Premier League: Players with the best crossing

• Football changes as time go on, but putting balls into the box from wide is still a pretty common approach
• Clubs increasingly favour whipped balls or low drives to be tapped in from close range
• We rank the best crossers of the ball in the Premier League

Football changes as time go on, but putting balls into the box from wide is still a pretty common approach.

However, clubs increasingly favour whipped balls or low drives to be tapped in from close range instead of the old practice of looping crosses from deep for a target man to head home.

We rank the best crossers of the ball in the Premier League.

Trent Alexander-Arnold (Liverpool)

Trent in action for Liverpool. Photo/ ESPN.

The 24-year-old right defender has exceptional range and averages two precise crosses each game (43 crosses from 157 attempts). In 22 games, he has two assists, although he has generated 25 of his 41 opportunities (or 60.9%) from crosses.

Alexander-Arnold is statistically Liverpool’s greatest wide option because he crosses the ball 7.2 times per game and connects with a teammate 27.77% of the time. He has made the fourth-most crosses in the Premier League thus far.

James Ward-Prowse (Southampton)

Although Ward-Prowse is renowned for being a superb free-kick taker, he also excels as a distributor in general, whether it be in dead-ball situations or during open play when playing wide.

The 28-year-old midfielder has delivered 48 precise crosses overall, or 2.1 crosses per game. In 23 appearances, he has two assists to his credit and has generated 34 (or 69%) of his 49 chances from balls into the box.

Ward-Prowse connects with a teammate 28.37% of the time and averages 7.4 crosses per game. He is fourth for most accurate corners and third in the Premier League for most crosses this season (169). (32).

Andreas Pereira (Fulham)

Anyone other than Fulham supporters might be surprised to see the 27-year-old midfielder on the list, but he excels at passing the ball. Pereira has 2.4 reliable crosses per game on average (58 in total this season). He has produced 38 of his 53 chances from balls into the box (71.7%) and has six assists from 24 appearances.

Pereira is far more productive than Alexander-Arnold and Ward-Prowse, averaging 6.2 crosses per game and connecting with a teammate 38.7% of the time.

More assists have been given this season only by Buyako Saka, Christian Eriksen, and Kevin De Bruyne. More opportunities have been created by only Bruno Fernandes and De Bruyne.

Most Premier League teams would pick these players to fill out their rosters. A lot of Fulham’s opponents will be questioning whether they should have taken a chance on Pereira too, as United couldn’t throw him away quickly just half a year ago.

No team in the Premier League has scored more goals from set pieces than Fulham, with three coming from crosses by Pereira. In the division, he had the joint-best return from dead balls.

Kevin De Bruyne (Man City)

Kevin De Bruyne. Photo/ Goal.com.

This season, the midfielder, who is 31 years old, has displayed a clear preference for sending balls into the box. De Bruyne averages 2.4 precise crosses each contest (56 in total this season). He has generated 31 of his 75 chances from balls into the box (41.3%) and has 12 assists from 23 appearances.

De Bruyne connects with a teammate 31.1% of the time, averaging 7.7 crosses per game. This season, the 31-year-old is third for most accurate corners and second for most crosses in the Premier League (34).

Kieran Trippier (Newcastle)

Kieran Trippier. Photo/ Fantasy Football Scout.

Kieran Trippier, 32, has by far been the Premier League’s finest outside distributor this season, averaging four precise crosses per game (92 in total). In 23 appearances, he has played four assists and generated 54 of his 70 opportunities from balls into the box.

Tripper connects with a teammate 39.2% of the time, averaging 10.2 crosses per game. The 32-year-old leads the Premier League in both the number of crosses (234) and the accuracy of corners taken (69).

He has played a crucial role in Eddie Howe’s team’s successful season thus far. He is currently one of the league’s best players and, along with Ben White of Arsenal, is the highest-performing right-back in the top division.

The Englishman has been a pillar of the Newcastle defence, which has allowed the fewest goals in the Premier League this season (11) and has the third-lowest expected goals conceded (xGc) rating (17.69).

The England international is ideal for Newcastle’s wing-dependent style of play from an attacking perspective. Along the right side, Trippier and Miguel Almiron have developed a bond that has elevated the Paraguayan to new heights.