Bukayo Saka’s brilliant start to the season has seen the Arsenal winger rack up assist after assist for Mikel Arteta’s side.
Saka has provided seven assists in seven Premier League appearances this season, with no player in the division having managed more.
The 23-year-old has now provided 42 assists in the Premier League, overhauling Robert Pires (41) and moving level with Theo Walcott for goals created for the Gunners.
His productivity has seen Saka emerge among the favourites for the end-of-season awards with sports betting sites, and the PFA Player of the Year and Playmaker of the Season awards are ambitions to aim for.
As he closes in on the top five players for Arsenal assists in the Premier League, we’ve looked at the players Saka is aiming to catch.
Aaron Ramsey (45 assists in 262 matches)
Next in Saka’s sights is Aaron Ramsey, who recorded 45 assists in 262 games for the Gunners. Ramsey spent 11 years with Arsenal and delivered in some big moments for the club, with FA Cup-winning goals in 2014 and 2017.
The Welshman left Arsenal to sign for Juventus in 2019 and won a Serie A title in Turin. After spells with Rangers and Nice, he returned to hometown club Cardiff City in 2023.
Mesut Ozil (50 assists in 184 appearances)
Arsenal made Mesut Ozil their record signing when landing the German from Real Madrid in 2013.
The Gunners spent £42.4m to sign Ozil and the excitement at the Emirates was palpable. His time with the club ended acrimoniously, but Ozil produced a catalogue of magic moments in North London.
He won four FA Cups with the club and provided 50 assists in 184 appearances, including 19 during the 2015/16 campaign – the second-most ever recorded in a Premier League season.
It took just 11 minutes for @MesutOzil1088 to mark his Arsenal debut with a trademark assist 👏
🗓 He did it #OnThisDay in 2013 pic.twitter.com/SunXWx5EXK
— Arsenal (@Arsenal) September 14, 2019
Cesc Fàbregas (70 assists in 212 matches)
Cesc Fabregas ranks third on the all-time list for Premier League assists, with 70 of the goals he created in English football coming in an Arsenal shirt. The Spaniard’s creative quality had pundits purring during his exciting emergence at Arsenal, where the Catalan broke into the team as a teenager and evolved into one of Europe’s most influential talents.
After a spell with Barcelona, he returned to the Premier League with Chelsea in 2015 and added another 41 assists to his Premier League total. Only Ryan Giggs and Kevin De Bruyne have managed more.
Midfield Magicians: Cesc Fabregas, a Catalan creative genius
Thierry Henry (74 assists in 258 matches)
Thierry Henry’s goals wrote his name into the record books at Arsenal but the Frenchman was an elite creator too.
He recorded 175 goals and 74 assists in 254 top-flight appearances for the Gunners, with only one player providing more Premier League assists for Arsenal.
Henry broke the record for Premier League assists in a single campaign (20) in 2002/03, a record that remains with only Kevin De Bruyne (2019/20) having matched that feat.
That season also saw Henry score 24 league goals and the forward is one of just two players – alongside Lionel Messi – to record 20+ goals and 20+ assists in a season in one of Europe’s top five leagues this century.
2️⃣4️⃣ #PL goals
2️⃣0️⃣ #PL assistsOnly ONE person has scored and assisted 20+ goals in a #PL season – @Arsenal‘s @ThierryHenry… pic.twitter.com/6LCT2CI4ud
— Premier League (@premierleague) May 1, 2017
Noughties Nines: Thierry Henry – Premier League King
Dennis Bergkamp (94 assists in 315 matches)
Dennis Bergkamp tops the list for Arsenal assists in the Premier League, with 94 goals created in 315 appearances.
The Dutchman was a delight to watch in North London due to his vision and penchant for scoring glorious goals. His arrival from Inter Milan helped transform Arsenal into one of the Premier League’s top teams, and he won three league titles and three FA Cups with the club.
This Dennis Bergkamp assist 🤤#CHEARS | #DB10 🐐 pic.twitter.com/Zk5C3Krswv
— Arsenal (@Arsenal) January 21, 2020
Just two players, Ryan Giggs for Manchester United and Kevin De Bruyne for Manchester City, have provided more Premier League assists for a single club.
