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Although Burnley's time in the Premier League has been far from consistent over the last two decades, the Clarets do have a history of facing Tottenham Hotspur which goes a long way back.

Looking ahead to this Saturday's meeting between the two sides at Turf Moor, Football FanCast has everything you need to know about the previous clashes which spans back more than 100 years.

It has not been the easiest of starts for the Clarets with defeats in both of their opening two games thus far. The newly-promoted side opened up the campaign by hosting the reigning champions and then tasted defeat on home soil again this weekend against Unai Emery's Aston Villa.

The Lilywhites come into the game on Saturday with their tails up following a seriously impressive start under their new manager. Back-to-back wins have followed from their opening day draw against Brentford which have the north London outfit able to end the weekend as the league leaders following their trip to Turf Moor.

Burnley vs Tottenham: What's their head-to-head record?

Despite the north London club having maintained a consistent spot in England's top fight over the last 50 years – unlike Saturday's hosts – this is a fixture which has produced a whopping 122 games over their long-standing history.

These two sides have met across a number of competitions including the Premier League, Championship, FA Cup, League Cup and even the Community Shield.

Their first meeting came all the way back in the 1905/1906 campaign which saw Spurs win 2-0 in the first round of the FA Cup.

Here is how things stand across their 122 meetings:

Burnley wins

42

Draws

28

Tottenham wins

52

Burnley vs Tottenham: What's their record at Burnley?

So Spurs hold the advantage when it comes to these two sides facing it out with 10 more wins than the Lancashire side overall; but how do they fair when the Lilywhites travel north and play at Turf Moor?

Well, it is quite the contrast to their overall record with the Clarets holding a serious advantage over Tottenham when it comes to playing in their home in the north of England.

Across their 59 meetings in Lancashire, Spurs have lost more games than they have even been able to draw with the hosts enjoying a clear advantage having won more games than the number of draws and Spurs wins combined.

Perhaps the fierce northern atmosphere plays its part in deciding the difference between these two sides, but it is certain that the Clarets enjoy playing the Lilywhites on their home soil.

Here are the numbers across these games:

Burnley wins

30

Draws

17

Tottenham wins

12

Burnley vs Tottenham: What's their Premier League record?

These two sides have played the majority of their games across the top flight with a whopping 84 of the 122 clashes coming in England's top tier over the years.

However, it has to be noted that the vast majority of those games have come prior to the creation of the Premier League as we know it now.

Although this fixture has been played out 84 times in the English top flight, there has only been 16 meetings in the Premier League's current format meaning 68 of those games came prior to Burnley's first ever promotion to the Premier League back in 2009.

And there has been a clear pattern when these two sides have met in the Premier League with Tottenham having won seven of their eight meetings between these two sides with Burnley only managing a single draw when they have travelled down to the capital.

However, when the Clarets have played host to the Londoners, they have certainly been able to hold their own on a number of occasions. There is no doubting Spurs have enjoyed a number of visits north in this fixture, but Burnley have been able to record three wins and two draws against a Spurs side which has regularly been competing at the top end of the table.

Burnley vs Tottenham: Which team has the most goals?

Given this is a fixture which spans back more than 100 years and 122 games have been played out over that time, there has certainly been a considerable number of goals scored between these two sides.

Fixtures in north London have provided the most amount of goals when it comes to these two sides meeting with 219 goals having been scored in N17 compared to the 173 which have been netted in Lancashire.

However, in all venues, it is the Lilywhites which have been able to find the back of the net on more occasions with Spurs having scored 225 goals in comparison to Burnley's 173 – which includes their meeting in the Community Shield which was held in a neutral venue.

Burnley vs Tottenham: What happened in their last fixtures?

Given the Clarets were relegated back down to the Championship in the 2021/22 campaign, there was no meeting between these two sides last season.

However, in the 2021/22 season, fans were treated to three meetings between these two sides. The term treated, though, may be a slight exaggeration given all three of the games ended in 1-0 victories.

Spurs took the points in their home game against the Clarets which saw Harry Kane's penalty deep inside first half injury time prove enough for the north London side to take all three points away.

However, the Clarets did take the initial win in February when Ben Mee's header sealed the points for the hosts in their relegation fight. This game was, however, played during the week following the postponement of the fixture which was scheduled to be played in November 2021 but was called off as a result of the heavy snowfall.

But the first meeting between these sides in the 21/22 campaign came with an October meeting in the League Cup which was decided yet again by a single goal which was scored by Lucas Moura.

Burnley vs Tottenham: What is Sander Berge's record?

Following the revolution under Vincent Kompany which began last season, there isn't many current Burnley players who have actually faced Tottenham.

However, summer signing Sander Berge has indeed played against the north London outfit for his former side, Sheffield United.

In his previous three outings against the Lilywhites, the Norwegian has been able to find the back of the net on one occasion and has tasted victory in two of the three games.

Burnley vs Tottenham: What is Son Heung-min's record?

Tottenham's South Korean was named as their new captain over the summer and he will go into the game against Burnley on Saturday having already scored three goals against the Clarets.

The 31-year-old has played 12 times against the Lancashire side since arriving in north London and has also been able to provide his side with three assists against Burnley on top of his tally of three goals.

