103 goals for Man United and Everton while Frank Lampard makes up the top four in the table, assisting 102 strikes during more than a decade with Chelsea which was bookended by spells with West Ham and Manchester City.
Chances Created in the Premier League
While assists are recorded following a goal, chances created are a measure of how many opportunities a player has created for their team to score. This can include passes, crosses, dribbles and shots.
Assists are awarded when a player passes the ball to another player who then scores a goal. The number of chances created by a player that lead to assists is determined by looking at the total number of assists they have made in comparison to the total number of chances they have created. For example, if a player has made 10 assists from 20 chances created, then they have 5 chances that led to an assist.
During the current season, Kevin De Bruyne leads the way for chances created with an average of 3.7 per match. Newcastle defender Kieran Tripper is second with an average of 3 chances made per game while Manchester United midfielder Bruno Fernandes is third after creating 2.9 chances per match.
The stars with the most assists so far this season are Kevin De Bruyne, Bukayo Saka, Leandro Trossard, Michael Olise, Christian Eriksen, Mohamed Salah and Martin Odegaard.
