10 unbreakable Premier League records set by Kevin De Bruyne
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Kevin De Bruyne's announcement of his summer departure from Manchester City has rocked the entire football community. Throughout his nine-year stay in the Premier League, the Belgian midfield maestro has set several indelible records.
Covering assists to creativity and efficiency to dominance, his stats not only changed the impression of the "art of passing" but also set new benchmarks for modern midfielders.
This article outlines 10+ iconic records set by De Bruyne during his 10-year Premier League stint at Manchester City.
1. Fastest player to 50 Premier League assists
De Bruyne is the fastest player to record 50 Premier League assists, doing so in just 123 games to beat Fabregas' record of 165 games. This stat, which shows his unmatched performance, has been mutually certified by both the Premier League and Opta. Since he joined Manchester City in 2015, his passes have been as precise as a surgeon's; every touch could turn into a deadly opportunity.
2. Joint-most assists in a single Premier League season
De Bruyne matched Henry's fabled 20 assists in the 02/03 season in the 19/20 campaign. His almost illogical consistency during the season helped to explain this success, as he also averaged one goal every 1.7 games, greatly improving Manchester City's attacking capacity.
3. Most chances created in a single Premier League season
Creating 136 scoring chances in the 19/20 season, De Bruyne set a new record that has not been surpassed since Opta started compiling data. This qualifies him as the Premier League's number one "chance creation machine", as he produced at least 3.5 key scoring chances for his teammates per game.
4. Most big chances created in a single Premier League season
According to Opta, De Bruyne's 33 "big chances" in the 19/20 season rank as the most single-season tally in historical charts.
His passes are not only abundant but also deadly, regularly cutting through the weakest points of the opposition.
5. Second highest total assist tally in Premier League history
De Bruyne has made more than 118 assists in the Premier League as of April ‘24—a record only surpassed by the great Ryan Giggs in English football history. In just nine seasons, he exceeded the efforts of many legends throughout their entire careers.
De Bruyne's assist tally makes him the non-English player with the most assists in Premier League history, surpassing Fabregas. This marks him as the "model foreign midfielder".
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6. Most assists in a single Premier League game
De Bruyne tied the Premier League record for most assists in a game in '22 against Wolverhampton by delivering 4 assists in one match. Every pass in that game seemed as though he had turned on a god's-eye perspective, with perfect millimetre accuracy.
7. Most playmaker awards in Premier League history
De Bruyne is the only player in Premier League history to be crowned playmaker of the season in three separate campaigns: the 16/17 season (18 times), the 17/18 season (16 times), and the 19/20 season (20 times). Even legends like Henry and Gerrard never reached this long-term peak stability. Without injuries, this figure could be even more startling.
8. Most assists in Europe's big five leagues since 2015
From the 15/16 season to the 24/25 season, De Bruyne's 118 assists are the most in Europe's top five leagues. This number exceeds that of the continent's core players like Messi and Muller in that same period, qualifying him as "Europe's top engine".
9. Most chances created in Premier League since 2015
De Bruyne has created 827 goal-scoring chances overall since the 2015–16 season, according to Opta figures, the most in the Premier League in that period. His vision and approach make Manchester City's offence always full of countless opportunities.
10. Joint-most Premier League Player of the Season awards
De Bruyne has been named the official Premier League Player of the Season twice, in the 19/20 and 21/22 seasons, tied with superstars like Henry and Ronaldo for the most times in league history.
Notably in the 21/22 season, he guided Manchester City to a comeback triumph while carrying an injury, therefore demonstrating what it means to be a "big-game player".
11. Fastest player to 100 assists in Premier League history
De Bruyne delivered 100 assists in 237 games, becoming the fastest to this milestone by beating Fabregas's record (293 matches) by a considerable 56 matches. This incredible efficiency raises the question of whether anyone in the future will be able to come near.
12. Never won a Premier League Player of the Month award
Ironically, despite setting many records, De Bruyne has never received the Premier League Player of the Month honour. This "curse" best represents his approach: enormous success requires constant dominance rather than temporary achievements.