Best Premier League playmakers: Most assists & chances created records
The Premier League is home to some of the most creative players in world football.
Kevin De Bruyne finished the 2022/23 campaign on 16 assists, more than any other player. The Belgian is expected to be up there once again in 2023/24, battling the likes of Bruno Fernandes, Leandro Trossard and Mohamed Salah.
But when it comes to serving up chances and assists, where does De Bruyne stand among the best Premier League playmakers in history?
With the help of Opta, we combed through the records to establish a definitive list of top 10s. Read on to find out who has the recorded the most assists and chances created in Premier League history, the most within a single season – and even the most within a single game.
Most assists in Premier League history?
| Player | Team(s) | Assists |
| Ryan Giggs | Man Utd | 162 |
| Cesc Fàbregas | Arsenal, Chelsea | 111 |
| Wayne Rooney | Everton, Man Utd | 103 |
| Kevin De Bruyne | Chelsea, Man City | 102 |
| Frank Lampard | West Ham, Chelsea, Man City | 102 |
| Dennis Bergkamp | Arsenal | 94 |
| David Silva | Man City | 93 |
| Steven Gerrard | Liverpool | 92 |
| James Milner | Leeds, Aston Villa, Man City, Liverpool | 87 |
| David Beckham | Man Utd | 80 |
Most assists within a single Premier League season
In 2020, De Bruyne wrote his name in the history books by becoming just the second player to record 20 assists in a single campaign. The first was Thierry Henry, who did so during the 2002/03 campaign, albeit having played two extra games compared to De Bruyne. Funnily enough, neither player won the Premier League title in that season. Arsenal lost out to Manchester United while Man City fell behind Liverpool.
De Bruyne and Fabregas are also the only two players to record at least 15 assists in more than one Premier League campaign.
| Season | Player | Games | Assists | Team |
| 2002/03 | Thierry Henry | 37 | 20 | Arsenal |
| 2019/20 | Kevin De Bruyne | 35 | 20 | Manchester City |
| 2015/16 | Mesut Ozil | 35 | 19 | Arsenal |
| 2004/05 | Frank Lampard | 38 | 18 | Chelsea |
| 2014/15 | Cesc Fabregas | 34 | 18 | Chelsea |
| 2016/17 | Kevin De Bruyne | 36 | 18 | Manchester City |
| 2007/08 | Cesc Fabregas | 32 | 17 | Arsenal |
| 1992/93 | Eric Cantona | 35 | 16 | Manchester United |
| 2017/18 | Kevin De Bruyne | 37 | 16 | Manchester City |
| 1994/95 | Matthew Le Tissier | 41 | 15 | Southampton |
| 1995/96 | Steve McManaman | 38 | 15 | Liverpool |
| 1999/00 | Noberto Solano | 30 | 15 | Newcastle United |
| 1999/00 | David Beckham | 31 | 15 | Manchester United |
| 2001/02 | Robert Pires | 28 | 15 | Arsenal |
| 2011/12 | David Silva | 36 | 15 | Manchester City |
| 2018/19 | Eden Hazard | 37 | 15 | Chelsea |
Most assists within a single Premier League game
We can stop going on about De Bruyne now because he doesn’t make this list. Fabregas gets yet another mention, though.
Just seven players have achieved the remarkable feat of setting up four goals within a single Premier League game, and no one has done it twice yet. Dennis Bergkamp was the first. His four assists came against Leicester in the 1998/99 season, and there must be something in the water at Arsenal’s training ground because three more of their players have hit four assists in a single game while representing the club.
| Player | Team | Opponent | Date | Season | Assists |
| Dennis Bergkamp | Arsenal | Leicester City | 20/02/1999 | 1998/99 | 4 |
| José Antonio Reyes | Arsenal | Middlesbrough | 14/01/2006 | 2005/06 | 4 |
| Cesc Fábregas | Arsenal | Blackburn Rovers | 04/10/2009 | 2009/10 | 4 |
| Emmanuel Adebayor | Tottenham | Newcastle United | 11/02/2012 | 2011/12 | 4 |
| Santi Cazorla | Arsenal | Wigan Athletic | 14/5/2013 | 2012/13 | 4 |
| Harry Kane | Tottenham | Southampton | 20/09/2020 | 2020/21 | 4 |
| Paul Pogba | Manchester United | Leeds United | 14/08/2021 | 2021/22 | 4 |
Most chances created in Premier League history?
Most chances created within a single Premier League season
It’s no surprise to see Mesut Özil top the list here for the most chances created in a single Premier League campaign (representing Arsenal, yet again). The German was in top form as the Gunners finished second in the Premier League in 2015/16, creating 146 chances and recording 19 assists. The assist record really could have been his but for a bit of errant finishing from his forwards.
There are also the usual suspects in the rest of the top 10, but some may be surprised to see former Chelsea winger Florent Malouda in there with his 118 chances created in 2010/11.
| Player | Season | Games Played | Chances Created |
| Mesut Özil | 2015/2016 | 35 | 146 |
| Kevin De Bruyne | 2019/2020 | 35 | 136 |
| Frank Lampard | 2008/2009 | 37 | 134 |
| Dimitri Payet | 2015/2016 | 30 | 119 |
| Bruno Fernandes | 2022/2023 | 37 | 119 |
| Florent Malouda | 2010/2011 | 38 | 118 |
| Cesc Fàbregas | 2006/2007 | 38 | 116 |
| Leighton Baines | 2012/2013 | 38 | 116 |
| Christian Eriksen | 2015/2016 | 35 | 115 |
| Frank Lampard | 2009/2010 | 36 | 114 |
Most chances created within a single Premier League game
Malouda’s name pops up again in the list for most chances created in a single game, and it turns out he really doesn’t like Birmingham. In December 2009, Malouda created 10 chances for Chelsea against Birmingham and almost a year later he went one better with 11.
However, once more Özil stands clear above the rest with 12 chances created in a 2-0 win for Arsenal over Sunderland towards the end of the 2016/17 Premier League campaign.
| Player | Team | Opponent | Date | Season | Chances Created |
| Mesut Özil | Arsenal | Sunderland | 16/05/2017 | 2016/2017 | 12 |
| Samir Nasri | Manchester City | Tottenham Hotspur | 28/08/2011 | 2011/2012 | 11 |
| Antonio Valencia | Manchester United | Burnley | 16/01/2010 | 2009/2010 | 11 |
| David Silva | Manchester City | West Bromwich Albion | 21/03/2015 | 2014/2015 | 11 |
| Florent Malouda | Chelsea | Birmingham City | 20/11/2010 | 2010/2011 | 11 |
| Jermaine Pennant | Birmingham City | Norwich City | 07/05/2005 | 2004/2005 | 11 |
| Bruno Fernandes | Manchester United | Aston Villa | 25/09/2021 | 2021/2022 | 10 |
| Kevin De Bruyne | Manchester City | Norwich City | 26/07/2020 | 2019/2020 | 10 |
| Pascal Groß | Brighton | Watford | 02/02/2019 | 2018/2019 | 10 |
| Mesut Özil | Arsenal | Southampton | 02/02/2016 | 2015/2016 | 10 |
| Florent Malouda | Chelsea | Birmingham City | 26/12/2009 | 2009/2010 | 10 |
| Matthew Etherington | Stoke City | Blackpool | 11/12/2010 | 2010/2011 | 10 |
| Ryan Giggs | Manchester United | Manchester City | 20/09/2009 | 2009/2010 | 10 |
