Kevin De Bruyne's Premier League stats compared to Gerrard, Lampard and Scholes | OneFootball

Highlights

Kevin De Bruyne has long been recognised as one of the top midfielders the Premier League has ever seen. The Manchester City legend has already won five league titles in England and in 2023 he completed his trophy cabinet by collecting a Champions League.

Since returning to the division having previously had an unsuccessful spell at Chelsea, the Belgian has established himself as Pep Guardiola's primary playmaker. With phenomenal performances like his game-changing cameo against Newcastle, he has drawn comparisons with some of the greatest players to have operated in the middle of the park.

For many years, it has been questioned who the best midfielder of the Premier League era was. The answer often boiled down to three names - Paul Scholes, Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard. It got us thinking, is it time to include De Bruyne in the mix?

Here at GIVEMESPORT, we have taken a look at some of the 32-year-old's key Premier League statistics and have compared them to the other three greats. From goals to assists and more, we will take a look at where Kevin De Bruyne ranks among the very best in the business.

Attacking statistics

Lampard leads the way for goals

When it comes to goals, there is one clear winner from these four all-stars. It should be no surprise, given the fact he is Chelsea's all-time top goalscorer, that Lampard stands clear with a whopping 177 goals. This not only makes him the sixth greatest scorer in Premier League history, but also the highest scoring midfielder, too.

The next highest rival that is challenging Lampard's crown on this list is former England teammate Gerrard. The former Liverpool captain was a leader in all areas of the pitch during his career. He found the net 120 times in England's top division, with many of them being outrageous strikes. Manchester United's Paul Scholes followed up with 107 while De Bruyne has so for managed 65. It is important to note, however, that the former Wolfsburg man has had a much shorter stint in the Premier League than his predecessors.

De Bruyne is also bottom in minutes per goal, averaging one every 286 minutes. This is 95 minutes more than the next highest, which is Gerrard on 191. Meanwhile, Scholes and Lampard managed far more impressive figures in this metric, with 106 and 117 minutes per goal respectively.

Once again, City's number 17 ranks last on shooting success with just 11.04%. But while many might expect one of Gerrard or Lampard to take the crown, it's Man United legend Scholes who blows the competition out of the water with an incredible 55.44%. The one statistic De Bruyne does fair better in, is goals per game, with his average of 0.27 falling only behind Lampard's 0.29.

Possession statistics

De Bruyne currently sits 3rd in all-time assists

Where the former Werder Bremen man begins to come into his own is in the possession based aspect of his ability. The midfield maestro is known for his spectacular vision and range of passing, and that shows in some of his statistics. De Bruyne tops the quartet with 103 Premier League assists. This leaves him joint 3rd in the record books alongside Wayne Rooney. He is one clear of Lampard who has 102, with Gerrard a further ten assists behind. Meanwhile, Paul Scholes' assist tally is nearly half of that of his noisy neighbour.

Scholes doesn't redeem himself in big chances created. The class of '92 graduate is the only player in single digits with five. That is almost one big chance per 100 league appearances. Yet again, it is the Belgian superstar who is ahead of the pack, this time by a landslide. His 134 big chances created is a century more than his nearest challenger in Steven Gerrard.

De Bruyne does slip down the rankings in terms of pass completion, finishing third with 81.88%. However, based on the fact De Bruyne is encouraged to play killer passes that can lead to goals, his big chances record suggests that it is a case of high risk and high reward.

Winning record

De Bruyne still some way behind Scholes for league titles

It's not all about what you do individual in football. It is also about how well your team do. Luckily for De Bruyne, he's part of a team that have dominated English and European football ever since he has arrived. With a remarkable 70.08%, the creative force has the highest win rate of all four players, winning on average seven of every ten games. Scholes, who was a member of arguably the only team to challenge City's dominance in the Premier League era, is close behind with 64.3%. The other two Englishmen are further behind with 57.3% and 50.6% win records.

How does this translate to Premier League titles? Once again, it is the two Manchester-based players who come out on top. This time, it's Scholes who leads the way. Forming a formidable partnership with Roy Keane, he collected an astonishing 11 Premier League trophies during his career. De Bruyne is a little way off with just five. Although that may seem considerably less, the length of his English career must be taken into account. In fact, he has won the title in 62.5% of his full Premier League campaigns at the Etihad. Meanwhile, Lampard finishes third with 3 league titles while Gerrard continues to rue his infamous slip that cost him his one and only chance at domestic league glory at Anfield.

Scholes the best based on stats

United icon wins four out of nine categories

Upon reflection, it is clear that each of these four talents are immensely talented in their own ways. Their differences make them incredibly hard to compare as they are all unique from one another.

When it comes to goals, Lampard seems to come out strongest with the most strikes and best goals per game ratio. However, comparing his to Scholes, who often operated in deeper areas, or De Bruyne, who has played significantly less, is perhaps slightly harsh.

When it comes to possession, De Bruyne is in a league of his own. His assists and big chances created stats are hard to argue with. But when it comes to honours, Scholes takes first place by some way. Success in that metric means that he comes out on top in four out of nine categories, while De Bruyne is just behind, leading in three. Lampard's lethal nature in front of goal sees him pick up two wins, whereas Gerrard leads in none of the above.

Ultimately, while the stats show that these players have different strengths than one another, it is fair to suggest that De Bruyne has already done enough to put himself in contention as the Premier League's greatest ever midfielder. It may be a good idea to reflect upon this when his career is over, as his stats are likely going to continue improving for the time being.