PREMIER LEAGUE

What is the Premier League record for assists in a single game?

Kevin de Bruyne provided four assists for four Erling Haaland goals in his side’s FA Cup trip to Luton Town.

JUSTIN TALLISAFP

After spending much of the season apart due to injuries, Erling Haaland and Kevin de Bruyne are reunited and look rejuvenated.

Haaland and De Bruyne were on top form as Manchester City blew Luton Town away on Tuesday. City’s first four goals all came via the same route, a De Bruyne pass and a Haaland finish.

The City duo were on top form in 2022/23 as Pep Guardiola’s side secured a famous treble. With work still to be done on all fronts to bring more success this season, De Bruyne and Haaland seem to be hitting their stride at a crucial moment.

Select club with four PL assists in a single game

Tuesday’s game against Luton was an FA Cup tie, meaning that the City duo’s incredible output will not be added to their respective Premier League tallies. For a striker, hitting four goals in a single is a major achievement. For a midfielder, recording four assists in 90 minutes is almost unheard of.

Just nine players have finished with four assists in a single Premier League game, the most recent of which came from a City player earlier this season. Arsenal legend Dennis Bergkamp was the first player to achieve the feat. In February 1999, Bergkamp set Nicolas Anelka on his way to a hat trick with two assists and provided two more for Ray Parlour as Arsenal put five past Leicester at Highbury.

Curiously, the next two players to do it were also Arsenal players. José Antonio Reyes didn’t get on the scoresheet himself when the Gunners thrashed Middlesbrough 7-0 in January 2006, but he did unselfishly play provider for Thierry Henry (2), Philippe Senderos and Aliaksandr Hleb in a memorable Arsenal victory.

The next Gunner to record four assists in a Premier League game came in October 2009. Cesc Fàbregas became the first player with four assists to four different players in the same match. Teammates Thomas Vermaelen, Robin van Persie, Andrey Arshavin and Theo Walcott were the beneficiaries of Cesc’s generosity in the 6-2 victory over Blackburn.

When Tottenham Hotspur thumped Newcastle United 5-0 at home in February 2012, Emmanuel Adebayor played a part in every single one of the goals. He supplied the passes for Benoît Assou-Ekotto, Louis Saha - making his home debut (2) and Niko Kranjcar before getting on the scoresheet himself - Saha turning provider, nodding into Adebayor’s path to volley in the fifth.

Santi Cazorla became the third of Arsenal’s Spanish players to notch four assists. His quadruple came by way of a corner, a header, a sweeping cross and a precision through-ball which Lukas Podolski (2), Theo Walcott and Aaron Ramsey finished off in the 5-1 win over Wigan Athletic in May 2013.

A couple of seasons later Dusan Tadic became the sixth player to rack up four Premier League assists in one match. Just over half of the eight goals which Southampton fired past Sunderland in October 2014 were a direct result of the Serbian. After playing in Jack Cork and Graziano Pellè, Tadic claimed his first Premier League from 25 yards out, then was back setting up his team mates - first laying off to Wanyama then Sadio Mané for his first goal for the Saints.

Harry Kane and Son Heung-Min were a nightmare for Southampton in the September 2020 meeting at St. Mary’s. Kane provided the assists for all four of Son’s goals then got involved in the festivities himself with a late strike in the 2-5 win.

The eighth player to join the Prem’s elite assist club was Paul Pogba when Manchester United ran out 5-1 winners against Leeds United in August 2021. Pogba played in Bruno Fernandes to slot in the opener then released the Portuguese international for United’s second of the afternoon. Fred and Mason Greenwood rounded off the scoring, also benefitting from Pogba’s creative talents.

The most recent player to hit four assists in a single Premier League game was City star Jeremy Doku. He bagged four assists and one goal as Man City smashed Bournemouth earlier this season.

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