Son will look back on his games against Burnley fondly having won nine of those 12 games and also scoring a goal against them which saw him awarded with the Puskas award back in 2020.

The South Korean is still to get off the mark this season so will have his eyes set on ending his drought up in the north west.

Burnley vs Tottenham: What is Burnley's biggest win?

The Clarets – despite scoring fewer goals overall – have actually enjoyed some significant wins over the Lilywhites. Their largest win against the Londoners has seen the Lancashire men win by five goals.

And this has come on two occasions with their highest scoring victory against Spurs coming all the way back in the 1963/64 campaign which saw Burnley beat Tottenham 7-2 on home soil. This came at a time when Spurs were only a couple of years off winning the league and cup double under legendary manager Bill Nicholson.

As well as the stunning 7-2 victory, Burnley have also recorded a 5-0 victory over Spurs, but that came almost 100 years ago in the 1926/27 campaign.

Burnley vs Tottenham: What is Tottenham's biggest win?

As was the case for the Clarets, Spurs have also enjoyed some huge victories in this fixture. The Lilywhites have won a number of games by three, four and even five goal margins over the years.

Recently, Spurs were able to beat the Clarets 5-0 in the 2019/20 campaign and 4-0 in the 2020/21 campaign with both games taking place in their north London home.

However, the 5-0 victory was by no means their biggest win over the Lancashire club coming back in the 1967/68 season where they ran out 7-0 victors. And there were some significant names who were able to get on the scoresheet that day with the infamous Jimmy Greaves netting a hat-trick as well as goals from Cliff Jones and Martin Chivers.

Burnley vs Tottenham: When is it?

Kompany's Clarets welcome Ange Postecoglou and his Spurs side to the north on Saturday 2 September where they will kick-off the proceedings at 3pm (BST).

Pressure could be mounting on the Clarets to get their first points on the board – albeit having endured a tricky start – and the prospect of a third home clash in a row could offer them with the perfect opportunity to use their fans to their advantage.

But they will be facing a Spurs side who are in red hot form under their new manager. No side has been able to bring Postecoglou's Spurs to a halt thus far in the Premier League but could it be a long trip to the north of the country which proves the Australian's first defeat in England's top flight?

Sunderland's fanbase have had more to cheer about over the last two seasons after getting promoted back to the Championship after four years in League One.

Following the departure of previous manager Alex Neil only a few games into the 2022/23 season, it looked like the Black Cats could make a quick return to League One, however, the arrival of vastly experienced manager Tony Mowbray changed that.

The former Middlesbrough and Blackburn Rovers manager guided Sunderland to an incredible sixth place last season, meaning they qualified for the playoffs, although they were knocked out in the playoffs by Luton Town.

This turn in form has helped the former Premier League side bring in some of the Championship’s top talent, such as Jobe Bellingham, who is the younger brother of England star and Real Madrid sensation Jude Bellingham.

However, it’s not always been plain sailing for the side who play at the Stadium of Light, while in the top division, they harboured some of the most disappointing signings in the Premier League, such as Jack Rodwell from Manchester City, although one of the worst of these signings came in 2013 when they brought in Danny Graham.

How much did Danny Graham cost?

Sunderland had a reasonable 2011/12 campaign, finishing 13th in the league with 45 points, and to try and thwart the possible threat of relegation in 2013 Sunderland spent £33m on transfers during the season.

Graham was one of the players recruited during the January window, costing the Black Cats £5m from Swansea.

After signing for the north east outfit, the then-27-year-old announced that he wouldn’t have wanted to move anywhere else.

He said:"As soon as I heard about the interest from Sunderland I didn't even have to consider any of the other options that were on the table.

"I was born and brought up in the north-east so I know first-hand the intense passion that people have for their football in this part of the world – it's special and there's nowhere else like it."

Name

Age

Fee

Steven Fletcher

25

£13m

Adam Johnson

25

£11m

Danny Graham

27

£5m

Alfred N'Diaye

22

£4m

Carlos Cuellar

30

Free

Louis Saha

34

Free

Kander Mangane

29

Loan

Danny Rose

22

Loan

What happened to Danny Graham?

The Englishman suffered a horrific time while at Sunderland, during his first spell with the club, he would make only 42 appearances and play 2.1k minutes over three seasons, scoring only one goal and providing four assists.

Speaking to the Sunderland Echo in 2015 before his first goal, Graham was adamant that when he scored his first the goals would come flooding in.

He said: "It would be massive (to get that first goal). Obviously, as a striker you want to be scoring goals and doing well for your football club, but that's not been the case so far for me.

"I know that, I'm not going to hide. It's up to me to work hard and make sure I get in the positions and not shy away from an opportunity when it comes my way.

"Once one goes in, I'm sure a lot more will follow, but the most important thing is the team. We need to pick up points and make sure we're not going to struggle come the end of the season."

It would take until 2015 (more than two years after he signed) and over 20 games for Graham to score his first goal for Sunderland, in a 2-0 win over Everton.

Furthermore, in 2015 Graham was on £30k-per-week, which works out to £1.5m per year and if you combine that with the £5m fee, it means the Black Cats hierarchy paid a shocking £6.5m per goal he scored and paid £155k per appearance.

