Dembélé, the unimaginable stat

Published:

By: Nicolas Gerbault

Dembélé, the unimaginable stat

While he gives the impression of having a mixed start to the season, Ousmane Dembélé is the “best creator” of the five major championships, according to the CIES Football Observatory.

No goals and four assists in 15 games, this is Ousmane Dembélé’s record with Paris Saint-Germain, in Ligue 1 and the Champions League. Without necessarily being catastrophic, the former FC Barcelona player clearly does not give the impression of having had a resounding start to the season.

However, it is Dembélé who has topped the ranking of “best creators” since the start of the season, according to the CIES Football Observatory. The research group specializing in statistics has established a creation index, which “is calculated by adding the number of key passes (for opportunities) and expected assists (depending on the dangerousness of the opportunities created) per 90′, and by weighting the result by the sporting level of the matches played (as percentage deviation from the general average). “Only players who have played at least 630 minutes in the championship for the same team during the current season are taken into account”adds the CIES Football Observatory.

With an index of 2.36, Dembélé comes well at the top of this ranking, ahead of Leroy Sané (Bayern Munich, 1.92) and Nico Williams (Athletic Bilbao, 1.89). Then come Kylian Mbappé (PSG, 1.87) and Moussa Diaby (Aston Villa, 1.74). Another Frenchman comes in seventh position, Franck Honorat (Mönchengladbach, 1.70), who ranks just behind Mohamed Salah (Liverpool, 1.70).

Diving into the numbers, we see that Dembélé is well ahead of the competition in terms of key passes per 90 minutes (key passes are passes that result in a shot). On the other hand, the former Rennais is much lower in the ranking when it comes to “expected assists” per 90 minutes. Figures that take into account the position in which the batter finds himself after the pass. In other words, Dembélé serves his teammates a lot… but not always in the best situations.

Categories PSG
Nicolas Gerbault

Written by:

Nicolas Gerbault

Nicolas Gerbault is a passionate and knowledgeable football enthusiast with a special focus on French football. Born and raised in France, Nicolas discovered his love for the beautiful game at a young age and developed a deep understanding of the ins and outs of "Le Championnat." His French roots and extensive experience in football journalism have made him an invaluable asset to the French Football Weekly team. As an author for the website, his expertise includes not only in-depth analysis of Ligue 1 and Ligue 2 matches but also insightful profiles of up-and-coming talents, detailed transfer news, and engaging coverage of the French national team. His captivating writing style and undeniable passion for the game have earned him a loyal following among our readers. When he's not crafting engaging articles for French Football Weekly, Nicolas enjoys attending live matches whenever he can, exploring football culture in various French cities, and engaging in spirited debates with fellow fans.