Most Assists in Manchester City History: The players with the most assists in Manchester City history are the creators behind the goals. They spotted the run. They played the pass. They made the impossible look routine.
Manchester City’s rise to the top of English and European football was not built on goals alone. It was built on creativity, vision, and the kind of passing that leaves defenders completely helpless.
Pep Guardiola arrived at Manchester City in 2016. He immediately built his system around creative midfielders and wide players.
The results were historic. Multiple Premier League titles. A Champions League trophy. Domestic trebles. And a long list of players who produced assists at a rate English football had rarely seen before.
Top 10 Most Assists in Manchester City History
These are the ten most creative players in Manchester City’s history.
1. Kevin De Bruyne
- Total Assists: 176
- Career Span: 2015–2025
- Nationality: Belgium
Kevin De Bruyne is the greatest creative player in Manchester City’s history. His 176 assists across ten seasons places him in a completely different category to everyone else on this list.
He read the game faster than anyone around him. His passing range was exceptional. Short, long, through balls, crosses. Every delivery was measured to perfection. He also set the Premier League single-season assist record with 20 in 2019-20.
He left City in 2025, ending one of the greatest individual careers the Premier League has ever seen.
Achievements:
- 176 assists in ten seasons, the all-time Manchester City record
- Premier League single-season assist record of 20 in 2019-20
- Six Premier League titles and the 2023 Champions League title with City
2. David Silva
- Total Assists: 122
- Career Span: 2010–2020
- Nationality: Spain
David Silva spent a decade at Manchester City and produced 122 assists across his entire time at the club. He was the heartbeat of City’s first great Premier League era.
Supporters called him “El Mago,” the Magician. It was the perfect nickname. He made the ball disappear and reappear in places defenders could not predict. His ten years at City produced four Premier League titles and transformed the club’s identity entirely.
Achievements:
- 122 assists in ten seasons, second on the all-time list
- Four Premier League titles with Manchester City
- Named in the Premier League Hall of Fame in 2021
3. Bernardo Silva
- Total Assists: 77
- Career Span: 2017–present
- Nationality: Portugal
Bernardo Silva has recorded 77 assists since joining City in 2017 and is still adding to that total. He is one of the most versatile and reliable creative players Guardiola has ever managed.
He can play anywhere across the attacking midfield. He works harder off the ball than almost any other player in the squad. His combination of pressing intensity and creative quality makes him uniquely valuable.
Achievements:
- 77 assists and still active, third on the all-time list
- Five Premier League titles during his time at City
- Champions League winner with Manchester City in 2023
4. Raheem Sterling
- Total Assists: 74
- Career Span: 2015–2022
- Nationality: England
Raheem Sterling scored goals and created them in equal measure during his seven seasons at City. His 74 assists came alongside 131 goals, making him one of the most productive attackers in the club’s Premier League history.
He arrived from Liverpool in 2015 for £49 million. He left for Chelsea in 2022 as a completely different and far more complete footballer. Guardiola transformed his game entirely.
Achievements:
- 74 assists in seven seasons, fourth on the all-time list
- Four Premier League titles with Manchester City
- FA Cup winner with City in 2019
5. Phil Foden
- Total Assists: 64
- Career Span: 2017–present
- Nationality: England
Phil Foden grew up at Manchester City. He joined the academy as a child and developed into one of the finest attacking players England has produced in a generation. His 64 assists are all the more impressive given he is still only 25 years old.
He was named the Premier League Player of the Season in 2023-24, the year he reached the peak of his powers. His ability to find pockets of space and deliver in the final third is genuinely world class.
Achievements:
- 64 assists and still active, fifth on the all-time list
- Premier League Player of the Season in 2023-24
- Champions League winner with Manchester City in 2023
6. Sergio Aguero
- Total Assists: 63
- Career Span: 2011–2021
- Nationality: Argentina
Sergio Aguero is Manchester City’s all-time leading scorer. What is often forgotten is that he also contributed 63 assists across his ten seasons at the club.
He was not just a finisher. He linked play, held up the ball, and created chances for teammates throughout his career. His combination with David Silva and later Kevin De Bruyne produced some of the most fluid attacking football City have ever played.