During his time with Sunderland Graham publicly came under fire from his managers – speaking in May 2013 to the Independent then manager Paolo Di Canio questioned if the striker could actually play football.

He commented: "When I arrived Danny, simply, was not fit

He was not fit enough to play in the Premier League, in my opinion. I do not want to point just the finger at him because that was a general thing.

"He had a long face as he walked around the field during the first few training sessions and I thought, 'Can he play football?’.”

Furthermore, in 2014 Gus Poyet revealed he had no choice but to loan out Graham.

He revealed: "It was a difficult situation for Danny to go into the team. You need something to happen – a cup game where you play and show something different, an injury, a sending-off, to have a chance.

"We didn't have enough time for Danny to have that opportunity”

Frustratingly for Sunderland fans, the 38-year-old went on to perform well for his next club Blackburn, where he played 191 times, scoring 57 goals and providing 24 assists.

Is Danny Graham Sunderland’s worst signing of all time?

Another failed signing in some of the darkest days of Sunderland’s history, was the £4m transfer of Will Grigg from Wigan in 2019.

The 32-year-old had played 150 times for the Tics, scoring 65 goals and providing 14 assists, making him an obvious target to try and pull the Black Cats out of League One.

However, this was not the case, the striker only played 62 times for Sunderland, scoring just eight goals and providing three assists, on top of this the Wearside club were unable to gain promotion and finished fifth.

Grigg signed a three-and-a-half-year deal at Sunderland but went on long loan twice, first to MK Dons and then to Rotherham.

After moving to Rotherham in 2021 Grigg revealed to the Sunderland Echo that he never thought it was going to work at Sunderland.

He said: "It is just football and life in general. It just didn't work and it seems like it was never going to.

"Sunderland did not work out how everyone expected. It is one of those things. If I could put my finger on it, I would have changed it and made it work a long time ago.

"It is just one of things. I signed last minute and we lost in the play-off final and it did not quite happen"

Although Grigg’s time with Sunderland was poor – costing £500k per goal – it was nowhere near as bad as Graham’s £6.5m per goal price tag, which could make him the worst value for money transfer in Sunderland’s history.

Celtic have produced a number of impressive academy graduates through their youth set-up in Glasgow over the years, with some currently playing for the first-team and others excelling elsewhere in Europe.

Who are Celtic's most valuable academy graduates?

The Hoops currently have the likes of Callum McGregor, Anthony Ralston, and James Forrest, who all came through the ranks at Parkhead, in Brendan Rodgers' squad.

Celtic's top-five most valuable graduates:

Player

Market value

Kieran Tierney

£21.5m

Aaron Hickey

£21.5m

Callum McGregor

£7.3m

Jack Hendry

£2.5m

Ben Doak

£2.5m

Valuations via Transfermartk.

Supporters may be wondering who the next starlet to breakthrough into the senior side will be and one player who could have the potential to be that is B team central midfielder Mackenzie Carse.

Some may have thought that Rocco Vata would be the one to establish himself within the first-team but the Ireland youth international is out of contract next summer and is seemingly poised to depart on a free transfer.

Sky Sports reporter Anthony Joseph claimed earlier this year that there are no plans to extend his deal in Glasgow and that the management team changed their stance on him after initially calling him up to the senior set-up, which has left the teen midfielder in limbo.

This could open up the door for another academy gem – Carse – to burst onto the scene as Vata appears to be on his way out of the Scottish giants.

How old is Carse?

He is a 19-year-old central midfielder who does not turn 20 until February of next year and is a current Scotland U19 international with 11 caps to his name to date.

The young ace is a versatile midfield player who is capable of playing in a central or defensive role in the middle of the park, which could make him Callum McGregor 2.0 for Celtic.

Carse can play in a more reserved, number six, role but has also showcased his ability to make an impact at the top end of the pitch with goal contributions over the last 12 months or so.

He made 38 appearances for the B team and U19 side combined throughout the 2022/23 campaign and contributed with three goals and three assists. This included three goals and two assists in 31 Lowland League outings and one assist in five UEFA Youth League outings.

B team head coach Darren O'Dea stated that the impressive youngster was in "really good form" back in February of this year and that comment indicates that the manager has been very pleased with the 19-year-old talent's performances at youth level.

Carse has carried on his excellent form into the current campaign with four goals in nine games for the B team so far. This includes four goals in eight Lowland League clashes, which shows that the Scottish dynamo has the potential to score goals from a midfield position.

How many goals has Callum McGregor scored for Celtic?

The Hoops skipper came up through the academy system at Parkhead and has scored 62 goals in 424 matches in all competitions for the club to date.

McGregor made his breakthrough at first-team level during the 2014/15 campaign as he scored two goals in 17 Scottish Premiership outings after a loan spell in England with Notts County.

The Scottish whiz had showcased his goalscoring potential during his time in League One with the English side as the talented maestro racked up an impressive 12 goals in 37 outings.

Last season, the 30-year-old wizard averaged a Sofascore rating of 7.07 across 31 Premiership matches for Celtic and contributed with four goals and one assist from midfield. He also offered a reliable defensive presence with 2.2 tackles and interceptions per game and a pass completion rate of 92%, as per Sofascore.

