DREAM TEAM gaffers have a lot to contemplate when mulling over potential transfers.
One specific aspect to consider is chance creation.
Players who create lots of chances tend to register plenty of assists and earn regular 7+ ratings – and sometimes creativity alone is enough to win a Star Man award.
With that in mind, let’s take a look at which individuals have created the most chances for their team-mates in the Premier League so far this season.
PREMIER LEAGUE CHANCES CREATED:
- Kevin De Bruyne (£7m) – 73
- Kieran Trippier (£6.6m) – 70
- Bruno Fernandes (£6m) – 66
- Andreas Pereira (£2.9m) – 53
- Martin Odegaard (£3.2m) – 51
- Bukayo Saka (£4.5m) – 50
- James Ward-Prowse (£3.5m) – 49
- Pascal Gross (£2.9m) – 45
- Trent Alexander-Arnold (£5m) – 41
- Harry Kane (£8m) – 41
It’s no surprise to see Manchester City’s playmaker-in-chief at the top of pile.
De Bruyne is known for his fizzed crosses and clever throughballs and given he’s got 12 league assists to his name this term (four more than his closest rival) it makes sense that he’s the league’s leading creator in every possible sense.
Many Dream Team bosses will have been wondering exactly why Newcastle’s right-back has been so successful this season and this stat goes a long way to providing an answer.
Not only is Trippier a mainstay of the league’s best defence – the Magpies have conceded just 15 goals – but he’s a top-tier creative force too.
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Naturally, the England international’s probing set-pieces make up a sizeable chunk of his chances created but that’s all the more reason to stick by him despite a lack of clean sheets in recent fixtures.
Interestingly, Trippier has generated 7.4 expected assists (xA) in the top flight this season, the second-most among all players, which suggest his team-mates have not made the most of his output as he’s only got four actual assists.
Manchester United’s Portuguese playmaker completes the podium amid an impressive Dream Team surge.
Feeding the clinical Marcus Rashford (£6.4m), Fernandes has amassed 75 points across the last five and a half Game Weeks!
Look at Fulham’s No18 mixing it with the big boys.
Pereira’s six assists have helped Marco Silva’s side to a position where they are heading into the final third of the campaign thinking not of survival but of European qualification.
It’s interesting to note that the Brazilian’s chances have been of comparatively low value compared to most the other names on this list – his 53 chances amount to just 3.5xA.
By way of a comparison, Arsenal’s captain, the next name down on the list, has generated 5.3xA from two fewer chances.
The Gunners’ homegrown winger is De Bruyne’s closest rival for the Playmaker of the Season award with eight assists to his name.
Saka is one of those loveable Dream Team assets who provides more than his fair share in terms of both goals and assists – he’s got 18 goal involvements this term already.
Liverpool’s right-back is an intriguing inclusion.
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Fans have become accustomed to Alexander-Arnold’s attacking output in recent years but the general perception is that, like the Reds as a whole, he’s been below par this season.
The fact that the 24-year-old is still among the league’s top creators, and the second-best in his position, perhaps explains why he’s 12th among Dream Team defenders despite Liverpool’s problems.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
