Premier League: The creative stars

• Premier League star, Mesut Ozil confirmed his retirement from football.
• Following his retirement, SportsLeo looks at the creative players in the Premier League.

Mesut Ozil, a former midfielder for Arsenal, has confirmed his retirement from football.

Ozil was the player who was meant to revive Arsenal’s aspirations of contending for a major title. Following his retirement, SportsLeo looks at the creative players in the Premier League.

Here are the individuals who have generated the most chances in the Premier League.

Florent Malouda – 118 chances created (2010/11)

In 2009–10, Chelsea won the domestic double and scored over a century of goals under Carlo Ancelotti’s leadership. Nevertheless, despite a promising beginning, the west London club struggled to maintain that form the next year.

While a number of well-known players experienced a decline in performance, Florent Malouda remained a steadfast member of Ancelotti’s team and one of the division’s most inventive players.

With 13 goals and 118 opportunities created for his teammates, the France international finished ahead of players like Didier Drogba and Frank Lampard as the Blues’ top scorer in the Premier League.

However, Malouda finished the season with just four assists despite the abundance of opportunities he had created, a total that put him on par with players like Gary Taylor-Fletcher of Blackpool and Branislav Ivanovic of Chelsea.

Dimitri Payet – 119 chances created (2015/16)

Dimitri Payet. |PHOTO: The Mirror|

During his brief but excellent tenure at West Ham, Dimitri Payet undoubtedly left behind a number of noteworthy moments.

Nobody could have predicted the Le Havre product’s effect after moving to West Ham, but the summer acquisition swiftly made himself one of the division’s most intriguing players.

Over a season that saw the midfielder nominated for the PFA Player of the Year, there were exquisite displays of talent, wonderful free kicks, and top-notch final products. Only two players contributed more than his 12 assists after an astonishing 119 opportunities were created.

Regrettably, things went south for the player who rose to instant hero status with the Hammers, but the flamboyant Frenchman’s deft skills guarantee that many Premier League fans still hold very high regard for him.

Frank Lampard – 134 chances created (2008/09)

Frank Lampard.|PHOTO: Sky Sports|

The best goal-scorer in Chelsea history, Frank Lampard is remembered for his superb midfield goal-scoring abilities and his ability to get into dangerous situations.

While Lampard’s prolific record may have been his most distinguishing attribute, the midfielder was also a creative force who three times finished as the Premier League’s top assist provider, notably during Chelsea’s victories in 2005 and 2010.

His most successful season in terms of creating opportunities for teammates was the 2008–09 campaign when the former England international provided his teammates 134 chances.

He tied Arsenal attacker Robin van Persie with ten assists during that campaign, giving him the Premier League record most assists.

Kevin De Bruyne – 136 chances created (2019/20)

Kevin De Bruyne. Photo/ Goal.com.

Following a standout individual season in 2019–20, Kevin De Bruyne, widely regarded as the Premier League’s top creative player at the moment, ranks second for the most chances created.
After joining Manchester City in the Premier League again in 2015, De Bruyne has established incredibly high creative standards.

He became the player to reach 50 assists the quickest in history and is now among the top five creators in the league overall.

In order to be named the PFA Player of the Year, De Bruyne had to equal the Premier League’s single-season assist record (20 assists from an astounding 136 chances created over the season).

Mesut Ozil – 146 chances created (2015/16)

Mesut Ozil. |PHOTO: Getty Images |

With his stellar 2015–16 season serving as the pinnacle of his Arsenal career, Mesut Ozil leaves the game of football while also holding the record for most chances created for a season in the Premier League.

The German’s 19 assists earned him a spot on the shortlist for the division’s Player of the Year awards, making him a spectacular choice as Arsenal’s Player of the Season.

When Ozil became the most expensive player in the history of the north London team, this was the type of campaign that most people anticipated from him. The World Cup winner’s creativity was visible as he shredded defences with bits of inventiveness and ingenuity.

Ozil set a new Premier League record and led the top five leagues in Europe in chances created with 146 throughout the season, 93 of which came from open play.

Although his performances dipped in the seasons that followed, Ozil in 2015–16 was undoubtedly one of the best playmakers on the continent.