Four of five most creative footballers in Premier League are Man City
Manchester City may have slipped eight points behind leaders Liverpool but injuries to Kevin de Bruyne and Jack Grealish might be a massive factor.
De Bruyne and Grealish are the two most creative players in the 2024/25 Premier League but they have not played a full season between them.
Liverpool have just one representative on this list despite being top of the Premier League table, leaning into the narrative that their improvement has been largely defensive.
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.
1) Kevin de Bruyne (Manchester City) – 7.54 SCAs per 90 mins
“Do you think I like to not play with Kevin? I don’t want Kevin to play? The guy who has the most talent in the final third. I don’t want it?” asked Pep Guardiola quite reasonably among claims that he has had a fall-out with the Belgian. He started his first game since September against Nottingham Forest and was frankly brilliant.
2) Jack Grealish (Manchester City) – 6.70 SCAs per 90 mins
Grealish started his first Premier League game since early October in a deeper role v Nottingham Forest and he was excellent at keeping Manchester City moving forward.
3) Savinho (Manchester City) – 6.58 SCAs per 90 mins
The heir to the Riyad Mahrez throne, Savio has been a very clever signing for Manchester City. He’s one of the most-fouled players in the Premier League and that creates opportunities close to the opposition goal. If not actual goals. His finishing has been woeful. But at 20 he is far from the finished product.
4) Bukayo Saka (Arsenal) – 6.47 SCAs per 90 mins
The man who actually leads the Premier League assists chart with 10. He has the highest total of SCAs across the Premier League this season as he plays almost all the football for Arsenal, who were over-reliant on him in the absence of Martin Odegaard.
5) Phil Foden (Manchester City) – 5.86 SCAs per 90 mins
The reigning PFA Player of the Year has not started in any kind of form – barring the Champions League – but he is still way ahead of almost all the Premier League when it comes to creativity. He was rotten v Liverpool, mind.
6) Son Heung-Min (Tottenham) – 5.75 SCAs per 90 mins
Like Saka and unlike all those Man City players, his actual numbers have got him into the Premier League team of the season so far. He creates more from take-ons than any other Premier League footballer.
7) Reiss Nelson (Fulham) – 5.73 SCAs per 90 mins
Nailed down a place on the left of Fulham’s attack. Arsenal could probably use him out there.
8) Andreas Pereira (Fulham) – 5.63 SCAs per 90 mins
The Premier League leader for SCAs from dead-ball situations, Fulham fans are getting a little fed up of his attitude but there is no doubt that he delivers when the ball is stood still.
9) Cole Palmer (Chelsea) – 5.49 SCAs per 90 mins
Was brilliant against Tottenham in a batsh*t game which keeps him behind only Saka in terms of total SCAs. A genuinely brilliant No.10, he would surely have thrived at Manchester City if he had stayed.
10) Dejan Kulusevski (Tottenham) – 5.37 SCAs per 90 mins
Very impressive numbers from a man who can’t barge his way past James Maddison when it comes to dead-ball situations. Consequently, he has the most SCAs from passes in open play this season.