In total, the experienced ace, who can play as a number eight or in a defensive role in midfield, has scored 38 goals in 257 league games for the Hoops. This works out as one strike every 6.76 matches on average, which shows that he provides a goal threat on a semi-regular basis.

Carse, however, has scored seven goals in 43 matches for the B team in all competitions to date, which is an average of one goal every 6.14 games.

Is Carse similar to McGregor?

This suggests that the academy gem, who plays in similar positions to the first-team star, has the potential to offer a similar level of attacking quality to McGregor if he can translate his performers over to a senior setting over the years to come under Rodgers.

Therefore, they could be similar in playstyle as they are both central midfielders who can also be deployed in a defensive role and carry the ability to chip in with goals, despite not being regular goalscorers who are likely to hit double figures over the course of a campaign.

Carse could also be McGregor 2.0 for Rodgers in terms of the leadership qualities that he is able to bring on and off the pitch for the Hoops.

The current first-team star has been the club's captain since Ange Postecoglou arrived at Parkhead in the summer of 2021 and has been a leader on the field for the Scottish giants for just over two years now, which means that his eventual replacement could need to replace his physical and mental skills.

Carse, who is 11 years younger than McGregor, has showcased his leadership ability with the B team as he has donned the captain's armband on a number of occasions.

The teen whiz has captained his side in five of their nine matches this season and has been given the honour of doing the same for his country in four of his last five U19 appearances for Scotland.

This shows that his coaches at club and international level see him as a leader among his peers at youth level, which suggests that the potential is there for him to be a future captain at Celtic if he can carry those qualities over to the first-team.

Therefore, Rodgers could unearth McGregor 2.0 by offering Carse senior opportunities over the months and years to come as the aforementioned evidence indicates that there is a possible star to be unearthed from the academy set-up.

Leeds United could now find a cost-effective solution to their left-back issue despite the transfer window being closed at Elland Road, according to journalist Ben Jacobs.

What's the latest news involving Leeds United?

News Leeds United signing Ethan Ampadu has made a significant impact at Elland Road since arriving from Chelsea in the summer and has been voted Socios Player of the Month.

Speaking to the Whites' official website, the Wales international expressed his delight at winning the award and how he has started life in Yorkshire, stating: "It was never my aim to come here and win awards, it was more to settle in and see how I could help the team. I really appreciate the fans for all of their support and hopefully by them voting for me, it shows I'm going someway to repaying them for that support and I hope to do even more. Everyone here, the staff, players and all the fans, have made it really easy for me to settle in, so it's been an easy and smooth transition and I've really enjoyed it."

Leeds United have taken just five points from their opening six matches in the Sky Bet Championship so far and face a tough test away to adversaries Millwall on Sunday at The Den.

Former player Paul Robinson has indicated that their encounter against Millwall is a game that Daniel Farke needs to win, stating to MOT Leeds News: “But, it’s always difficult – a game at 12 o’clock on a Sunday after the international break, it’s not an ideal time, but it’s a game that Leeds will need to win. Farke’s job is not in question yet. I mean, yes, they’ve had an indifferent start to the season, but there are reasons as to why: injuries, him coming in late, etcetera, et cetera. If they’re still in 15th in the next international break then there’ll be questions asked. That’s just the nature of the beast, unfortunately.”

As per a recent report from The Athletic, Scottish Premiership outfit Rangers contemplated making a bid for Leeds United ace Jamie Shackleton in the summer; however, no move materialised to try and prize the 23-year-old away from Elland Road in the end.

What has Ben Jacobs said about Leeds United's left-back situation?

Journalist Jacobs has indicated that Farke could be willing to enter the market for a left-back after recent injury problems concerning Junior Firpo.

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, Jacobs stated: "I don't expect Leeds to panic sign and get cover for cover's sake. But it's obvious to anyone who looks at what Leeds have got on paper that they still need to strengthen in that left-back position. So, if a free agent becomes available, they'll move because it's relatively low-risk and cost-effective. But right now, I just don't think there are that many targets that are right for Leeds. There's no point in just adding an extra body for the sake of it if they're not going to benefit the football team. So, the left-back position is Firpo’s and Leeds will just be praying that he stays fit."

Firpo looks to be closing in on a return to first-team action in the near future; however, it is unclear if he will be available for selection against Millwall this weekend.

As per Leeds Live, Whites boss Farke has confirmed that both Firpo and Sam Byram, who has deputised at left-back this term, are on the verge of re-entering the first-team fold, stating earlier this month: "I also have to say we've got Junior Firpo, we've got Sam Byram who was outstanding there (at left-back). So I hope both will be back on the other end of the International break at least. "It looks good with the rehab of both of them."

Leeds United fans will be desperate for both to return and will hope their side can climb the Sky Bet Championship table following a frustrating start to 2023/24.

The Premier League has been home to some of the world's best creative players over the last couple of decades. Of course, we've seen stars like David Beckham, Ryan Giggs and Thierry Henry light up the league with incredible assist hauls.

But what about the modern era? Football FanCast has looked into the data to find the best individual seasons from creative players over the last 15 years. It brings about some truly remarkable campaigns – but one player stands out, in particular.

