The 2016/17 season saw Kevin De Bruyne occupy a deeper midfield role, but despite his altered position, he remained a central creative force in the Manchester City side.
And one look at his stats, provided by SAP, highlight his impact.
Let’s start with his assist record, which is remarkable. He managed 20 in all competitions last season, five more than his nearest challenger in the City squad, Raheem Sterlin, with his Premier League tally of 18 the most in the English top flight.
Throw in the seven goals he managed himself, and the Belgian was directly involved in 27 goals over the course of the campaign.
His ability to produce key passes is also underlined by the number of chances he created.
David Silva, widely seen as one of the finest attacking midfielders of the Premier League era, finished second on City’s chance created list with 14, 16 behind De Bruyne registered an incredible 130.
De Bruyne also made an impact defensively. He sits fifth on City’s list of players who won the most duels with 210.
And, perhaps most impressively, he topped the list of ball recoveries with 278 – 21 more than his nearest challenger, Nicolas Otamendi.
De Bruyne, 25, is fast-becoming one of the most complete midfield players in Europe. Whether he plays in wide areas, as a No. 10 or as a deep-lying playmaker, his ability on the ball, as well as his work rate and desire to recover possession, means he is capable of producing match-winning performances.
