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The Premier League is the most widely followed football league in the world. Being one of the most premium club football competitions on the planet, the Premier League has been home to some of the greatest players to have graced the game.
The Premier League has always featured elite playmakers
There has been no shortage of world-class playmakers in the Premier League. The exciting brand of football that's played in the English top division requires players to be quick on their feet and value efficiency over finesse.
Even today, the Premier League has a long list of gifted playmakers who make cutting open defences look easy. Thanks to how the modern game has evolved, playmakers are no longer limited to midfield. Different teams use different systems and varied philosophies and it's quite simply an exciting time to be a football fan.
Without further ado, let's take a look at the players with the most chances created in the Premier League in the last five calendar years.
#5 2017 - Mesut Ozil (114 chances created)
During his prime years at Arsenal, Mesut Ozil was simply unplayable. He possessed incredible vision and was one of the most technically blessed players in all of Europe. He could carve chances out of nowhere and produce passes other players would fail to even think up.
He was followed closely by Eriksen, who created 114 chances in 2017. Under Mauricio Pochettino, Tottenham Hotspur were improving rapidly and they hit their peak as they reached the final of the UEFA Champions League in the 2018-19 season. Danish international Christian Eriksen was the creator-in-chief of Spurs during that period.
Eriksen and Ozil were very similar in how calm they seemed on a football pitch. It always looked like they had plenty of time on the ball and he could nonchalantly play defence splitting passes.
In 2017, Kevin De Bruyne was still establishing himself as one of the finest playmakers on the continent and he created a whopping 110 chances that year. De Bruyne's exploits were crucial as Manchester City won the Premier League title in the 2017-18 season.
#4 2018 - Eden Hazard (101 chances created)
It's hard for Premier League fans to stomach the fact that Eden Hazard's move to Real Madrid hasn't really worked out. The Belgian international was sensational in the Premier League for Chelsea and was a nightmare to defend against.
He relentlessly made marauding runs down the left flank and was the closest thing to Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi that we had seen in the Premier League in recent times. Hazard created a whopping 101 chances in 2018.
He was voted PFA Fans' Player of the Year for the 2018-19 season.
#3 2019 - Kevin De Bruyne (103 chances created)
After missing a major portion of the 2018-19 season through various injuries, Kevin De Bruyne returned with a vengeance for the 2019-20 campaign. The Belgian international played the best football of his career that season.
De Bruyne established himself as the finest playmaker on the continent in 2019. He was simply unstoppable as he relentlessly fed incredible passes to his forwards. De Bruyne had become Pep Guardiola's sharpest weapon and his precision and technical excellence made him Manchester City's most prized asset.
De Bruyne was named the PFA Players' Player of the Year for the 2019-20 season. He also matched Thierry Henry's record for most assists in a single Premier League season by setting up 20 goals that term. De Bruyne created a total of 103 chances in 2019.
#2 2020 - Kevin De Bruyne (107 chances created)
2020 saw the emergence of Bruno Fernandes, another wonderful playmaker in the Premier League. The Portuguese international was incredible for Manchester United and helped the fallen giants shake the rust off and get back on their feet.
But even his heroics were overshadowed by Kevin De Bruyne. The Manchester City man had yet another stellar year in 2020. He created a whopping 107 chances that year in the Premier League.
De Bruyne's exploits were crucial to Manchester City winning the Premier League title in the 2020-21 season.
#1 2021 - Trent Alexander-Arnold (101 chances created)
Liverpool have two of the most in-form players in the Premier League right now. One is the Egyptian magician Mohamed Salah and the other is their right-back Trent Alexander-Arnold.
Jurgen Klopp's system at Liverpool relies heavily on their full-backs in terms of playmaking. Andy Robertson and Trent Alexander-Arnold have been given the freedom of the flanks and their primary responsibility is to create chances.
Trent Alexander-Arnold is one of the best full-backs in the world. His passing range is astonishingly great for a right-back. The 23-year-old motors forward regularly and picks up plenty of assists and occasionally scores a worldie as well.
He has created 101 chances in 2021 and is still going strong. The Englishman has scored two goals and provided 10 assists in 18 Premier League games so far this term. It's quite an achievement for a full-back to be leading the chart for chances created in a league chock full of talented midfielders.
