This is Southampton’s most creative player after 9 Premier League matches

Claude Puel’s Southampton initially made a sluggish start to the season, but have hit a good run of form in recent weeks.

The Saints did not win any of their first four league matches, but a 3-0 win over Sparta Prague in the Europa League inspired a seven-match unbeaten run in all competitions, which was unfortunately ended away at Inter Milan last week.

Nevertheless, Puel’s side sit eighth in the Premier League table, just a point behind Manchester United and seven off leaders Manchester City, and they will hope to take the confidence they gained from drawing 1-1 at City last weekend into their League Cup tie with Sunderland on Wednesday.

There have been a lot of excellent performances from Southampton this season, but which player is the most creative after nine Premier League games?

Photo: Marc Atkins / Offside.

Nathan Redmond has been fantastic since arriving from Norwich in the summer, but Dusan Tadic continues to be hugely influential in the Saints midfield.

The 27-year-old has averaged more key passes per game (3.1) than any other Southampton player, with Redmond the closest challenger with 2.3 key passes a match.

Tadic has also created six more chances than the England Under-21 international with 27 – a tally greater than anyone at St Mary’s, and only trumped by West Ham’s Dimitri Payet in the whole of the Premier League.

One thing Tadic will be frustrated with is his goal tally.

He has only scored once so far this season, in the 3-0 win at West Ham, and, although he hasn’t been credited with any assists either, he is usually involved heavily in the build-up, and is often assisting the assister.

Although he is second to Redmond in terms of dribbles per match and shots per game, Tadic is an integral part of the way Southampton play, and it’s only a matter of time before he registers more goals and assists in the Premier League.