What's Pogba's Premier League assists target?

Friday 27 August 2021 07:00

Paul Pogba has outlined one of his key targets for the rest of the 2021/22 season as topping the Premier League's assists chart.

The French midfielder was one of the star turns at the recent European Championship and has carried his excellent form into the domestic season.
 
United began with a 5-1 dismantling of Leeds United on opening day, and Pogba was the catalyst behind much of the Reds' best attacking work, setting up four of our goals with a glorious array of perfect passes.
 
And in our first away game – last weekend's 1-1 draw with Southampton at St Mary's – his simple, slight but very important touch to Mason Greenwood enabled the equaliser that earned us a point.
United Daily: Watch our Pogba exclusive Video

United Daily: Watch our Pogba exclusive

In today's bulletin: we celebrate Ole's anniversary, speak to La Pioche on Raphael and recap Monday's U21 action...

The five assists he has already tabled, just two weeks into the new campaign, puts him top of the Premier League's assists charts and already three clear of the nearest competitors (Michail Antonio, Said Benrahma, Gabriel Jesus, Pascal Gross, Mohamed Salah).
 
So when we caught up with the 28-year-old at Carrington earlier this week, we asked him which of the five set-ups was his favourite?
 
The raking long ball that he slipped straight into Mason Greenwood's path for our crucial second against Leeds, perhaps?
 
Or how about the left-footed pick-out that presented Brazilian colleague Fred with a simple opportunity for a rare goal?
 
But Pogba wasn't in the mood for self-congratulation, and instead chose to reveal his burning desire to confirm himself as the Premier League's assist top dog – and, more importantly, help his club achieve collective success.
“Which assist means the most to me? The next one. The next one, hopefully,” he said. “It’s true that it’s been very nice to get those assists, but then you want to finish [as] the top assister of the league. 
 
“You want to win something at the end, so all this will mean something with a trophy. It won’t mean anything without a trophy. I’m focused on that; I’m focused on giving my best on the pitch and hopefully I can get many more.”
Pogba's precise pass Video

Pogba's precise pass

Can we take a moment to marvel again at the quality of Paul Pogba's through ball for Mason Greenwood..?

Pogba is already halfway towards his best-ever assists tally in a Premier League season: the 10 he racked up in 2017/18, when United finished second, but some 19 points behind champions Manchester City.
 
The deficit to the Blues was 12 points last season and, perhaps with that in mind, Pogba's current concern is helping United to mount another title challenge this time out.
 
The Reds took just three points from our first three games in 2020/21, but can make it seven from three in 2021/22 if we return to winning ways against Wolves at Molineux on Sunday (kick-off 16:30 BST).
 
“Seven points out of nine, that’s what we want,” explained Pogba. “We want this win this weekend, we know it’s going to be very important. It’s the push. The games at the start are very important and it’s going to push us as well through the season and we need the three points. 
 
“You know it’s going to be a tough one. It’s always going to be a tough one but we focus on that to get the three points.”

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