PFA Player of the Year: Richard Jolly looks at Kevin De Bruyne's stats as he chases an assist record & compares him to the best in Europe

One way or another, it promises to be a landmark week for Kevin de Bruyne. He might be named Footballer of the Year. He could claim Thierry Henry’s 17-year-old Premier League assist record. De Bruyne needs to set up one goal against Norwich on Sunday to equal his tally of 20, two to overhaul it. Relegated opponents should be afraid.

He faces a tougher foe in the voting. His main rival for the end-of-season prize is expected to be Jordan Henderson, figurehead and driving force of a Liverpool side who went on an unprecedented run of form. Yet it is the collective against the individual, an award to recognise a terrific team or an outstanding player.

• PFA Player of the Year Odds: De Bruyne 4/6 | Henderson 9/4 | Mane 7/1

Because, in many respects, De Bruyne is in a league of his own. Those 19 assists put him seven clear of Trent Alexander-Arnold. Only three other players even have half as many. His tally of expected assists, at 16.8, is double everyone bar Alexander-Arnold and Riyad Mahrez. By way of comparison further afield, Lionel Messi has recorded 20 assists in La Liga but his xA, of 15.1, is lower than De Bruyne’s. Thomas Muller was the Bundesliga’s best, at 13.1, while Papu Gomez tops the Serie A charts at 9.9. Angel di Maria’s 14.3 stands out in a truncated Ligue Un season, though the finest in France lacked the same number of games as their counterparts elsewhere.

Assists can measure who delivers the final pass. De Bruyne’s capacity to provide the defence-splitting ball, to pick out team-mates ahead of him and to take his team up the field are unparalleled in Europe, let alone England.

His tally of 116 key passes is 28 better than anyone else, his average of 3.7 per game off the charts in a division where the next highest is 2.6. The best of the rest – Jack Grealish, James Maddison, Alexander-Arnold, Joao Moutinho – are bunched together in the supposedly chasing pack while De Bruyne has disappeared into the distance. Grealish’s 88 actually puts him ahead of Messi and Muller. Even Gomez (98) is nowhere near De Bruyne.

Another measure is completed passes into the penalty area. Here De Bruyne ranks second only to Messi, with 126. But they are the top five league’s only two centurions and the Belgian’s tally of 112 puts him 25 ahead of Alexander-Arnold, whose 87 is in turn 12 better than Grealish. He has provided 142 passes in open play that have led to a shot; Grealish (123) is the only other Premier League player over 100. He has provided 24 passes in open play that have led to a goal, even if not all were classified as assists; Mahrez, with 17, comes next.

It amounts to a picture of a player who is between 20 and 60 percent better than anyone else in England at delivering the incisive pass. Yet De Bruyne feels a great all-rounder, a No. 10 or a No. 8, a player who can cross without needing to get to the touchline and a set-piece specialist who can prosper in open play.

It is reflected by his position in other tables. He ranks ninth for completed crosses into the penalty area. That may sound unexceptional but it is worth noting the first eight – led by Adama Traore and Alexander-Arnold – are all wide players, whether wingers or full-backs. No one else crosses as well from infield areas. Oliver Norwood and Moutinho come next among central midfielders and they are tied in 24th. Incidentally, it reflects a fundamental difference between Messi and De Bruyne: the Argentinian has only completed a third of the number of crosses.

Time and again, De Bruyne is an outlier. He is 26th for completed long passes, defined as balls that travel at least 25 yards. Yet all of those ahead of him have deeper starting positions, making it easier to send the ball long. Most are goalkeepers or defenders. The four midfielders who lead him – Rodri, Ruben Neves, Moutinho and Norwood – are holding players rarely spotted in the final third.

Aided by their ability to launch the ball forward 60 yards, goalkeepers dominate the chart for progressive distance of completed passes. De Bruyne’s 37th position is less notable than his neighbours in the charts. He is third among midfielders and Rodri and Norwood, the top two, are anchormen. He spends more time further forward. Perhaps the next comparative player is James Ward-Prowse in 58th; maybe it is Maddison in 68th.

Either De Bruyne is playing a different game to everyone else, or he is playing it better. Certainly his Liverpool counterparts have fewer creative duties. Undoubtedly De Bruyne is different from Pep Guardiola’s definitive midfielders. Xavi and Andres Iniesta were known for perpetual possession. De Bruyne is not.

Only Sergio Aguero and Claudio Bravo have lower pass completion rates in the Manchester City squad. Others offer metronomic accuracy. De Bruyne looks to devastate and to dissect defences. Across the European stage, his creative numbers put him in a select band of two with Guardiola’s greatest player. And he is Messi.

Follow Sporting Life on social - find us on Facebook here or tweet @SportingLifeFC

Related football content

• Latest football previews and tips
• Coronavirus: Returning sports
• Sporting Life App: Android & iOS
• Guide: How to bet online

Responsible gambling

We are committed in our support of responsible gambling. Recommended bets are advised to over-18s and we strongly encourage readers to wager only what they can afford to lose.

If you are concerned about your gambling, please call the National Gambling Helpline on 0808 8020 133, or visit begambleaware.org.

Further support and information can be found at GamCare and gamblingtherapy.org.