'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
With less than four months until the conclusion of the 2019/2020 European footballing season, genuine contenders for titles have been separated from the pretenders, while others have fallen behind.
Coming into the season, some players had high expectations on their shoulders and while some of these established players have shone like a million stars, others flattered to deceive, watching on as previously unheralded players became the center of attention.
The glamorous nature of the game means that goals are highly-priced and regular goalscorers understandably receive more adulation and reward than their counterparts in other areas.
However, a lot of work goes into the creation of a goal and while not as highly revered as their forward teammates, playmakers are arguably the most important component of any team's attacking plan, as they are mostly responsible for creating the assists for goals.
An assist is regarded as the final pass or cross before the ball is put in the back of the net and they come in all forms, with some assists being more celebrated than the goal itself.
Here, we shall be having a rundown of the top five assist providers in Europe's top five leagues at the moment.
Note: Stats correct at the time of writing; goals used to separate players with the same number of assists
#5 Trent-Alexander Arnold (Liverpool) - 10 Assists
Just two years ago, Trent-Alexander Arnold was an academy graduate waiting in the wings for his chance in the Liverpool first team and when that chance came by virtue of an injury to first-choice right-back Nathaniel Clyne, he took it so well that the more established England international was unable to reclaim his spot upon his return.
Few players in history have had the kind of trajectory that Arnold has experienced in the last year and a genuine case can be made for him to be considered as the best right-back in the world despite being just 21-year-old.
Liverpool have been nearly unstoppable this season and their right-back has been integral to their success, with his marauding runs and pin-point delivery both in-play and from dead balls, contributing to a significant share of the Reds goals.
Arnold seems to have perfected the art of crossing and while his counterpart Andrew Robertson might be no mean slouch in the full-back department, he has been the standout right-back in the league and is the leading contender to be named the PFA Young Player of the Year this season.
With 10 assists, he is also on course to break Robertson's record for most assists recorded by a defender in a season (12) which was set just last season.
#4 Jadon Sancho (Borussia Dortmund) - 10 Assists
With competition for places in the Manchester City midfield very stiff, a 17-year-old Jadon Sancho took the very brave decision of going abroad to showcase his talents in the German Bundesliga with Borussia Dortmund.
This turned out to be a watershed moment in his career, as under the guidance of first Peter Bosz and then Lucien Favre, he blossomed into a key member of the BVB squad and saw gametime that would not have been possible at the Etihad.
His form saw him earn a callup to the England national team, while he also finished as runner-up to Joao Felix in the 2019 Golden Boy award.
Last season was his breakout campaign and the 19-year-old led the way in Bundesliga assists, weighing in with 14 as Borussia Dortmund narrowly lost out on the league title to rivals Bayern Munich.
This term, Sancho has continued from where he left off, contributing 10 assists and 11 goals in 14 Bundesliga matches to help his side to 4th place on the standing.
#3 Luis Alberto (S.S. Lazio) - 11 Assists
Lazio have made a flying start to life in the Serie A this season and Luis Alberto has been a driving force behind the capital side's unlikely push for a first Scudetto in two decades.
The 27-year-old has starred as the chief creative force for Simone Inzaghi's men and while Ciro Immobile might get all the plaudits for his extraordinary feats in front of goal, Luis Alberto has also been very instrumental.
The former Sevilla man has blossomed since arriving in the Italian capital in the summer of 2016 and he looks nothing like the player who struggled to break into the first teams at both Barcelona and Liverpool.
This term, Alberto started like a house on fire, registering 11 assists from his first 15 matches to help Lazio climb up the table and although he is yet to add to his tally since then, with this form, he could have aa shot at making Spain's squad for Euro 2020.
#2 Thomas Muller (Bayern Munich) - 12 Assists
The last few years have been pretty rough for Thomas Muller, with dire performances leading to the loss of his starting spot in both the German national team as well as on the club scene.
In light of his predicament, speculation suggested he was on his way out of Bayern Munich and this was compounded by the arrivals of Ivan Perisic and Philippe Coutinho.
However, the 30-year-old has always been a fighter throughout his career and he elected to stay on and fight for his place in the team.
Having failed to score any goal in his first 12 Bundesliga appearances this season, Muller has stepped up to the plate considerably in recent weeks, taking advantage of the change in the Bayern Munich dugout to improve his output.
He has weighed in with four goals and six assists (12 in total) from his last nine league games and although the Bavarians are off the pace in the title race, if Muller is to keep up this performance levels, they would recover in time to win a record-extending 8th Bundesliga title.
#1 Kevin de Bruyne (Manchester City) - 15 Assists
Lionel Messi is unarguably the best playmaker in the world but coming in at a very close second is Kevin de Bruyne.
The Belgian international has been nothing short of exceptional in the last few years and having discarded him at a young age, Chelsea are still counting the losses of missing out on his services.
De Bruyne makes the most difficult of passes look easy, while his vision and range of passing is second to none and amid a team of criminally underperforming teammates, the 28-year-old is the one Manchester City player who can hold his head high as having maintained his high standards this season.
If anything, a case can be made to state that the former Wolfsburg man is playing the best football of his career and he is the hands-on favorite to be named PFA Player of the Year come to the end of the campaign.
So far, he leads the assists charts in the Premier League with 15 assists from 23 matches - making him the first player in history to record at least 15 assists in three different Premier League campaigns - and his importance is highlighted by the fact that he is the only outfield player exempt from Pep Guardiola's notorious rotation policy.
Kevin de Bruyne needs just six more assists to break Thierry Henry's record of 20 assists in a single season and he has 15 more matches to achieve this, while with seven goals, he is also on course to shatter his personal record of 10 league goals scored in a campaign.
