The chance creators don’t often get the same praise as the goal scorers, but the players in Premier League history who have often captured imagination have been the ones making the beautiful assists, like Kevin De Bruyne and Mesut Ozil in recent years. Using only statistics to guide our evaluation, let’s take a look at the best creators of the 2025/26 Premier League season so far. I used expected assists, key passes, and big chances created to produce this top 10.
10. Leeds CM Anton Stach
It is always good to throw in a curveball from outside the top clubs, and Leeds can credit their survival so far in part to brilliant Bundesliga signing Anton Stach. Not only is he an elite defender, but he is averaging 2.2 key passes per game for a team that would have major issues without his chance creation.
9. Manchester City LW Jeremy Doku
We have actually seen better seasons from the versatile Jeremy Doku, but he is still averaging two key passes per game. Volume and incisiveness guide Doku’s creativity, as he is the best in the Premier League at taking defenders on and getting into the box.
8. Liverpool RW Mohamed Salah
Even though Mohamed Salah is no longer a top goal scorer and has declined into a liability as a one on one attacking player, his creativity is better than ever. Salah isn’t putting up as gaudy numbers this season, but he is still at two key passes per game.
7. Chelsea CM Enzo Fernandez
Enzo Fernandez is the best midfielder in the world at getting into the box to score goals, and the No. 6 has eight goals to prove it, to go along with some excellent defending alongside Moises Caicedo. But he’s also averaging 1.7 key passes per game and is sixth in expected assists, so his three assists don’t tell the whole story.
6. Liverpool CM Dominik Szoboszlai
Ryan Gravenberch and Alexis Mac Allister have been huge disappointments this season, but Dominik Szoboszlai has stepped up his game even more and is one of the two best overall midfielders in the league alongside Declan Rice. Szobo, not Florian Wirtz, has been Liverpool’s best creator, ranking third in the league in key passes per game and ninth in expected assists.
5. Crystal Palace CM Adam Wharton
Every single top club in the Premier League needs to be picking up the phone and calling up Crystal Palace about Adam Wharton, and when accounting for his upside and willingness to progress the ball on a ho hum Palace side, he just might be the best progressive creating deep lying playmaker in the league. He is both fourth in expected assists and big chances created as a No. 6.
4. Arsenal RW Bukayo Saka
Bukayo Saka is one of the league leaders with two key passes per game and is fifth in expected assists despite being slowed again by injuries this season. Although Saka lacks the killer edge as an attackign player, he is such a great sidekick because of his unselfishness and ridiculous creative skills out wide. Imagine him with one more truly world class forward.
3. Arsenal CM Declan Rice
Declan Rice is getting Ballon d’Or shouts for good reason, because his numbers this season for the Premier League leaders have been outstanding. He is averaging 1.9 key passes per game and is third in both expected assists and big chances created despite mostly having to be a tempo setter for Arsenal. The numbers are buoyed by set pieces, sure, but Rice is the biggest reason why Arsenal are such set piece kings.
2. Manchester City AM Rayan Cherki
Pep Guardiola is starting to wax poetic about Rayan Cherki like he used to talk about Kevin De Bruyne, and it’s easy to tell why. Cherki is special, pulling the strings and making skillful passes that nobody else in the Premier League can with that sweet left foot of his. Versatile, Cherki is second in the Premier League with 15 big chances created, second in assists with eight, and second in expected assists.
1. Manchester United AM Bruno Fernandes
Bruno Fernandes is by far the Premier League’s best creative player, and the gap between first and second is bigger than any of the other gaps. His 14 assists are almost double Cherki’s in second, he has two more expected assists than Cherki in second, and he has seven more big chances created than – you guessed it – Cherki in second. He is not even close to being finished and bound for the Saudi Pro League.
Joe Soriano is the editor of The Trivela Effect and a FanSided Hall of Famer who has covered world football since 2010. He’s led top digital communities like The Real Champs (Real Madrid) and has run sites covering Tottenham, Liverpool, Juventus, and Schalke. He also helped manage NFL Spin Zone and Daily DDT, covering the NFL and pro wrestling.