Soccer is a team sport. While individual brilliance is celebrated and rewarded at the greatest award ceremonies, it does not win games, not frequently at least.
Coaches love forwards who can look out for their teammates, square off the ball when they are in a better position. In this list, we will check out some such players who have not hesitated to lay it off for their strike partner, allowing them to have a crack at goal. Continue reading to meet five duos who have created the most chances for one another in the 2023-24 Premier League season:
#5 Erling Haaland & Julian Alvarez (Manchester City): 26 Chances Created
Manchester City are aiming to become the first team in history to win consecutive Trebles. They are in the FA Cup semi-finals, in the last eight of the UEFA Champions League, and only three points behind Liverpool in the Premier League race. It has been a monumental effort from every City player, including Erling Haaland and Julian Alvarez who have been on the same wavelength this season. The Norwegian and the Argentine have created 26 goalscoring opportunities for one another in the Premier League this season, emerging as the most in-sync attacking duo.
Last season’s Golden Boot winner Haaland has been in top form this season as well, playing 24 games, he has scored a league-high 18 times and provided five assists. Alvarez has also fired on all cylinders, scoring eight goals and clinching eight assists in 28 matches.
#4 Ollie Watkins & Moussa Diaby (Aston Villa): 27 Chances Created
Aston Villa have been the surprise package of the 2023-24 Premier League season. Under Unai Emery, they have punched above their weight to climb to fourth place in the rankings, keeping Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United at bay. Ollie Watkins and Moussa Diaby have been two of their standout performers this season, creating 27 chances between them.
Watkins has been in staggering form this season, scoring 16 goals and providing 10 assists in 30 Premier League matches. Diaby has also played well, netting five times and claiming seven assists in 30 games.
#3 Bruno Fernandes & Alejandro Garnacho (Manchester United): 28 Chances Created
Manchester United have been all over the place in the Premier League this season. They are toiling in sixth place in the rankings, 11 points away from fourth-placed Aston Villa. There has been very little to celebrate at Old Trafford, and the link-up play between Bruno Fernandes and Alejandro Garnacho has been one of them. They have found each other with admirable frequency in the final third, creating 28 goalscoring chances for one another.
Manchester United captain Fernandes has had a mediocre season. In 28 Premier League games, he has scored four times and provided six assists. Garnacho, meanwhile, has enjoyed his best-ever campaign in the English top flight, recording five goals and three assists in 27 outings.
#2 Mohamed Salah & Darwin Nunez (Liverpool): 30 Chances Created
Owing to their brilliant comeback win over Brighton & Hove Albion and Manchester City’s goalless draw with Arsenal, Liverpool have a two-point lead in the Premier League race with nine games to play. Jurgen Klopp’s side have secured many tight wins this season, and the Mohamed Salah-Darwin Nunez pairing have had a hand in most of them.
The duo, who have created 30 chances for one another this season, have tormented the opposition with their pace, movement, and ability to get shots away. The Egyptian, as expected, has emerged as the most lethal forward at Liverpool, scoring 16 times and claiming nine assists in 23 appearances. Nunez has not been as clinical, but his persistence has been noteworthy. He has played 27 times, scoring 10 goals and providing seven assists.
#1 Bukayo Saka & Martin Odegaard (Arsenal): 34 Chances Created
At the summit sit Arsenal’s brilliant duo Bukayo Saka and Martin Odegaard, with the pair creating 34 goalscoring chances between them in the 2023-24 Premier League season. The brilliant coordination between the right-winger and the attacking midfielder is one of the reasons why the Gunners have a great chance of winning the Premier League this season.
Saka, 22, has played 28 Premier League matches this season, scoring 13 times and providing eight assists. He has also created 13 big chances and was denied by the woodwork thrice. Odegaard, on the other hand, has chipped in with six goals and six assists in 26 league outings. The Norwegian has also created 13 big chances this season.
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