ASSISTKINGS QUARTERLY: UCL EDITION

WELCOME MY FRIENDS...
TO THE SHOW THAT NEVER ENDS...
AS WE BRING YOU ALL THE TEN BEST CREATORS IN WORLD FOOTBALL...PLUS SOME EXTRAS TO COVER ALL THE FANTASTIC PLAYERS PLYING THEIR TRADE IN EUROPE.
REMEMBER: UDGC STANDS FOR "UNCREDITED DIRECT GOAL CONTRIBUTIONS" SUCH AS EARNED PENALTIES (ONLY IF THEY'RE GOOD), FORCED OWN GOALS AND DEFLECTED PASSES ETC. ALL WITH THE CRITERIA OF BEING A DECISIVE COMPONENT TO THE GOAL THAT WAS SCORED. 
WE COUNT ONLY THE BEST.
AND WITH A FURTHER EMPHASIS TO INCLUDE PLAYERS WHO GRABBED ASSISTS AND CREATED PLENTY IN THE UCL THIS MID-WEEK.
TELL US IF WE'RE WRONG, RIGHT OR INSANE AND GIVE US YOUR OPINIONS DAMNIT!
LET'S GO!

10
TRENT ALEXANDER-ARNOLD  (Liverpool)

-8 assists overall
-5 assists in the last 10 apps.
-UDGC:3
(Key passes to Mane and Firmino who hit the post vs Burnley, Arsenal)

           The brilliant Merseyside youth product has delivered 2 assists in his last 2 matches and created the winning goal against Tottenham after sending in a looping pinpoint cross that Mo Salah headed into Hugo Lloris, but the keeper bungled the easy save and watched as the ball was then forced into the net from the rebound due to an own goal. 
        It was a garbage goal for sure, yet a goal that could decide if Liverpool hoist the Premier League title for the first time ever or not.
         And without Alexander-Arnold's phenomenal and world class crossing abilities, Liverpool find themselves adrift of City in the title race, with Trent's 7 EPL assists and rampant attacking play down the right wing being part and parcel of why the Reds sit 2 points ahead of City at the top.
        In a time where convenient stats and highlight packages are forcing the casual fan further and further away from actually watching the matches, the 1.9 and 2.1 accurate crosses in the EPL and UCL (respectively) give Liverpool four bites at the apple from Alexander-Arnold's deadly balls into the box every 90 minutes, and that's just an average. 
        At some points in various matches, Alexander-Arnold can pump in five or six accurate crosses in a twenty minute sequence. 
        However things got even better for Trent Alexander-Arnold this last week as he opened his Champions League assists account with a slide-rule pass across the face of goal for Roberto Firmino to tap in, an absolutely exquisite assist that sped past four clustered defenders, all in line and in position to clear the ball, but none of them were able to even catch a sniff: the pass was so venomous, so precise and almost too telegraphed to turn into the goal it did, yet the speed of Alexander-Arnold's passing accuracy is destructive to any opponent, with this filthy assist underlining that to the extreme.
         He keeps on raising the bar, not only for himself but for all fullbacks....and notice how we barely mentioned his age as his performances throw that factor into the void.


9
ROBERT LEWANDOWSKI (Bayern)

-9 assists overall
-51 chances created all comps.
-UDGC:8
-Combined with Serge Gnabry for 9 goals, Kimmich for 10

      Lewandowski's addition to the list is necessary, not only after his 9th assist was nabbed after a perfectly executed headed pass to Thomas Muller in the 5-4 victory over Heidenheim, he also had created his own goal against Dortmund that was too good to be true.
       The Pole stole the ball from Dan-Axel Zagadou and flipped it (inch perfect) over Roman Burki's face and into his own path, collecting the flick on the other side of Zagadou and sending the Allianz Arena into rapture when he scored from a first touch spike into the net on the volley, an acrobatic, uber-athletic, uber-alles / complete desire moment that shows his creative spark knows no bounds....
       Lewandowski is not just a selfish finisher slapping at the ball, but a deadly assassin flicking it over the keeper and, finding that his own right foot was the best option available, He proudly and loudly finished it off.             
       In the same match, Lewandowski kept haunting his former club: he sent in a shot that rebounded to Javi Martinez of all people, and the defensive midfielder blasted into the goal  from outside of the box after a mad scrum that involved Thomas Muller's multiple attempts at goal and his head juggling outrageousness that he never gets his due credit for.
        Lewandowski is magic, as he continues to show us all through nonstop goal creation. He may do it in a mechanical, Terminator-esque way, though the goals he creates are full of soul, swagger and a defined rage. 

