When Josko Gvardiol put Manchester City ahead in the 13th minute of the match at Fulham, it was not only a goal that was crucial to his club’s title challenge, it also meant team-mate Kevin De Bruyne went joint-second for all-time Premier League assists.
De Bruyne’s pass to Gvardiol became his 111th assist, moving him alongside Cesc Fabregas in the table.
Both trail the leader Ryan Giggs, who registered 162 assists across his time at Manchester United.
Premier League all-time assists
| Player | Assists | Matches |
| Ryan Giggs | 162 | 632 |
|---|---|---|
| Cesc Fabregas | 111 | 350 |
| Kevin De Bruyne | 111 | 258 |
| Wayne Rooney | 103 | 491 |
| Frank Lampard | 102 | 609 |
De Bruyne has taken only 258 matches to reach the number, some 92 fewer than Fabregas did. It took Giggs 404 matches to register his 111th assist.
Kevin De Bruyne's 111 Premier League assists. pic.twitter.com/5pRjR73No3
— Opta Analyst (@OptaAnalyst) May 11, 2024
It is the second time that De Bruyne has set up Gvardiol this season, the other being the win at Nottingham Forest last month.
It is his ninth assist of an injury-hit season, three behind the leader in the race for the Castrol Playmaker of the Season, Aston Villa forward Ollie Watkins. If he does win the award, it would be for the fourth time.
The Belgian’s most popular player for setting up goals has been Sergio Aguero, whom he assisted 19 times at City. Of current City players, Erling Haaland leads the way with 11.
Highest scorers from KDB assists
| Player | Goals |
| Sergio Aguero | 19 |
|---|---|
| Gabriel Jesus | 14 |
| Raheem Sterling | 14 |
| Erling Haaland | 11 |
| Phil Foden | 8 |