Man City dominate top 11 creative Prem players as Arsenal target shows why he can stand in for Saka

Table-toppers Arsenal have two entries but Manchester City dominate as they prove that they are truly the Premier League’s creative force…

We’re not counting the assist-makers because that relies on the chances being taken and we’re not counting the key passes because that is also pretty narrow; we are all about the SCA (Shot creating actions), defined as ‘the two offensive actions directly leading to a shot, such as passes, dribbles and drawing fouls’ by FBRef.

One sidenote before we get to the top 11: we’d have to go to no.25 before we’s find a Liverpool player – Harvey Elliott on 3.85 SCAs per 90.

These are the leaders this season for SCAs per 90 minutes.

11) James Maddison – Leicester (4.56 SCAs per 90) 
We assume this figure doesn’t include the assist Maddison gave Bournemouth last week, a mistake that left the Leicester playmaker bereft when he was thrust in front of the cameras immediately after the defeat. But, if Leicester go down, Maddison won’t be made to play in the Championship with these kind of numbers. He was ranked eighth in this list prior to the World Cup amid his late dash for the plane to Qatar, and 11 SCA’s in the last game before the squad was announced probably booked his ticket.

10) Michael Olise – Crystal Palace (4.56) 
These numbers might be why Arsenal are sniffing around the Palace winger, who has stood out in a side that has been pretty dull for most of the season. Until Roy brought the good times back to Selhurst Park.

9) Bukayo Saka – Arsenal (4.64) 
Arsenal are looking at Olise so they can give Saka a breather from time to time – something Mikel Arteta has felt unable to do this season. Only the three mentioned below in three figures for SCAs from open-play passes have contributed more than Saka’s 89. Saka is also fifth for goal creating actions, with no player above him who doesn’t play for Manchester City.

8) Jack Grealish – Manchester City (4.70) 
Only Wilf Zaha and Ivan Toney have earned more fouls that have led to shot attempts than City’s £100million man, in which case, shinpads bigger than a postage stamp might be wise. Grealish’s best game for City was widely thought to have been the 4-1 win over Liverpool but he has offered more than the five SCAs he managed against the Reds in five other matches this term, including 10 against Man Utd at home and Forest away.

7) Phil Foden – Manchester City (4.80) 
The City starlet padded his numbers somewhat with 11 SCAs against Bournemouth in February. Only on two other occasions has he recorded more than five SCAs in a single Premier League game, both in defeats to Brentford and Liverpool.

6) Allan Saint-Maximin – Newcastle (4.87) 
Injury and the fact that Eddie Howe still seems unsure of the winger means Saint-Maximin has played fewer minutes than anyone else on this list. But as we know of him, when he plays, he causes havoc, even if he hasn’t since matched his opening weekend contribution of nine SCAs in a single game. Nor will he before the Arsenal game next month because he’s crocked again.

5) Kieran Trippier – Newcastle (4.94) 
The only defender on this list, Trippier is way ahead of anyone else for dead-balls that led to shot attempts. The Newcastle right-back is on 73; the next highest is James Ward-Prowse on 49.

4) Martin Odegaard – Arsenal (4.96) 
City and Arsenal are way out in front in terms of collective SCAs, with the champions six ahead of the Gunners on 866. Odegaard is responsible for 101 of Arsenal’s, with only the Norwegian, Bruno Fernandes and Kevin De Bruyne in three figures.

3) Bruno Fernandes- Manchester United (5.25) 
No player in the Premier League has completed more passes in open play that have led to a shot attempt than the 115 Fernandes has contributed to United’s cause. It helps that he always, always plays.

2) Riyad Mahrez – Manchester City (5.52)  
He doesn’t always play but Pep Guardiola knows he can rely on Mahrez to unpick opposition defences – something he did against Liverpool while recording eight SCAs at the Etihad last week. His highest total in one game, however, is 10 against Leeds at Elland Road.

1) Kevin De Bruyne – Manchester City (6.63 SCAs per 90) 
Not only is Super Kev leading this metric, he’s also the only Premier League player to average more than one goal creating action per 90 minutes (1.10). Playing with a ridiculous centre-forward helps a bit, but being a the best midfielder in the league helps most. Though De Bruyne has a higher SCAs per 90 number in three of th elast six seasons, the massive fraud.