Revealed: United's top assisters in '19/20
Two players are tied at the summit of Manchester United’s assists chart for the recently completed 2019/20 season.
Anthony Martial – who finished as the Reds’ top goalscorer on 23 – laid on nine assists* for his team-mates over the course of the campaign, the same amount as Marcus Rashford, who our no.9 pipped to the aforementioned title.
Fittingly, six of Rashford’s assists were for Martial goals, while the Frenchman set up two for his fellow forward, meaning the pair assisted each other a combined eight times in all competitions – including seven in the Premier League, which was the most by any United duo since the league was rebranded in 1992.
Despite only joining the club in January and making just 22 appearances to date, Bruno Fernandes was only one behind Martial and Rashford, on eight assists, while Juan Mata was next up on seven – five of them coming in the Europa League.
Fourteen of the quartet’s combined 33 assists came after the league restarted in June, as we continued our great run of form and secured a Champions League place thanks to some thrilling attacking football.
Summer signings Daniel James (six – he led the charts along with Rashford in March) and Aaron Wan-Bissaka (four) also enjoyed a productive campaign in terms of creating goals for their fellow Reds and a total of 19 different United players were credited with an assist in 2019/20.
That list includes Paul Pogba (three) who, after missing most of the campaign prior to lockdown through injury, was forced to relinquish the assist crown he earned in both 2017/18 and 2018/19.
Wayne Rooney has also topped the playmaking charts on more than one occasion for the Reds, with his tally of 16 during the 2013/14 term particularly standing out.
Still, that total pales in comparison to efforts from the earlier years of this century.
According to FBRef.com’s new set of historical data, David Beckham conjured an extraordinary 22 assists in all competitions during the 1999/00 season, following that up with another 18 the next term.
Ryan Giggs matched the latter mark in 2003/04, so Martial, Rashford and Bruno have plenty of room to improve when the new campaign gets under way in September!
*Assist stats are from FBRef.com and do not include involvement in winning penalties and free-kicks.
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