Achievements:
- 63 assists in ten seasons, sixth on the all-time list
- Manchester City’s all-time leading scorer with 260 goals
- Five Premier League titles during his decade at the club
7. Riyad Mahrez
- Total Assists: 55
- Career Span: 2018–2023
- Nationality: Algeria
Riyad Mahrez recorded 55 assists in five seasons at Manchester City. He was a consistent source of creativity from wide areas and one of the most technically gifted dribblers in the Premier League during his time at the club.
His ability to cut inside from the right and either shoot or play a precise final pass made him extremely difficult to defend against. He departed for Saudi Arabia in 2023 having contributed significantly to City’s most successful era.
Achievements:
- 55 assists in five seasons, seventh on the all-time list
- Three Premier League titles during his time at City
- Champions League winner with Manchester City in 2023
8. Ilkay Gundogan
- Total Assists: 45
- Career Span: 2016–2023 and 2024–2025
- Nationality: Germany
Ilkay Gundogan contributed 45 assists across two separate spells at Manchester City. He was a technically brilliant central midfielder who combined defensive discipline with genuine creative quality.
His second spell in 2024-25 added to a legacy that already included multiple league titles and one of the most memorable individual performances in an FA Cup final, scoring twice against Manchester United in 2023.
Achievements:
- 45 assists across two spells, eighth on the all-time list
- Five Premier League titles with Manchester City
- Champions League winner and FA Cup final man of the match in 2023
9. Gabriel Jesus
- Total Assists: 41
- Career Span: 2017–2022
- Nationality: Brazil
Gabriel Jesus contributed 41 assists in five seasons at Manchester City. He was a hardworking, pressing forward who created as many chances as he scored. His energy and movement were vital to City’s attacking system.
He left for Arsenal in 2022 and immediately produced one of the finest starts to a Premier League season any striker has managed. His five years at City were hugely productive for both him and the club.
Achievements:
- 41 assists in five seasons, joint ninth on the all-time list
- Four Premier League titles with Manchester City
- FA Cup and League Cup winner during his time at the club
10. Leroy Sane
- Total Assists: 41
- Career Span: 2016–2020
- Nationality: Germany
Leroy Sane is level with Jesus on 41 assists, achieving that total in just four seasons. His assist ratio per game was one of the best at the club during his time there.
He was raw, electric, and devastating on his day. His pace and directness gave defenders nightmares. He was named the PFA Young Player of the Year in 2018. He departed for Bayern Munich in 2020 after a serious knee injury disrupted his final season.
Achievements:
- 41 assists in four seasons, joint ninth on the all-time list
- Two Premier League titles with Manchester City
- PFA Young Player of the Year in 2017-18
De Bruyne vs Silva: The Greatest Comparison
De Bruyne leads with 176 assists. Silva sits second with 122. The gap is 54.
But both men spent a decade at the club. Both were central to multiple title wins. Both transformed how City played. They just did it in different ways.
Silva was the orchestrator. Calm, precise, and intelligent. De Bruyne was explosive, direct, and relentless. Together, they represent the two greatest creative players in Manchester City’s history.
FAQs
Q: Who has the most assists in Manchester City history?
Kevin De Bruyne. He recorded 176 assists in ten seasons between 2015 and 2025. His total is the highest by any player in the club’s entire history.
Q: What is De Bruyne’s Premier League single-season assist record?
De Bruyne set the Premier League record with 20 assists in the 2019-20 season. That record still stands as of May 2026.
Q: How many assists did David Silva register for City?
122 assists in ten seasons between 2010 and 2020. He is second on the all-time list and one of the most important players in the club’s history.
Q: Is Phil Foden still adding to his assist total?
Foden is still an active Manchester City player in 2026 and continues to add to his tally of 64 assists. He has the potential to challenge the top three on this list over the next few seasons.
Q: Which City player has the best assists-per-season average?
Kevin De Bruyne averaged 17.6 assists per season during his decade at the club. That is comfortably the best average of any player on this list.
Conclusion
The players with the most assists in Manchester City history gave the club some of its most memorable moments. Every goal has a creator behind it. Every title has a playmaker at its heart.
De Bruyne gave City 176 moments of brilliance. Silva gave them a decade of magic. Bernardo Silva and Foden are still writing their own chapters right now.
This list is a celebration of creativity, vision, and the kind of football that makes supporters fall in love with the game all over again.
Data Note: Data sourced from verified football statistics platforms and club records.