8
TEJI SAVANIER (Nimes)

-11 assists overall
-Key Passes:
 -TOTAL: 72
 -PER MATCH: 2.8 (LIGUE1)
- 3 chances set up by Savanier that have hit the post
- 5 assists & 2 goals in last 9 apps.

                Savanier is still climbing in the ascendancy, with all of us wondering: 
 A) Who the hell is this guy, and is this guy yet another stalwart French midfielder?
and 
B) When is he finally going to stop playing like a cross between a midfield version of Franck Ribery and a white Kante?
               He's just as vicious, as aggressive, creative and stereotypically French as Ribery, but also as tireless, cultured and robust in the tackle as a white Kante.
               Teji Savanier now has 11 assists overall, a profound statement of his value to Nimes, not only in the midfield engine room in which he displays such tenacity, aggression and calm precision on the ball, but in his skilled dead-ball deliveries, with a pair of free kicks giving him 2 assists in the last match.
              Really, the fact that any Nimes player could notch even 10 assists at the end of May (let alone from deep in midfield) would be proof alone of their tremendous qualities, such is the improvement of all players, all club infrastructure and the all-around competition in Ligue 1 this season. 
              Savanier now has 8 assists total from dead-ball situations, 4 from corners and 4 from his free kicks, making him one of the most deadly (and most accurate) set piece takers in European football.
             Not limited to assists, his all around game has put Teji, an unknown before this season who's not merely a late-bloomer, but also aged 27, and yet he is only below Kylian Mbappe and Lionel Messi as the highest rated player in European football (according to Whoscored.com).
             Care to root for the underdog?
             Well you're shit out of luck, this cat may be starting for France soon enough. 

7
WILLIAN (Chelsea)

-13 assists overall
(4 assists in his last 5 apps.)
-Key Passes:
 -TOTAL: 125
 -PER MATCH: 3.2 (EUROPA), 2.5 (PL)

      And we continue with yet another dead-ball specialist: the Brazilian Willian (it rhymes) a player who's been overlooked this season, not just by pundits, but by his own manager and club. 
     Willian has conjured up the 3rd most chances of any player in European football, registering 125 total key passes and he's getting hotter by the moment, averaging just under an assist per 90 minutes at the moment. 
     We wonder what would happen if Mauricio Sarri were smart enough to actually start Willian and Hazard together, because we definitely feel it would set both players free: after Hazard came on in lieu of Pedro in the 2nd half vs Slavia Prague in the Europa League, the mercurial Belgian pulled off 7 dribbles that created space on the wings, and with his dribbling, deceived a Prague defender into fouling him in perfect position for a Willian free kick. 
       And it was a perfect spot, with Marcos Alonso ghosting into the box and meeting Willian's precision cross with his head, thundering the ball into the Prague net and stealing an away goal in the first leg of the Europa League quarterfinals. 
      Before that, with Willian and Pedro on the pitch, the Spaniard drained the proceedings, and though he combined with Pedro to hit the post with a rasping effort, Willian needed the pace, deception and power of Eden Hazard to conjure the goal notching opportunity. 
      Willian remains understated and I'm personally coming around to his performances. While he's still not one of my favorite players (or even close), his production and panache in the final third must be saluted.


6
CHRISTIAN ERIKSEN (Tottenham)

-15 assists overall
(3 assists and 1 goal in the last 3 matches)
- Key Passes:
 -TOTAL: 87
 -PER MATCH: 2.6 (UCL), 2.1 (PL)
-had 2 assists in a victory vs Chelsea, 1 vs United, 2 in 2 matches vs Liverpool, 1 vs Dortmund, 1 vs City and another against Arsenal, proving that the Danish creator is always producing the goods against top opposition

         The Danish captain has been illustrious this season for Spurs and without getting really any attention or plaudits for his performances from the punditry world.
         To go all American on you, I'll say it like this: Christian Eriksen has been clutch. His last second goal against Inter and his assists in the Champions League have kept Tottenham alive in the competition, something special considering their 4-0 aggregate demolition of Dortmund and their 1st leg victory over City, thanks to Eriksen's ruthless and calculated ball over the top for a running Son Heung-Min, with the South Korean dipping backwards and then spinning a quick shot through Ederson and into the net.   
          And now, with Kane's ankle keeping the striker from playing in the 2nd leg at the Etihad, and a Premier league tilt against Guardiola's side between now and the return fixture next Wednesday, Spurs chances of advancing and retaining their top four spots could've all gone up in the smoke of Kane's now recurring ankle issues.
          Without Hawwey Kaaaaane, Eriksen's contributions will be as paramount as ever.
   
