Leroy Sane and Raheem Sterling are positioning themselves as European football’s assist kings as they each head towards their most productive campaign yet.
Sane, who only turned 23 last week, has been at his devastating best this season and is well on target to top last season’s 19 assists in all competitions.
READ: Blues leading European goal charts
In fact, he’s on course for his best season in all departments.
To date, he’s made 12 goals for his team-mates – just one less than Barcelona’s Lionel Messi – and has scored 10 goals.
During City’s Centurions campaign, Sane scored 14 goals and made 19 assists, so needs just four more goals and seven assists to equal what was a stunning contribution in 2017/18.
Since the start of last season, nobody has created more Premier League goals than Sane who has 23, with fellow winger Sterling next on the list with 18.
Christian Eriksen, Mo Salah and Paul Pogba trail the Blues’ deadly wing duo with 17 each during that time period.
Sterling, who turned 24 last month, has scored 11 and created 11 goals this season, matching Sane’s combined total of 22 for the campaign.
In 2017/18, he achieved a career best 23 goals and 17 assists and will look to top those figures this campaign.
The two Blues’ wingers have been involved in not far off half of our 99-goal total have been provided by Sane and Sterling.
Sterling’s overall stats since he joined City are also hugely impressive.
In his 168 games for the Blues, he’s scored 55 goals and made another 58, so 113 direct involvement in goals.
To date, Sane has played 114 games for the Blues, scoring 33 goals and making another 39 meaning he has either made or scored a goal 72 times for City so far, which equates two goal or assist every 142.5 minutes.
As a comparison, since Sane signed for City in 2016, he has created just eight assists fewer than Messi who has played 21 more games over that period.
Sterling has made just three assists less than Messi over the past three years.
In a team blessed with brilliant assist kings, Kevin De Bruyne has created 44 goals over that same time frame.
And those stats could have looked even more impressive for Sane and Sterling but for Leroy’s seven woodwork strikes and Raheem’s 10 efforts that struck the bar or post.
Plus, the 54 ‘big chances’ the pair created for their team-mates but weren’t converted (Premier League only) since 2016/17.
The pair’s team ethic is also illustrated through other Premier League stats.
Since Sane he joined the Club from Schalke, he’s put in 219 crosses, made 77 tackles, blocked 34 shots and made 33 interceptions.
Sterling, meanwhile, has made 175 crosses, 60 tackles, blocked 52 shots and made 36 interceptions.
The stats illustrate just how vital our very own SAS unit are to City’s recent successes.
Sadly, statisticians have lost count of Leroy’s nutmegs, but it’s safe to say they will number three figures…
