The playmaker; the man who makes things happen, the incisive passer, the genius usually wearing the No. 10 jersey.
The playmaker occupies one of the most important roles in a football team and very few nations/clubs have achieved greatness without a creative influence in midfield.
A list of the greatest geniuses in this role reads like a who-is-who of world football; Johan Cruyff, Diego Maradona, Enzo Francescoli, Gianni Riveria, Zinedine Zidane, Michael Laudrup, Alfredo Di Stefano, Ronaldinho et al.
In the modern era, the role of the playmaker has shifted. They now contribute more than just assists and a few goals, the best example being Lionel Messi who scores more than 98% of strikers worldwide.
The English Premier League has also seen the evolution reach its shores. Gone are the days of the lazy genius who drifts through games doing whatever he wants (except for Mesut Özil of course). Now playmakers in England have to possess a mix of skills; passing, crossing, defensive nous, speed, precision, set-piece taking and scoring goals.
Here, were take a look at the top 5 Premier League playmakers.
#5 Henrikh Mkhitaryan (Manchester United)
A lot was expected from Henrikh when he made the £27m move from Borussia Dortmund to Old Trafford following Jose Mourinho’s arrival at Manchester United.
His first season delivered few highlights as injuries, a struggle to adapt to the different demands of the English game and the lack of quality generally in the United team affected the brilliant Armenian’s game.
This contrasted sharply with his form in the Europa League where he was unplayable as his 6 goals helped propel the Red Devils to the title and he was named the second-Best Player in the competition behind United teammate Paul Pogba. Mkhitaryan, who made a league-high 15 assists in his final season in the Bundesliga, has started this season like a house on fire making 5 assists in the 7 games he has played so far in the Premier League.
He currently has the 3rd highest number of through passes (6) in the league and has in his Premier League career average 35.10% pass accuracy per match.
His deceptive pace over short distances, ability to pick out an eye-of-the-needle pass to open up defences, ability to take on and beat defenders as well as excellent positioning have been one of the factors responsible for Manchester United’s superb start to the season.
With Romelu Lukaku up front and speedsters Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial on the flanks, expect Mkhitaryan to get even better and show just what he is capable of.
#4 Philippe Coutinho (Liverpool)
The very definition of the archetypal Brazilian No. 10, Coutinho has become one of the star names of the Premier League ever since his £8.5m arrival from Internazionale in 2013.
The diminutive genius from Rio De Janeiro excels in the role behind the striker and with speedy wingers down both flanks, he has been able to stamp his authority as a genius creator and scorer of great goals.
Coutinho has mustered 30 assists in his 141 Premier League appearances which is excellent and averages 43.87% passing accuracy every game.
Renowned for his dribbling and long-range shooting, he has also gained a reputation for his range of passing from long range passes either from deep midfield or in defence to short defence-splitting passes.
Capable of playing on the flanks, behind the main striker or dropping deeper into central midfield, Coutinho is integral to Liverpool’s hopes of achieving anything meaningful as evinced by the club’s rejection of mega money bids from FC Barcelona for his services.
Due to the constant transfer speculation and a back injury, he has only played in three league games so far but has already scored two cracking goals for the team.
#3 Christian Eriksen (Tottenham Hotspur)
The soft-spoken Dane has long been thought of as the heir apparent to the throne of Danish legend Michael Laudrup and since he moved to North London to join up with Tottenham, this promise is being realised.
In the strictest definition of the term “playmaker”, Eriksen is, without doubt, one of the most creative midfielders around and more often than not plays the way football fans of the 1980s and 1990s watched Laudrup play.
A very elegant player whose vision, intelligence, quick thinking and dead ball ability stand him out, Eriksen has made 40 assists in the Premier League since his £11m move from Ajax in August 2013.
Like many others on this list especially Coutinho, Eriksen is capable of playing in a variety of roles; on the wings, in central midfield or behind the striker and has been excellent in his application since he joined the league.
He has an amazing passing accuracy of 51.84% per game and is capable of the extraordinary every time he gets the ball.
He has already recorded two assists in the league this season as well as two goals and given the goalscoring form of Harry Kane, expect his assists count to continue to rise through the season.
#2 Mesut Özil (Arsenal)
The elfin-like, dainty Özil continues to be a player that divides opinion among pundits but what no one can doubt is the genius of this wonderful German playmaker.
Blessed with the sort of vision that very few possess in world football, Özil has been sensational in the Premier League since he joined Arsenal from Real Madrid in 2013 for a then club record fee of £42m.
His 23 goals and 42 assists in 121 Premier League games tell the story of a creative genius who has the technique, skill and patience to unlock even the most stubborn of defences and finished the 2015-2016 season as the top assists maker (19).
Özil is a throwback to the old-school playmaker last seen in the 1990s and early 2000s; the number 10. Drifting through games in a lazy, languid style, creating something out of seemingly nothing and playing the game at his own pace and no one else’s.
His technique, offensive abilities and creative instincts have marked him out as a player to watch for a long time and like the other players on the list.
He averages 63.82% passing accuracy per match and is capable of playing in a multiplicity of attacking roles where his defensive contribution will be expected to be minimal and his forward-thinking abilities given full expression.
Yet to get off the mark this season in terms of assists and goals, this state of affairs should not be expected to continue for long given the undeniable talent possessed by the German.
#1 Kevin De Bruyne (Manchester City)
The most expensive player on this list and the best, the ginger-haired magician has been described as possessing the best right foot in Manchester.
Haunted by his inability to make the grade at Chelsea, De Bruyne’s move to Wolfsburg and subsequent transfer back to the Premier League to join the Etihad crew for a club record £55m has put him firmly in the bracket of very good players the world over.
His record of 14 goals and 31 assists in just 71 games tells of a player at the top of his game and the signs are that he will get better as time goes on.
A two-footed genius capable of playing in any position across the midfield, his long and short range passing abilities, acceleration, dribbling, set piece and shooting from outside the box skill set has helped him become the fulcrum of a Manchester City side marching ominously towards the Premier League title.
In a list of great playmakers, Kevin De Bruyne’s ability to mix it up and excel stands him out of the crowd.
Averaging 49.39% passes every game, De Bruyne is as adept at ghosting into scoring positions like Mhkitaryan, has the same laser-precise passing abilities as Ozil, can play effectively across different positions like Coutinho and is as deadly at set-piece situations and deliveries like Eriksen.
With 1 goal and three assists so far this season, expect more greatness from KDB as he is affectionately called.
