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Whether English players are at the top or not, the English Premier League continues its supremacy as the best top-flight league in all of Europe. It offers the most cut-throat competition not just among the elite teams but throughout the division. Clubs in England also emerge as the biggest spenders in the transfer market every now and then, and with the quality on display, the cash feels justified as well.
England are currently ranked fifth in the FIFA Men's World Rankings and the nation is looking forward to the World Cup in Qatar with high spirits. Gareth Southgate has an embarrassment of riches in almost every position.
There are quite a few highly-talented and skilled English players at his disposal. Now, his only headache is to choose the playing XI that has the most synergy and harmony on the field.
At Euro 2020, the Three Lions scored 11 goals and conceded only twice. As much as both those numbers look impressive, Southgate would still want the English players to score more and win games more convincingly. The best way to register comfortable wins would be to score more goals and score more.
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The England manager would need players who create more chances for his team so they have the luxury of avoiding tense moments. We found some England internationals who Southgate could turn to for this job.
Here are five English players with the most assists in all competitions this season.
#5 Harvey Barnes - 9 assists
Harvey Barnes had a slow start to the season with the English player trying to get into the groove after recovering from a serious knee injury suffered last season. As he grew into the campaign, the wide midfielder found his feet again and has been able to deliver as per Brenden Rogers' expectations.
The 24-year-old gives a cutting edge to the Leicester City attack, with his quick feet and directness in the final-third. Barnes, with his great work ethic, has helped his team in pressing with great intensity and winning the ball. He has been decisive with the final passes in the penalty box and has nine assists in the season.
Former Liverpool boss Rogers, who has coached some big English players in his career, has tipped the England international to become one of the best players in the country. Barnes has been clinical in finishing chances in front of goal and has scored seven times this season.
However, he bettered this tally in the previous season and will hope to get back to his best soon.
#4 Jarrod Bowen - 11 assists
Jarrod Bowen has started to look like a real bargain after his performances this season for West Ham. If it wasn't for the recent injury he sustained early on in March, he had every chance of making Gareth Southgate's squad for England's upcoming international games.
The 25-year-old has single-handedly won games for the Hammers this season and has hardly put a foot wrong. The English player has created goalscoring chances for his teammates with the same efficiency with which he has finished chances himself. Bowen has taken a huge chunk of the burden away from Michail Antonio and in the process has also outscored him this season with 11 strikes.
The right-winger has been very efficient in carrying the ball forward, taking up wide positions and dribbling past defenders with ease. It will get difficult for David Moyes to hold on to his man in the summer. It will also be difficult for Southgate to leave him out of the World Cup squad after a great season.
#3 Mason Mount - 12 assists
Mason Mount has set the bar so high for himself that even though he is having his most prolific season in a Chelsea shirt, more is expected of him. He has been somewhat inconsistent this season but still manages impressive numbers. The 23-year-old English player's winning mentality has been on display on numerous occasions. Earlier in February, he said:
"If (Declan) Rice scores more than me this season, I’ll have to go back to the drawing board."
This shows how seriously the English player takes his game and understands exactly what he has to deliver. Mount is electric on the field and so easy on the eye, be it when he's attempting a pass, slicing open the defense, or dribbling past the defenders.
The attacking midfielder has made 24 appearances in the Premier League so far this season and tops the charts for goals and assists at Chelsea. He has scored eight goals, provided seven assists, and has also attempted more shots than any of his teammates.
#2 Jude Bellingham - 13 assists
Although Jude Bellingham is only 18 years old on paper, on the field he plays like a veteran of the game. This English player has shown exemplary leadership skills at such a tender age and has all the qualities to captain the biggest clubs and the Three Lions in the future.
Borussia Dortmund have provided him with the ideal environment to develop into a complete midfielder and he has consistently delivered big performances. When the English player, still in his teens, joined the Black and Yellows two years ago, his market value was a measely €11 million. Currently, he is worth €75 million which is the same rate at which Declan Rice and Mason Mount are valued.
With his great reserve of stamina, Bellingham travels from box to box almost effortlessly and uses his dribbling skills to help his team transition from back to front. The England international has only missed two games in the entire campaign, one of which was due to a yellow card suspension.
Manchester United and Liverpool have both been monitoring this English player in Germany and could make a move for him in the summer. It wouldn't be wrong to say that his loss will be as significant to the Dortmund side as Erling Haaland's. Bellingham has scored six goals and provided 13 assists so far this season.
#1 Trent Alexander-Arnold - 17 assists
Arguably the most impressive English player this season, Trent Alexander-Arnold leads the chart for assists with his 17. With every passing campaign, the right-back has only gotten better. Jurgen Klopp has provided him with the necessary freedom to move into an advanced position on the field where he can express himself to his best.
The English player's creativity and vision coupled with his impressive passing range make him one of the best playmakers in the Premier League. Alexander-Arnold has significantly improved the defensive bits of his game as well, something he has been criticized for in previous seasons.
The English player has the knack of finding his teammates in dangerous positions and his impressive assists tally reflects the same. Moreover, he is a set-piece specialist and has been extremely decisive with his deliveries from free-kicks and corners. Liverpool would want him to continue his fine form if they are to pip Manchester City to the Premier League title and conquer the Champions League as well.
