Kevin de Bruyne assisted Erling Haaland four times in Manchester City’s 6-2 win over Luton on Tuesday in the return of what was the deadliest partnership in the Premier League last season.
Their telepathic relationship on the pitch caused chaos for the Luton back-line as it has done for so many other teams since the pair first united at Manchester City.
De Bruyne has now assisted Haaland 16 times across all competitions since the start of the 2022/23 season – three better than the next best which is Lionel Messi to Kylian Mbappe. Despite still being in relatively early days of their partnership, given they have scarcely played together this campaign, the duo have already established themselves as one of the best combinations in recent memory.
We take a look look at some of the other most lethal duos in Premier League history…
Harry Kane and Son Heung-Min
Embed from Getty ImagesStatistically the most effective attacking partnership in Premier League history. The pair hold the record for the most goal combinations in the Premier League with 47, and while Kane might be the second leading goalscorer in Premier League history with 213 goals, when the two have combined it is Son who has the most goals with 24, with Kane just behind on 23. In 2020, Son scored four goals against Southampton with all of his goals assisted by Kane. The pair have of course since been broken up, with Kane leaving Spurs for Bayern Munich, but their Premier League record will be tough for anyone to beat.
Frank Lampard and Didier Drogba
Embed from Getty ImagesChelsea legends Frank Lampard and Didier Drogba combined for a total of 36 Premier League goals during the eight seasons they played together at Stamford Bridge. Their prolific partnership came to fruition in some key moments too, with Lampard assisting Drogba in the 2007 FA Cup final against Manchester United, and again in the 2012 FA Cup final against Liverpool. Drogba scored 24 of the 36 goals the pair had combined for – a partnership that brought so much success and silverware for Chelsea.
David Silva and Sergio Aguero
Embed from Getty ImagesIn their 29 goal combinations, Sergio Aguero scored 21 of them with David Silva very much the provider in this exciting pairing. The duo spent nine seasons together at Manchester City during a spell which brought City 11 major trophies, including four Premier League titles. Silva’s creativeness, magical feet, and vision in the final third was complemented by Aguero’s deadly finishing. A match made in heaven.
Robert Pires and Thierry Henry
Embed from Getty ImagesLike Silva and Aguero, the Arsenal duo also combined for 29 goals during their time together in the Premier League. Pires assisted Henry 17 times in their six seasons together, with the other twelve goals set up by Gunners legend Henry. Their duo was part of an era that saw Arsenal win the Premier League as invincibles, going a whole Premier League season unbeaten, as well as winning another four major trophies together. They were successful for their country too, winning a World Cup and European Championships together with France.
Mo Salah and Roberto Firmino
Embed from Getty ImagesOutgoing Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp was blessed with a deadly front three of Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino during his time at the club. But it was the combination of Firmino and Salah that was especially effective, with a total of 25 goal combinations. The goals were shared almost equally, with Salah getting just one more goal with 13 to Firmino’s 12. Firmino has left Anfield now but made his mark while he was there, winning the Premier League, FA Cup, League Cup and Champions League together with Salah. The Brazillian’s ability to drop deep and feed Salah through on goal was perfect for the Egyptian star.
