So often when fans and pundits look at individual accolades, it’s usually the top scorers list that receives top billing (centre forwards and strikers almost always get the headlines). That is often followed by the less glamorous, but no less important, clean sheets table.
Yet as far as this writer is concerned, one statistic which deserves equal billing is one which was barely talked about when I was growing up. In fact, assists were something I’d never even heard of until the boon of Premier League fantasy football. Now, more fans than ever before look at the assists chart and the key players on it are responsible for delivering special moments.
As far as Premier League 2025 highlights are concerned, as the campaign reaches its closing few months, there is little surprise who is dominating that particular field this time around.
If there were SBOTOP Premier League 2025 betting odds on a footballer of the year, Mohamed Salah would be a shoo-in as he has had one of the best seasons of his life to fire Liverpool towards a seemingly unassailable lead at the summit (27 goals and 17 assists end the case for his nomination).
There is no one near him realistically with the closest three players on 10 assists each. They are Bukayo Saka, whose injury has arguably wrecked Arsenal’s own title bid, Brentford’s unsung Danish midfielder Mikkel Damsgaard, and Fulham’s full-back Antonee Robinson, a player pinpointed at the start of the year as quick, aggressive, accurate with his delivery, and reliable in defencive one-on-ones.
That Saka is still joint second on the list, having played virtually half the games of his nearest challengers, speaks volumes for his efforts, while Robinson and Damsgaard deserve extra credit for their achievements in sides battling against much bigger beasts (especially as neither plays as far forward as many in the standings).
Spurs skipper Son Heung-Min, Newcastle’s Jacob Murphy, and Nottingham Forest’s Anthony Elanga – who played 80 minutes of their victory on Saturday over reigning champions Manchester City – complete the top six, but it is the man who lies joint-seventh on that list (level with Savinho of City with seven assists) who takes my plaudits though.
Yes, I am biased because I am a Manchester United fan, but where would the Red Devils be without Bruno Fernandes?
Given United are on course for their worst ever league season since the Premier League burst into life in 1992, naming one of their players may not seem particularly impressive. However, by captaining his team in a campaign where pretty much everything that could go wrong has gone wrong (some of it self-inflicted), Fernandes has been their shining light and inspiration.
Fernandes is not only United’s leading Premier League scorer with seven goals but also leads their combined goals and assists chart with 14. He was made captain by Erik ten Hag and, in among the struggles under his successor Ruben Amorim, the Portuguese creator has been again the man all faith has been placed in.
To give you an indication of his influence, since August 2020, Fernandes has more goal contributions (94) than any other midfielder across Europe’s top five leagues. He is a true talisman and even received a name check from part club owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe this week, while Amorim has asked for ‘more like him’ when it comes to players with the right talent and psyche.
I have been staggered that a few pundits, who should know better, have criticised him over the past two years, claiming his frustrations at under par performances (think arm-waving and general gesticulating at times) undermine his team-mates.
That is surely part of his passion and desire to win and has either been misinterpreted or is being used a stick to beat him with by analysts who used to play for rival clubs.
The biggest compliment I can play for Fernandes is that he is probably the only player in the starting XI right now who would get into any of Sir Alex Ferguson’s great United teams. The 30-year-old has won the League Cup and FA Cup during his time with the club, and it is now approaching two years since he was handed the armband.
For a player who has contributed positively to more than 250 games for the club – and won the club’s player of the year award on three occasions (and would be my tip for this year’s gong too) – I think he is more deserving of respect and will be remembered as one of the best attacking midfielders of his generation. Whether his trophy count matches his efforts, remains to be seen.
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