The Premier League has got an abundance of attacking talent, but who really is its most potent creative force? If asked to pick just one player, most fans would probably plump for Luis Suarez or Steven Gerrard, or perhaps David Silva, Aaron Ramsey or Eden Hazard.
But the statistics reveal an unlikely winner. The man who most regularly supplies goals for others does not play for one of the 'big four'... nor Manchester UnitedIn fact, given how impressive Jonjo Shelvey has been this season, you might be surprised to know that this man is even the most creative player in Swansea's midfield.
If you haven't guessed by now, the player with the most goal assists per minutes played this season is Pablo Hernandez.
The Spanish schemer has supplied seven assists in the top flight this term from a total of 1431 minutes on the pitch. SEE MORE AFTER CUT>>>>>>>
That record puts the 29-year-old former Valencia star ahead of a host of big names, with Ramsey, Silva, Mesut Ozil and Gerrard completing the top five (only players who have played at least 1,000 minutes of Premier League football this season qualify for our table below).
Suarez and Gerrard, in particular, may take umbrage with using such a formula to determine the league's most potent creative force, considering the Liverpool duo top the total assists charts with 12, closely followed by Wayne Rooney and Rickie Lambert with 10 eachBut it's hard to argue against Hernandez's record this season, particularly as he plies his trade at a team which has been battling relegation this term. In fact, Hernandez on average creates a goal 8.2 minutes more regularly than his nearest rival, Arsenal midfielder Ramsey.
So, what price a move to one of the big clubs for Hernandez this summer?
Who is the Premier League's most potent creative force?
| Premier League 2013-14* | Minutes Played | Assists | Mins per Assist |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pablo Hernandez | 1431 | 7 | 204.4 |
| Aaron Ramsey | 1701 | 8 | 212.6 |
| David Silva | 2021 | 9 | 224.6 |
| Mesut Ozil | 2059 | 9 | 228.8 |
| Steven Gerrard | 2810 | 12 | 234.2 |
| Christian Eriksen | 1893 | 8 | 236.6 |
| Luis Suarez | 2874 | 12 | 239.5 |
| Sergio Aguero | 1449 | 6 | 241.5 |
| Wayne Rooney | 2448 | 10 | 244.8 |
| Jesus Navas | 1774 | 7 | 253.4 |
| Andy Carroll | 1021 | 4 | 255.3 |
| Rickie Lambert | 2726 | 10 | 272.6 |
| Kevin Mirallas | 2330 | 8 | 291.3 |
| Fernando Torres | 1481 | 5 | 296.2 |
| Aleksandar Kolarov | 1789 | 6 | 298.2 |
| Daniel Sturridge | 2109 | 7 | 301.3 |
| Marko Arnautovic | 2164 | 7 | 309.1 |
| Nemanja Matic | 1274 | 4 | 318.5 |
| James Milner | 1284 | 4 | 321.0 |
| Santi Cazorla | 2597 | 8 | 324.6 |
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