Santi Cazorla became the first person to complete 1,000 successful league passes this season on Sunday even as Arsenal could not find a way past Norwich’s defence more than once.
The Spanish playmaker has by some distance the most passes of any player in the Premier League this season, having made over 200 more than nearest rival Andrew Surman of Bournemouth.
Even Mesut Ozil, who has set the league alight this season with a haul of 11 assists and two goals in 12 games this season, cannot compare with his team-mates record having completed 732 passes.
Despite a disappointing start to the season which has seen him dropped by manager Jose Mourinho for league matches Cesc Fabregas has still proven himself to be an exemplary passer – completing the third most in the league with 810.
Norwich vs Arsenal - player ratings
However his pass accuracy rate is noticeably lower than others in the top five. Fabregas has completed 83.2 per cent of his pass, whilst Surman has 86.7 per cent, Manchester City’s Fernandinho 88.4 per cent and Ozil 89.1 per cent.
Once more it is Santi Cazorla that comes out on top with a completion rate of 90.3 per cent.
| Team | Player | Mins Played | Passes Completed | Accuracy |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arsenal | Santi Cazorla | 1204 | 1034 | 90.3% |
| Bournemouth | Andrew Surman | 1260 | 812 | 86.7% |
| Chelsea | Cesc Fabregas | 1044 | 810 | 83.2% |
| Man City | Fernandinho | 1194 | 750 | 88.4% |
| Arsenal | Mesut Ozil | 1117 | 732 | 89.1% |
Cazorla may not be able to add to his lead in the top flight rankings in the coming weeks after picking up an injury in the 1-1 draw at Carrow Road on Sunday.
The 30-year-old played on despite clearly struggling after a collision with Ryan Bennett early in the second half, with Arsene Wenger saying Cazorla had “finished on one leg”.
Data courtesy of the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index, the Official Player Rating Index of the Barclays Premier League
