Most chances created? Most dribbles? See 2025/26's stats leaders

With the first seven Matchweeks of the 2025/26 Premier League season complete, football writer Adrian Clarke has gathered data to analyse the stats leaders across a number of key categories.

Who are the most creative performers?

In open play, Jack Grealish remains the division’s best creator of chances, laying on 16 goalscoring opportunities for his Everton team-mates.

Liverpool’s Cody Gakpo and Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes - both with 13 - are next in line, ahead of meeting each other in Matchweek 8 at Anfield following the international break.

Most open-play chances created 

When you also factor in set pieces, Fernandes (19) tops the overall list of chances created, just ahead of Grealish (17), but the Portuguese playmaker is frustratingly still awaiting his first assist of the campaign.

New signings dominate that list.

Five of the top seven players in the assists chart all joined their current clubs in the summer, with Tottenham Hotspur’s in-form winger Mohammed Kudus level with Grealish at the top.

Most assists

Who has provided the highest number of big chances? That is Crystal Palace’s midfielder Adam Wharton with five.

Mohamed Salah and Bruno Guimaraes have supplied the most through balls with seven each, while Wolverhampton Wanderers’ left-back Hugo Bueno has emerged as the most consistent crosser in the Premier League.

Bueno has racked up 13 accurate deliveries in just 440 minutes of action, with an impressive 46.4 per cent of his open-play crosses finding a team-mate.

 Most successful open-play crosses

Which players offer the greatest goal threat?

Nine-goal Erling Haaland is in sensational form, so unsurprisingly it is the Manchester City marksman who leads the way when it comes to all the key attacking data.

Antoine Semenyo and Jean-Philippe Mateta also feature prominently for shots and connecting with clear-cut opportunities.

Interestingly, Haaland, Semenyo and Mateta are all athletic, physical and powerful forwards.

Biggest attacking threat

Norwegian forward Haaland cannot claim to be the most clinical player though.

That accolade currently belongs to Everton’s Iliman Ndiaye, who has found the back of the net with half of his shots so far.

The top five list below, which includes Newcastle United's recent signing Nick Woltemade, is for players who have scored at least three times.

Best chance-conversion rates

Kudus’ dribbles are on another level

He may have four assists to his name, but it is the dribbling skills of Kudus that have caught the eye most during the early weeks.

Kudus was successful in all six of his attempted dribbles against Leeds United in Matchweek 7, and that performance was typical of the Spurs wide man.

 Most dribbles attempted/completed

It is no surprise that the Ghanaian boasts 11 more completed runs (30) than his nearest rival, Brighton & Hove Albion's Yankuba Minteh (19), having tried his luck with 18 more dribbles than anyone else in the division.

Who’s the best at long throws?

Brentford right-back Michael Kayode has completed an impressive 12 dribbles this season, and statistically he is also the Premier League’s most prolific long-throw specialist.

This art form is very much in vogue, with 262 long throws into the opposition box so far in 2025/26 — already 45 per cent of last season’s total count!

Individually, Kayode, and Bournemouth’s talented all-rounder Semenyo, lead the way.

 Most long throws into penalty area

For the record, Semenyo and Crystal Palace’s Chris Richards have both recorded six successful long throws, the best in the division.

Caicedo – a talented all rounder

Chelsea’s midfield star Moises Caicedo has showcased his quality during the early phase of the campaign.

Caicedo has impacted matches with moments of individual brilliance, scoring three goals, including two stunning strikes from outside the box.

Yet Caicedo has offered the Blues so much more, as his stats indicate.

The Ecuadorian has made more interceptions and tackles than any other Premier League player this season, while he has shown to be the most press-resistant player in the division, completing 88 per cent of his passes when put under intense pressure.

 Caicedo stats - including passing under high-pressure intensity (HPI)

Caicedo is producing high quality football and numbers, remaining dominant with the ball, and masterful at winning it back to regain possession for Chelsea.

Which players cover the most distance?

Elliot Anderson of Nottingham Forest and Leeds midfielder Anton Stach are the most industrious players, each covering in excess of 78 kilometres across their seven matches.

Sunderland’s central midfield pairing of Granit Xhaka and Noah Sadiki also both feature in the top five, which in part explains why the Black Cats are proving so difficult to play against.

 Most distance covered

Pressing is a key tactic among all 20 top-flight sides of course, and it is interesting to note which players are closing opponents down with the most enthusiasm.

Arsenal’s Viktor Gyokeres (71.7km) has covered more distance than any other striker and a lot of the Swede’s work is done in the press.

Gyokeres has applied more pressures inside the final third and opposition box than any other Premier League player until this point.

The summer signing, along with Brentford’s Igor Thiago, are way ahead of other players when it comes to pressuring defenders in the final third.

 Most high pressures applied (HPA)

Which goalkeepers have the best stats?

Finally, it is always insightful to delve into the numbers around top-flight goalkeepers.

Newcastle's Nick Pope has a competition-high five clean sheets, but it is Arsenal’s David Raya who boasts the best save percentage after seven rounds of fixtures.

Beaten just three times, the Spaniard’s 83.33 per cent success rate edges out north London rival Guglielmo Vicario on 82.76 per cent.

 Most saves 

Sunderland’s new goalkeeper Robin Roefs has also been terrific, ranking third for save percentage, while according to Opta he has prevented an extra 2.7 goals being scored.

Spurs' No 1 Vicario is the only 'keeper who can top Roefs in that regard, preventing an extra 2.9 goals.