You can probably guess who, but here are the Premier League's top 10 assist hauls of the past 15 years…

10 Christian Eriksen 2014/15 – 15 assists (3,157 mins)

We've had to include the minutes as there is a tie – a four-way tie, in fact. 15, for whatever reason, is a number that few players can move past. It's something of a cut-off point for the elite seasons over the last 15 years.

Christian Eriksen, though, hit that mark back in 2015. This was his best season for Tottenham Hotspur, assisting 15 and scoring eight in the Premier League. It's the second-highest assist mark of his career, too – Eriksen once managed 17 for Ajax.

And what a massive season this was for Spurs. Okay, they only finished 5th, but this was their first campaign under Mauricio Pochettino, as well as the breakout campaign for Harry Kane. The young striker scored 21 in the Premier League, thiriving on the back of Eriksen's creativity.

9 Eden Hazard 2018/19 – 15 assists (2,923 mins)

What an absolutely incredible season this was from Eden Hazard. Four players have managed exactly 15 assists in the Premier League across the last 15 years – but only one also scored 16 goals.

This tally equalled Hazard's career-best, having also hit the total in his final season at Lille. This, of course, would be his final season at Chelsea.

Again, Hazard scored 16 goals and provided 15 assists in this campaign. That 'earned' the Belgian a big-money move to Real Madrid in the summer – something that also saw a dramatic downturn in his career. That's the strange thing about this season – we had no idea at the time, but this was actually Hazard's swansong.

He was never the same player after departing to Madrid. Arguably the best season of his career was also the last of him at his peak.

8 David Silva 2011/12 – 15 assists (2,800 mins)

The biggest season in Manchester City's history arguably saw David Silva at his best. 15 assists in the title-winning campaign is four more than he managed in any other season – for any club.

That's a little surprising, if we're honest. 15 assists feels like Silva's benchmark such was his longevity in the Premier League. There is a very good reason for him only hitting the mark once, however.

Silva's 2,800 minutes in this Premier League season is the most he managed at City. His 36 overall appearances was also a joint career-high, while he also made 33 starts – something he never did in any other campaign.

The Spaniard is the only player on this list where you feel he could have managed even more.

7 Leroy Sané 2017/18 – 15 assists (2,419 mins)

Leroy Sané is the sole player on this list who you wouldn't consider a typical playmaker. He was never the go-to guy at Manchester City, and we can't imagine many would expect him to feature on here.

Even stranger is that out of the four players to register 15 assists, Sané did it in the lowest amount of game time. Yes, even fewer than David Silva.

What won't surprise you, however, is to learn that this season is a complete outlier in Sané's career. His next best is 10, achieved in the campaign after this one. The German only managed two in the prior season.

In fact, Sané typically scores more than he assists. But in 2018, he completely clicked with what Pep Guardiola wanted his City side to do going forward. Burst forward, hit the byline, cut it back for the goal. Sané was fantastic at it, clearly.

6 Kevin De Bruyne 2017/18 – 16 assists (3,073 mins)

Ah, there he is. This is a list of the 10 best individual assist seasons of the last 15 years but it only actually features seven players. That's because one player features four times. No one else is here twice.

Kevin De Bruyne picked up 16 assists in the 2017/18 campaign, but that number is tied. Unlike the mess at 15 assists, however, De Bruyne's figure of 16 is tied with himself. We'll get onto the other time he did it in a moment.

What's remarkable about the 2017/18 campaign, though, is that De Bruyne managed to get all of these assists despite Leroy Sané's efforts above. You usually only get one player dominating the charts per team, given the only way to get assists en masse is to be the lead playmaker.

But City did break the Premier League goal record this season, scoring 106 goals in 38 games. That certainly leaves room for multiple assist leaders.

5 Kevin De Bruyne 2022/23 – 16 assists (2,417 mins)

Much like playing in a team capable of breaking the goal record helps with assists, playing with a striker capable of doing it provides opportunities, too. That's certainly what Kevin De Bruyne found last season.

Erling Haaland moved to Manchester City in 2022 and with that, the Premier League had a new goalscorer extraordinaire. The Norwegian would eventually finish the campaign with 36 league goals – breaking the 38-game record by four.

And it will be of no surprise to anyone to learn that De Bruyne assisted a fair few of those. Eight of his eventual total were for Haaland alone, which was the most any of any player to an individual goalscorer last season. For some context on that, the Belgian would have finished in the top 10 for assists in 22/23 solely on goals created for Haaland.

4 Cesc Fàbregas 2014/15 – 18 assists (2,883 mins)

Cesc Fàbregas was always a magnificent creative force at Arsenal and he did once manage 17 in a season for the Gunners (though, it was 16 seasons ago and thus not on this list). His career best, however, came in his debut season for Chelsea.

Fàbregas was brought in from Barcelona at the same time Diego Costa arrived from Atlético Madrid. They would, along with Eden Hazard, form the creative spark at the Blues under José Mourinho as they recaptured the Premier League crown.

Much as with Kevin De Bruyne and Erling Haaland above, Fàbregas and Costa were a brilliant pairing. The midfielder supplied six goals for his teammate, but still managed to find 12 more throughout the campaign for others.

While Hazard was the best player in the league that year, Fàbregas's creativity was off the charts. After all, only two players have managed better since.

