Top 5 Premier League Playmakers

Playmaker definition: A player whose role is to create scoring opportunities for his or her team-mates

Here are the five players who created the most opportunities for their team-mates to score during the 2012-13 Premier League season:

Leighton Baines (Everton) – 116 Chances Created

The Everton left-back spent a lot of his season in the opposition half, creating more chances than any other player in the Premier League this season. Nearly half of these came from set pieces however, with Baines ranking sixth overall for chances created in open play. Not to doubt the full-back’s abilities, he did rank tenth overall in final third pass completions.

David Silva (Manchester City) – 104 Chances Created

Manchester City’s diminutive playmaker David Silva was the only other player to set up shots on more than 100 occasions for team mates this season. A tricky player to stop in and around the penalty area, the Spanish World Cup and European Championship winner terrorised defences this season, finishing with a total of 8 assists.

Santi Cazorla (Arsenal) – 96 Chances Created
During his debut season in the Premier League, Arsenal’s Santi Cazorla was one of four players to record double figures for both goals and assists. His 1,035 completed passes in the final third was in a league of its own too, whilst the 96 chances create for team mates puts him third on this list. A two-footed player who delivered a good set piece for the Gunners and was a key player in their attack last season.

Juan Mata (Chelsea) – 95 Chances Created

A strong candidate for PFA Player of the Year, a lot of Chelsea’s positive attacking play came through the feet of Juan Mata. Whilst team mate Eden Hazard ranked highly in the assists chart, Mata was busy pulling the strings and sliding passes into the path of his team-mates. The Spaniard led the league in assists (12) – 8 from open play.

Steven Gerrard (Liverpool) – 93 Chances Created

The Liverpool skipper helped his team through a few tough games early in the season whilst the Reds were adapting to life under their third manager in 24 months. The arrival of Philippe Coutinho during the winter transfer window took some of the attention off Gerrard but he led the club in chances created come the end of the season. 37 of these were from set pieces.

Were there any players who you thought would have made the list? Get involved in the comments section below.

For a full list of 2012-13 Premier League passing statistics, please visit:
http://www.barriesview.com/2013/05/2012-13-premier-league-passing-stats