Man City magician
Can Rayan Cherki break Eric Cantona’s record? Most assists in debut Premier League seasons
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If you truly love football, then it’s impossible not to love Rayan Cherki. The Frenchman plays the beautiful game how it should be played with a freedom and personality, which is increasingly rare. Cherki is enjoying an excellent maiden season at Manchester City and he’s developing into an integral player for Pep Guardiola. The 23-year-old stepped up when it mattered most with two assists in the 3-0 win over Chelsea at Stamford Bridge in a crucial match in the title race.
Stats
R. Cherki
Attacking Midfield
Manchester City
26
3
10
Cherki’s first assist was a pinpoint cross for Nico O’Reilly before beating two defenders and sliding a perfect pass into Marc Guéhi’s for City’s second to earn Guardiola’s praise. “The numbers are incredible and the quality in the first season in the Premier League,” the Spaniard raved. “He is something unique. He will become an extraordinary player with his mindset and mentality.” Only Bruno Fernandes has registered more assists in the Premier League this season than Cherki and we’ve analysed how his record compares to new signings across the competition’s history.
Most assists in debut Premier League season
We’ve analysed the data to find out which players have provided the most assists in their debut Premier League season. Cherki’s pass to Guehi was his 10th Premier League assist of the campaign and that ranks joint-17th in history. As City still have seven league games remaining, Cherki could feasibly climb the list and even challenge Éric Cantona’s record. As the graphic below illustrates, Cantona registered 15 assists across the maiden Premier League campaign in 1992/93.
The iconic Frenchman began the season with Leeds United before moving to rivals Manchester United in November and the rest is history! Two players rank second with 14 assists, Bryan Roy and Laurent Robert. Roy joined Nottingham Forest from Foggia in the summer of 1994 and was a revelation in his debut campaign, while Robert’s famed left-foot was a constant source of goals for Newcastle United. Juan Mata and Andy Cole complete the top five with both providing 13 assists in their debut Premier League seasons.
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