3 Kevin De Bruyne 2016/17 – 18 assists (2,877 mins)

Kevin De Bruyne just pips Cesc Fàbregas to 3rd on this list by achieving his 18 assists in six fewer minutes. Not a lot separates them, then.

What does separates them is that this wasn't even De Bruyne's best season for assists. It's worth mentioning again just how remarkable this all is. We've mentioned some of the greatest creative players in Premier League history, here – Fàbregas, David Silva, Eden Hazard and Christian Eriksen. All mentioned once. Here's De Bruyne's third appearance on this list, topping all of them, and he's still not done.

What's notable about this season, though, is that City didn't win the league. They did in the two other campaigns we've mentioned but they fell to a lowly third in this one behind Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur.

Of course, Pep Guardiola's men would click the following year and quickly get things back on track.

2 Mesut Özil 2015/16 – 19 assists

It's taken us to the no.2 spot but we've finally got someone standing on their own – we don't even need to list the minutes!

This was Mesut Özil's third season at Arsenal and it saw his career best for assists, narrowly beating out his 2011/12 title-winning campaign at Real Madrid. And what a season it was.

It really came out of relatively nowhere, too. Özil had managed only five assists the season before, with nine before that. Suddenly he smashed both seasons combined, assisting Olivier Giroud seven times and Alexis Sánchez with three.

It was an extraordinary season and one that, unfortunately, Özil would never come close to replicating again. The next season saw him pick up 10, so nearly a 50% drop. Even that would be a mark he'd never find again – eight followed in 2018 and the German never managed more than two beyond that for the rest of his career.

This season, though, is an all-timer and one of the most productive we've ever seen in the Premier League.

1 Kevin De Bruyne 2019/20 – 20 assists

This mark of 20 isn't just the most of anyone in the last 15 years – it's the Premier League record. Technically, that makes it the all-time record for English football, but only because assists weren't recorded before the PL.

Of course, Arsenal fans will want us to quickly point out that De Bruyne merely shares this honour. Thierry Henry set the benchmark in 2002/03 at 20. The Belgian is the only player to match it, though.

And what a season it was. De Bruyne made it into the top 10 in terms of combinations in the league that year with two different players – Sergio Aguero (2nd, with six assists) and Raheem Sterling (8th, with four assists). And that still only accounts for half of his total.

Take out assists to those two players and De Bruyne still would have been 4th in the Premier League for assists that year. It was a truly astonishing achievement, made all the more amazing by the fact that Manchester City didn't win the title that season.

It creates a notable fact – De Bruyne's two best seasons for assists are also the only two seasons he hasn't won the Premier League title. There are all sorts you can read into that.

Manchester United were contemplating a summer swoop for an interesting central midfielder as an alternative to Mason Mount, a reliable journalist has confirmed.

Which players have left Man United?

Over the summer, Erik ten Hag sanctioned the exits of 14 stars in total, with David De Gea, Fred and Anthony Elanga being some of the bigger names to depart on a permanent basis, alongside the likes of Mason Greenwood and Brandon Williams who were sent out on loan.

The Red Devils therefore created space in the squad for seven new faces in the form of Rasmus Hojlund, Andre Onana, Sofyan Amrabat, Jonny Evans, Sergio Reguilon, Altay Bayindir and Mount, but the latter may not have even ended up putting pen to paper at Old Trafford.

At Benfica, Orkun Kokcu made the switch to Roger Schmidt’s side from Feyenoord back in July despite attracting significant interest from Liverpool, Tottenham Hotspur, Arsenal and Newcastle United, and they weren’t the only clubs hoping to bring the 22-year-old to the Premier League.

Back in April, The Mirror reported that the M16 outfit sent scouts to watch the Turkey international live in action as they weighed up whether to make an approach, and whilst that never came to fruition, it sounds like chiefs were seriously thinking about the possibility.

Did Man United nearly sign Orkun Kokcu?

According to Fabrizio Romano in his Daily Briefing for CaughtOffside, Man United were indeed interested in Kokcu, but instead chose to pursue Mount as their top target in that central midfield position. He said:

“Manchester United considered signing Orkun Kokcu when he was still at Feyenoord this summer. The 22-year-old Turkey international ended up joining Benfica this summer, but he was also considered by Man Utd before they decided to go for Mason Mount as their priority in that area of the pitch.”

How good is Orkun Kokcu?

According to talent scout Jacek Kulig, Kokcu is a “leader” in the centre of the park so he clearly possesses excellent organisational skills, but there is so much more he can bring to the pitch to show it might have been a mistake for Man United not to pursue him.

The Haarlem native has clocked up 96 involvements (57 goals and 39 assists) in 257 appearances since the start of his career, displaying how prolific he can be in the final third, but even if the ball doesn’t always hit the back of the net, he’s constantly posing a threat to the opposition’s defence with his attacking skills.

Benfica’s two-footed ace, who pockets £49k-per-week, ranks in the 98th percentile for most shots and has recorded 19 crosses so far this season, which is the second-highest total throughout his squad, via FBRef, showing what a standout performer he is.

Whilst at Feyenoord, Kokcu was even named the Netherlands’ Footballer of the Year for 2023 so he’s getting the individual recognition that he deserves, and Ten Hag will now be hoping that Mount can perform to the standard he requires having put his full faith in him.

