When have custodians become playmakers?

People often say that today's football lacks genuine playmakers - players capable of "connecting" a striker with a goal with one timely defence-splitting pass. Andreas Iniesta, Kaka, Andrea Pirlo, and Mesut Ozil are only some of the retired passing magicians, while Kevin De Bruyne and Luka Modric are among the last Mohicans.

As if he didn't miss a day

However, the new era might have started in the Premier League as the latest round of England's top tier brought as many as two goalkeeper assists?! In Brighton's triumph over Chelsea last Friday, Bart Verbruggen found Kaoru Mitoma with a perfect pass which led to a goal, while Man City's Ederson and Omar Marmoush repeated the achievement a day later against Newcastle.

As if two custodian assists in one round weren't historic enough, Premier League goalies made as many as six since the beginning of the season! The aforementioned Seagulls' keeper, Fulham's Bernd Leno, Jordan Pickford of Everton, and Brentford's Mark Flekken noted one each, while the Cityzens' Brazilian became the netkeeper with the most Premier League assists, as the one against the Magpies was his sixth!

So, football might be slowly but surely losing those creative geniuses capable of tearing the defence apart with their passes, but their replacement is apparently coming from the place no one would ever expect it - from between the posts!

UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE - PLAYOFFS

Return leg

Tuesday

20.45: (1.45) Milan (4.50) Feyenoord (7.00)

23.00: (1.55) Atalanta (4.10) Club Brugge (6.00)

23.00: (1.20) Bayern (7.25) Celtic (12.0)

23.00: (1.95) Benfica (3.50) Monaco (3.90)

Wednesday

20.45: (1.95) Dortmund (3.50) Sporting (3.90)

23.00: (1.18) PSG (7.25) Brest (15.0)

23.00: (2.30) PSV (3.45) Juventus (3.05)

23.00: (1.85) Real Madrid (3.80) Man.City (4.00)

***odds are subject to change***