Saturday 21 February 2015 13:54, UK
Stats suggest Man City must do all they can to keep James Milner before his contract ends in the summer.
Saturday's clash between Manchester City and Newcastle affords James Milner a chance to reflect on his involvement this season as his contract edges towards its expiry.
In the corresponding fixture on the opening weekend of the campaign, Milner played only 12 minutes, before sitting on the bench throughout the next two matches. Negotiations over a new deal appeared to stall as a consequence, with Milner seeking assurances over his amount of playing time as he waits to commit his future to the champions.
"I love it here and would love to stay at Manchester City but first and foremost I am a footballer and want to play football," said Milner in September. "Hopefully I can play enough games and will be here for the long term. I understand I won't play in every game, I just want a fair crack of the whip, a few more games than I got last year."
Milner's demands are supported by the statistics, which suggest he has deserved more than his 13 starts in 25 Premier League matches. His last appearance is a case in point. As well as scoring and claiming an assist for Sergio Aguero in City's 4-1 win at Stoke, the England international broke the record for longest distance run in a single top-flight game this season - racking up an exhausting 13.56km.
Milner played as a No 10 on that evening at the Britannia Stadium, demonstrating the versatility that has proven extremely useful to Manuel Pellegrini. After he deputised as a false nine during City's Christmas striker shortage, Pellegrini said of Milner's contribution: "James is a very important player for our team. Knowing the way he thinks we will see the same Milner with a contract or without a contract. He is a great professional."
Praising Milner's professionalism perhaps undersells his qualities. His diligence is underlined by the fact that only two City players - Pablo Zabaleta and Fernandinho - have averaged more tackles per 90 minutes, but there is also a creative side to his game that often goes unnoticed.
In 22 Premier League appearances, Milner has set up 41 chances for team-mates - 36 from open play - which puts him fourth in the list of City's creators, recording more than twice as many key passes as the next player, Sergio Aguero (20).
If we apply a fairer rule of measurement - chances created per 90 minutes - Milner's impact is even more impressive. Only Samir Nasri has supplied more opportunities for teammates on average - 3.2 per 90 minutes compared to 3.0 - while Milner leads City's top-flight assists total (six) alongside Jesus Navas.
It appears that the difference in City's win percentage with (57 per cent) and without Milner (47 per cent) is no coincidence. This is a player whose combative presence and industry adds steel to the champions' spine, while he is also creating more chances on average than David Silva. It is an all-round contribution that few Premier League players can rival.
This explains Pellegrini's desperation to keep one of the most reliable members of his squad. But, after turning 29 in January, Milner is understandably assessing his options. If he can maintain his current form and help City continue to apply pressure on Chelsea in the title race, then he may end up getting the best of both worlds.
