Express & Star

Chris Brunt has one of the best minutes-per-assist ratios in Europe

Chris Brunt has one the best minutes-per-assist ratios in Europe this season – and is even more prolific at setting his team-mates up than Lionel Messi.

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Chris Brunt. (AMA)

The Albion winger has set up six goals so far this season and laid on the assist for four of Albion’s last six in the league.

His ratio of one assist every 172 minutes is the eighth-fastest across Europe’s top five leagues and he is the only player in the top 10 who doesn’t play for a global superclub.

Albion fans don’t need reminding how potent Brunt’s left foot is, but if they did, then stats gurus Opta have devised a handy table for them.

Federico Bernardeschi from Juventus tops the list with an assist every 121 minutes, followed by Lucas Vazquez of Real Madrid (136 mins), and Paris Saint-Germain superstar Neymar (138).

Next up are four Premier League heavyweights, Henrikh Mkhitaryan, Leroy Sane, Paul Pogba, and Kevin De Bruyne.

But in eighth place, and sitting above Barcelona’s Messi who is ninth, is Albion’s very own set-piece specialist.

Bayern Munich’s James Rodriguez completes the top 10 of players who have set up six goals or more.

Brunt’s statistics are always worth revisiting. He has played 364 times for the Baggies during his 11-season stint at The Hawthorns, putting him in the top 25 of the club's all-time appearance makers.

He has 47 goals for the club, and 24 of those have been scored in the Premier League.

He has laid on 81 assists during his time with the Baggies, 49 of which have been in the top tier.