Top five assist providers in the Premier League since the 2010-11 season

Premier League has always been considered as one of the most competitive leagues in the footballing world. Moments of sheer genius, magic, and irrepressible play are hallmarks of the league.

We tend to remember the great Premier League goals but forget the players who provided the killer passes that led to those goals. The provider puts the same amount of effort as the finisher, but the credit of the amazing assist goes to the latter who puts the ball at the back of the net.

We must understand that the assist provider is under a lot of pressure throughout the game. Assessing when to play the ball or take a shot himself is a skill in itself that needs to be appreciated.

As we are talking about the assist providers, let’s look at the top five assist providers in the Premier League since the 2010-11 season:

5) Mesut Ozil

When Mesut Ozil arrived at Emirates Stadium, everybody anticipated him to become one of the best assist providers in the Premier League. Well, he did justice to those expectations as he is fifth-highest assist provider in the English League since the 2010-11 season.

The German midfielder joined the Gunners in the 2013-14 season but still managed to provide 52 assists. Ozil has provided the same number of assists as Cesc Fabregas since the beginning of the 2010-11 season. However, the Arsenal midfielder achieved this milestone in fewer games, which made me select him over the Spaniard.

4) Wayne Rooney

Wayne Rooney was quite famous for scoring goals throughout his career. The Englishman left Premier League as the second-highest goalscorer in the league history. Along with scoring goals, Rooney has also provided a third-highest number of assists in the league's history.

The Englishman provided 53 assists since the beginning of the 2010-11 season, which is more than 50% of total assists that Rooney has provided in his Premier League career. Even after achieving such milestones in his career, he is still not talk about in the same breath as the other contemporary legends of the game.

3) Eden Hazard

The transfer of Eden Hazard to Real Madrid made a lot of headlines in the current season and why would it not? After all, the Belgian was one of the most talented wingers in the Premier League.

Before joining the La Liga giants, however, Hazard made sure that he would be remembered as one of the best Chelsea players in the club’s history. The Belgian winger was a goal-scoring threat in addition to having provided lethal assists from the left-wing.

Hazard left the Premier League with 54 assists, which is the third-highest since the 2010-11 season.

2) Christian Eriksen

Christian Eriksen is one of the most underrated playmakers in the footballing world right now. The midfielder joined Tottenham Hotspur from Ajax in 2013 but till now, he hasn’t earned the distinction that he deserves.

The Spurs midfielder is one of the major reasons why Tottenham have been such a competitive side in recent years. Also, Mauricio Pochettino depends on Eriksen to be Spurs’ pivotal player.

The Danish midfielder has provided 60 assists in his Premier League career. This makes him the second-highest assist provider since the beginning of the 2010-11 season.

1) David Silva

After arriving at Etihad Stadium in 2010, David Silva completely changed the outlook and gameplay of Manchester City. The Spaniard has provided 85 assists in his Premier League career, which is the seventh highest in the league’s history.

Recently, Silva announced that he would be leaving the Premier League at the end of the current season. If the Spaniard manages to provide 10 more assists in the ongoing league, he will surpass Dennis Bergkamp and end his Premier League career among the top-five assist providers in the league’s history.