Tottenham Hotspur could move to sign a "game-changer" if out-of-favour midfielder Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg departs in the January transfer window.

Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg latest

The biggest casualty of Spurs' blistering start to the new Premier League season has been, without question, Antonio Conte's former midfield favourite. Hojbjerg, once a mainstay and lynchpin of Conte's midfield at Tottenham, now finds himself on the periphery of Ange Postecoglou's starting eleven – watching on from the sidelines as his side enjoy an imperious run of form without him.

Hojbjerg has started precisely zero games under Postecoglou this season, making all of his appearances from the substitute's bench as both Pape Matar Sarr and Yves Bissouma become stars of Spurs' new-look dual midfield pivot. The Denmark international, as a result, is said to be weighing up a January transfer away from north London (Fabrizio Romano), and Serie A giants Juventus are billed as top suitors.

The former Southampton star made 35 league starts last season, scoring four goals and assisting five others, all while featuring amond Tottenham's best-performing players per 90 according to WhoScored. As a result, members of the media praised the "sensational" Hojbjerg for his contribution (Seb Stafford-Bloor). Former Spurs goalkeeper Paul Robinson also told Football Insider that he was playing his best football at one point during 22/23.

"I’ve been surprised by how much he has stepped up this year," said Robinson.

"I thought he was the one who would make way for Yves Bissouma. The club spent a lot of money on Bissouma. I think Hojbjerg recognised that and stepped up. He is playing to a level that we have never seen before. He is playing his best football in a Spurs shirt."

Who could replace Hojbjerg at Tottenham?

Despite the Dane's past form, he doesn't quite fit into Postecoglou's system, meaning Spurs are now weighing up possible replacements. Tottenham's new manager appears to favour more creativity in his midfield, as emphasised by the club's summer signing of James Maddison, who has gone on to absolutely thrive at his new club after joining from Leicester City.

Journalist Rudy Galetti, sharing some Spurs transfer news for Tribal Football, writes that Hojbjerg's exit could open opportunities this January. Indeed, dropping the latest transfer update on Conor Gallagher and his future at Chelsea, the reporter claims Tottenham could move for the 23-year-old if Hojbjerg does indeed depart.

He adds that Giovani Lo Celso is a "main name" on the Lilywhites exit list.

"The main names are Giovani Lo Celso and Pierre Hojbjerg," wrote Galetti this week.

"The chances of seeing them leave in January – towards Spain – are growing: For the Argentine midfielder, Tottenham are also open to evaluating the idea of a loan, while the eventual farewell of the Danish midfielder – Atletico Madrid are always interested – could open up some scenarios, including the possible assault on Conor Gallagher."

Likes to play long-balls

Plays the ball off the ground

Gallagher has gone on to become a fixture of Mauricio Pochettino's starting eleven this season, having also once been called a "game-changer" by ex-Spurs midfielder Jermaine Jenas on Match of the Day.

Manchester United return to domestic duty following the recent international break today as Erik ten Hag’s side travel to Bramall Lane to face Sheffield United in the Premier League.

The Dutchman will be hoping to carry on the momentum which saw United secure a stunning last-gasp win against Brentford in their last league match, although he will have to make a few changes to his starting XI.

What is the Man Utd team news vs Sheffield United?

Ten Hag will travel to Sheffield knowing quite a few of his players will miss the tie against the Blades due to injury problems.

Indeed, the Dutchman will be without Luke Shaw, Lisandro Martinez and Aaron Wan-Bissaka while the likes of Tyrell Malacia and Raphael Varane are also unavailable.

A new name has been added to those who will miss the tie, as Casemiro won’t be available due to suffering an ankle injury whilst on international duty for Brazil.

The midfielder was withdrawn during the 1-1 draw against Venezuela, with manager Fernando Diniz saying: "He asked to come off due to a blow to his ankle."

Ten Hag will now need to replace the 31-year-old, who was the only outfield player to feature in all 11 of United’s matches so far this term.

Scott McTominay is certainly an option, especially after his confidence-boosting cameo against Thomas Frank's men a couple of weeks ago.

Could Scott McTominay replace Casemiro?

The Scot didn’t start the tie against the Bees, but he certainly finished it. Trailing by a goal to nil heading into injury time, McTominay popped up and made himself a hero, and potentially kick-starting United’s season in the process.

While he only took five touches of the ball and completed just two passes, the midfielder scored an equaliser, before coming up with a Fergie-esque winner to secure a stunning comeback victory.

McTominay has only started two matches all season, but the £60k-per-week star gave everyone at Old Trafford a glimpse of just what he offers when given a chance.

His form for Scotland during the Euro 2024 qualifiers is testament to this. Across six matches for his country, he has scored a whopping six goals, while taking 2.3 shots per game and averaging 37.8 touches each match, and it is time Ten Hag gave him a proper chance in the Red Devils starting XI.

Lauded as “sensational” by broadcaster David Tanner following his goal for Scotland against Cyprus last month, the Dutchman will hope he can translate his form for his national side to his club as they seek points in the league.

The academy graduate managed just ten starts in the Premier League last term, yet created two big chances, succeeded with 59% of his attempted dribbles, won 60% of his aerial duels and lost possession just 5.4 times on average per game.

