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The Premier League is home to some of the most talented attack-minded players in the world. These footballers do not necessarily play as a forward or a midfielder, but then tend to have a big impact on their team’s attacking play.
Beyond goals and assists, they create goalscoring opportunities and provide passes that directly lead to a shot on goal.
Today, we will take a look at some of the passing masters in the Premier League, players who can make key passes at will.
Here are the five players with the most key passes in the Premier League so far (up to gameweek 13):
[Stats courtesy: FBRef]
#5 Mohamed Salah (Liverpool) - 27 key passes
Liverpool right-winger Mohamed Salah is the most in-form forward in the Premier League and arguably the world right now. The Egypt international dribbles better than most, scores for fun, and has an eye for picking out his teammates.
All in all, Salah is the dream footballer for most managers around the world, capable of making even the toughest tasks look easy.
The Egyptian, who netted an exceptional hat-trick against Manchester United in October, has scored 11 goals in the Premier League this season.
Unsurprisingly, his tally of 11 makes him the leading scorer in the division, but that's not all he’s brought to the table this season.
Salah has also regularly chipped in with defence-piercing passes. Up to matchday 13, Salah has 27 key passes and a league-highest tally of eight assists to his name.
If he keeps this up, Salah could end up finishing the campaign with the highest-ever goal contribution in the Premier League era.
#4 Jack Grealish (Manchester City) - 28 key passes
Reigning Premier League champions Manchester City spent a whopping €117.5 million to sign Jack Grealish from Aston Villa in the summer of 2021. In a team filled with world beaters, Grealish was always going to find it difficult to get going. And that has exactly been the case so far.
Grealish made his debut in the shock Premier League opening-day defeat to Tottenham Hotspur. After a rather pale debut, Grealish shone in the next match, scoring his first and only Premier League goal for Manchester City so far.
He has popped up with a couple of assists over the nine Premier League matches he has played, but overall his spell has been disappointing.
Operating primarily as a left-winger, Grealish tends to get into dangerous positions inside the box.
So far, he has made 28 key passes in the Premier League, which is only decent by his standards.
#3 Matt Richie (Newcastle United) - 29 key passes
Sitting at the bottom of the barrel, Newcastle United are the only Premier League team yet to register a win in the 2021-22 campaign.
The Magpies have only managed seven draws in 14 Premier League games, losing seven of their remaining fixtures.
Matt Richie, who plays as a left-back for Newcastle United, has not exactly set the world alight with his skills. However, he has been considerably more determined than many of his teammates.
His 29 key passes awarded the team’s finishers with clear goal-scoring chances, but they just could not find the back of the net.
#2 Trent Alexander-Arnold (Liverpool) - 35 key passes
Widely hailed as the best right-back in the world, Trent Alexander-Arnold is unsurprisingly one of Liverpool’s best creators. His darting runs down the right-hand channel are menacing, to say the least, and regularly present Salah and co. with shooting opportunities.
This season, he has provided 35 key passes, putting most of the other full-backs to shame.
The Englishman, who also happens to be one of the smartest players in the business, is an exceptional crosser and set-piece taker.
He seems to have mastered the formula of perfect free-kicks, managing to take the ball over the wall and under the bar with ease.
His attributes have given Liverpool a tangible boost in the Premier League this season.
In 11 league appearances, Alexander-Arnold has scored one and assisted seven times, with the goal and four assists coming in November alone.
#1 Bruno Fernandes (Manchester United) - 38 key passes
Manchester United attacking midfielder Bruno Fernandes is currently enduring a rough patch of form in the English Premier League. He still pops up with key passes more often than not, just as the number suggests above, but has not been nearly as prolific.
The Portugal international set a rather high standard in the Premier League last season, scoring 18 goals and providing 13 assists. However, in the ongoing league campaign, the Portugal international has only four goals and three assists to his name.
Courtesy of his compatriot Cristiano Ronaldo, Fernandes has not been able to pull the trigger as frequently as last season. Ronaldo’s knack for having a go at goal, in turn, has boosted Fernandes’ tally of key passes, taking it to 38 after 13 matches.
Unless the dynamic changes, Fernandes could continue to dominate the key passes table and struggle getting on the scoresheet.
