Most Assists in a Premier League Season: Salah, Henry, KDB…

Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah is closing in on yet another record – but where does he currently stand when it comes to the most assists in a Premier League season?

Iconic names from Chelsea, Manchester City and Arsenal feature in the greatest assist kings of the last 30 years.

Here are the seven players who have notched 18 or more assists in a Premier League season.

=4. Frank Lampard (Chelsea) – 2004-05 – 18

The midfielder was exceptional in Chelsea’s first title victory of the Premier League era.

Didier Drogba wasn’t (yet) especially prolific in his debut season at Stamford Bridge, but their famously obdurate defence and Lampard providing both creativity and end product – also their top scorer that year with 13 goals in the league – proved an unstoppable combination.

=4. Kevin De Bruyne (Man City) – 2016-17 – 18

Setting the tone for what Manchester City would go on to achieve over the following eight years, De Bruyne gave Chelsea seller’s remorse after he made his return to English football.

Pep Guardiola’s first season at The Etihad was pretty underwhelming as City ended up a distant third in the table. But De Bruyne was outstanding for an otherwise ordinary team, hinting at the role he’d play in City’s recent imperial era.

=4. Cesc Fabregas (Chelsea) – 2014-15 – 18

Fabregas notched 17 Premier League assists as a youngster at Arsenal in 2007-08, but he went one better in his debut season with Chelsea.

The legendary Spain international did brilliantly to replace Frank Lampard in the heart of the Blues midfield as Jose Mourinho did what he did for the first time a decade prior, leading them to another Premier League title.

=4. Mohamed Salah (Liverpool) – 2024-25 – 18*

*Ongoing

Liverpool’s Egyptian King went four games without a goal or an assist in all competitions for Liverpool for the first time in four years – bad timing given it was a crucial juncture of the Reds’ campaign, as they exited the Champions League and lost the League Cup final to Newcastle.

But he reminded us all of his quality immediately after committing his future at Anfield for another two years, setting up Luis Diaz for Liverpool’s opener in their 2-1 victory over West Ham. That’s his 18th assist of the campaign – only three players in Premier League history have managed more and he’s got six games to spare.

So far this season that works out as an assist every other game. Keep that up in the run-in and he’ll break the record. Will he do it?

3. Mesut Ozil (Arsenal) in 2015-16 – 19

It looked for all the world that Ozil was destined to claim the assist record when the Gunners finished runners-up to surprise package Leicester City in 2015-16.

The German playmaker was unplayable on his day and arguably at his very best as Arsenal pushed Claudio Ranieri’s Foxes in the first two-thirds of that campaign.

But his creativity dried up as Arsenal’s title charge fell away. Just two of Ozil’s 19 Premier League assists that year came in 17 appearances since the turn of the year.

=1. Kevin De Bruyne (Man City) – 2019-20 – 20

Liverpool’s emphatic march to their first league title in 30 years somewhat overshadowed De Bruyne’s 2019-20 campaign for the distant runners-up. He was just outrageous that year – the only player

“He’s an amazing player, it’s just stupid what we are witnessing, and I hope people in football do realise that the boy is just not normal,” the joint record-holder Thierry Henry told Manchester City’s official website.

“In the Belgium national team we used to joke about the assists record and I always used to say: ‘You were not far this year,’ and he would always say: ‘I’ll get you one day’.

“Kevin saw me at Vincent Kompany’s testimonial (at the start of the season) and he said: ‘This year, I’ll get you,’ and I said: ‘You will because you are just incredible’.

“His brain is somewhere else, it’s just ridiculous.

“I came across him (with Belgium) and worked with him and he’s one of those guys you just have to let play because if you start to understand and comprehend what he’s doing, you’re going to have a headache. He’s on another planet”

QUIZ: Can you name the 30 players with the most assists in Premier League history?

=1. Thierry Henry (Arsenal) – 2002-03 – 20

De Bruyne might have been snapping at Henry’s heels, but his record remained (jointly) intact… for now.

Not only did the Frenchman notch 20 assists for Arsenal in 2002-03, but he also scored 24 goals.

One of the best-ever individual campaigns in Premier League history and something we wouldn’t witness again – in terms of both finishing and providing – until Salah’s exceptional 2024-25. He’s now overtaken Henry’s total goal contributions that year with plenty of the race to run.

Liverpool look set to beat Henry’s beloved Gunners to the title this year, but you imagine he’ll still be keeping a nervous eye on their remaining matches.

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TRY A QUIZ: Can you name the 36 players with 50+ Premier League goals and assists?