He has slipped down the pecking order of late, yet with injuries starting to take their toll on the Old Trafford side, the former Ajax boss might have no choice but to slot McTominay into the heart of his midfield.

It could well turn out to be a wise move.

Newcastle United have their fair share of injury problems at the moment, and Sky Sports man Keith Downie has dropped a key update regarding the prognosis of yet another issue.

Newcastle injuries going from bad to worse

Eddie Howe's side return to Premier League action on Saturday evening, making the trip to a Wolves side who are impressing under manager Gary O'Neil.

It has the potential to be a tricky contest for Newcastle, who continue to battle for another top-four finish, but there is no doubt that they have the quality to pick up all three points at Molineux.

That being said, the Magpies have numerous injury problems to contend with at the moment, with a host of key players unavailable. The likes of Jacob Murphy and Alexander Isak are among those who are currently sidelined, and there is also the news that Sandro Tonali is banned for the next ten months.

Now, Howe has been dealt another blow in the fitness department, as things go from bad to worse in the treatment room.

Elliot Anderson injured until Christmas

Taking to X, Downie shared news from Howe's press confernece that midfielder Elliot Anderson could be missing for around two months of action, which would take him right up until Christmas:

"Elliot Anderson facing 8 weeks out with a stress fracture in his back. Jacob Murphy — shoulder dislocation. May need an operation, seeing specialist today. Alex Isak – groin injury & getting scan today. Not anticipated to be too bad."

This is a massive blow for Anderson, who has been really finding his feet this season, proving to be a genuinely reliable squad player who has contributed positively a number of times.

Anderson's stats show that he has featured in all nine Premier League matches to date in 2023/24, registering one assist in that time, and the 20-year-old has also enjoyed an 83.2% pass completion rate.

Former Newcastle chief scout Graham Carr has waxed lyrical over the youngster in the past, comparing him to past greats and saying:

"You can go out and sign as many young players as you want, you will be doing well to get any better than Elliot Anderson. He receives the ball like Peter Beardsley. He kills it and moves it all in one motion. That is a gift. He’s the best young player I have seen in a long time.

"Newcastle haven’t produced anyone like him, in terms of his technical gifts, probably all the way back to Gazza. He plays with a swagger. Every time he got the ball you knew something was going to happen. He always wants to dribble and moves off quickly. He knows he’s good, but there’s no harm in that."

Newcastle

41

Premier League

32

Scotland Under-21s

1

This highlights what a big loss Anderson could be for Newcastle over the next few months, at a point when he was really maturing as a player, but on the plus side, the Magpies have a special talent in their ranks who could be a huge part of the club's future.

Liverpool progressed through to the next round of the EFL Cup on Wednesday as they came out 2-1 winners against fellow Premier League side Bournemouth.

Goals from Cody Gakpo and Darwin Nunez, either side of an equaliser from Justin Kluivert, sealed their place in the quarter-finals of the competition.

Jurgen Klopp's side have now won four games on the bounce and central defender Joel Matip played a crucial role with his performance at the back.

Matip's performance against Bournemouth in numbers

The experienced battler was drafted into the XI to partner with young Jarell Quansah and produced a fine display in defence to keep Bournemouth at bay for the majority of the match.

In possession, the former Schalke titan showcased his composure and ability with a pass completion rate of 92%, which included three of his four long pass attempts, and created one chance for the team.

However, it was off the ball that Matip displayed his best qualities as the 32-year-old colossus won 100% of his physical contests (4/4) and made four interceptions and one block.

These statistics show that the central defender was virtually faultless defensively as he did not allow Bournemouth to get the better of him, by dribbling past or winning a duel, throughout his 90 minutes on the pitch.

Despite his impressive showing, Nunez was Klopp's saviour on the night as the substitute came on and provided the spark that was needed to secure the victory.

Nunez's performance against Bournemouth in numbers

The Uruguay international came on with 30 minutes to play but that was all he needed to make a significant impact on the match as he put the tie to bed.

In that half an hour, the former Benfica superstar completed two dribbles, won five of his nine duels, and created a chance for one of his teammates.

That alone was an impressive contribution for 30 minutes of action, as the energetic forward showcased his directness and physicality at the top end of the pitch.

However, the 6 foot 2 maverick capped it off with a stunning goal in the 70th minute to make it 2-1 to Liverpool, which ultimately proved to be the winning strike.

The goal summed Nunez up as his initially poor piece of play, in failing to control the ball, was redeemed by the subsequent finish that was bent over the goalkeeper and into the back of the net from range after the Cherries defender afforded him far too much time to pick his spot.

Journalist Josh Williams described the goal as the forward going "full Suarez", in reference to the former Liverpool star's terrific goal at Carrow Road against Norwich – one of many.

Suarez was mocked by the home crowd for missing a huge opportunity in front of goal before robbing the centre-back from the subsequent goal kick and beautifully stroking the ball into the bottom corner with the outside of his foot.

Nunez produced a similar moment of genius after being jeered by the Bournemouth fans for his poor control from Trent Alexander-Arnold's sublime pass.

His stunning strike was the match-winning moment for Liverpool and his all-round energy and positivity off the bench was the catalyst for Klopp's side coming away with the win, which is why he was the saviour over Matip.