5
JOSHUA KIMMICH 
(Bayern Munich)

-14 assists overall
-UDGC: 10

      Kimmich suffered a dip in form over the last month and a half, with his usual creative impulses stunted by the right back position's season-long toil.
       Although he came back to his right wing goal creating ways in the crazy 5-4 DFB Pokal match over Heidenheim, an absolutely insane game with Kimmich issuing a blistering cross for a Thomas Muller header, and elsewhere, dishing two other chances in that crazy matchup. 
       Then in the 5-0 obliteration of Dortmund, the young German executed a sumptuous piece of play in which the full back sliced a through ball between the center back and fullback, finding Serge Gnabry on a perfect run. The ball from Kimmich was so precise, all Gnabry had to do was cut it back for the trailing Lewandowski to slip home, a ball that was so good it left the complete left side of the Dortmund defense (Zagadou and Diallo) lost in space.
        After the Champions League elimination against Liverpool, Kimmich has been able to take a breath and his pulsating play resumes after a long spell without a creative goal contribution.
        But now, Joshua Kimmich is back where he belongs.

4
JORDI ALBA (Barca)

-13 assists overall
-UDGC: 3
-Key Passes:
 -TOTAL: 63
 -PER MATCH: 2.0 (UCL), 1.3 (LA LIGA)

       Jordi Alba hasn't been at his greatest the last cluster of matches, pinned deep and focusing on defending and ball circulation more than out and out attacking as the competition gets tougher,  the opponents are stronger and the pace of desperation quickens proceedings.
       It would be shameful to chastise the former Valencia / La Masia product, as his assist against Atletico Madrid just won Barcelona the La Liga title. 
       Alba was glorious against Atletico,  absolutely getting back to his best and rampaging down the flank, carving out a few great chances, including his own when Messi found him alone in the box, one on one with Oblak, only for the massive Slovenian to use his body expertly to cut down the angle, forcing Alba's goal bound effort to clank off of the inside of the post.
      But it was the threat of his movement that gave Suarez the space to score: Alba went on a run, then as he saw a cushion develop at the left corner of the box, Alba paused the Atletico defense and shuffled the ball to a waiting Suarez who wasted not a second as he throttled a perfectly sculpted shot through and under Oblak's left arm, ticking in off of the inside of the woodwork this time,  breaking the deadlock in the 85th minute. 
        Alba's contributions have been incredible this season, arguably his greatest, yet it's sad the left back has had to pace himself match after match due to the gaping hole at left back behind him.

3
EDEN HAZARD (Chelsea)

-12 assists overall
-Key Passes:
 -TOTAL: 114
 -PER MATCH: 2.7 (PL), 2.3 (EUROPA)
UDGC: 4

        The Belgian has been on a tear, posting 19 dribbles in his last 3 appearances  (inc. 7 from the bench vs Prague), but his brilliant finishes must be highlighted for their pure metaphysical conquest. 
       The first goal vs West Ham (and the previous goal in the win over Brighton) were both stunning finishes that rank up in the top of the best Hazard has ever done.  
       Though they're not assists, they show his stunning ability to create goals from anywhere on the pitch, and he somehow keeps getting better.
        Hazard also grabbed his 12th Premier league leading assist in that Brighton match, returning the favor to Loftus-Cheek in the same exact fashion that the English midfielder had set him up: a turning combination play and slip pass at the top of the box, followed by a harrowing finish.
        Please Eden, don't go to Real Madrid, we can't lose you to that horrific club. 
        It will not only ruin your career, it will kill your confidence and everything you've been displaying since your time at Lille...what you need is to go to a club like Ajax, Eden...there you would post outrageous stats and battle the biggest of clubs alongside Ziyech and Tadic, and I think it would be a lot more fun for all of us.
        Either way, it's still a barrel of fun watching Hazard zig and zag through players and finish it off with fierce finishing and cold, calculated passing. With 114 chances created this season, Hazard has obliterated the Premier League once again, and this time, with arguably the worst Chelsea squad in quite some time.

2
DUSAN TADIC  (Ajax)

-17 assists overall 
-Key Passes:
 -TOTAL: 119
 -PER MATCH: 3.0 (UCL), 2.6 (ERED)

        Tadic continued his Champions League brilliance with another dominating creative display against Italian giants Juventus, pulling off 5 chances against them, giving him 10 in his last 2 appearances in the knockout stages, against top opposition on both occasions. 
       Just like the start of the match at the Bernabeu, Ajax flew into the action, dictating the tempo and the terms as Tadic and Ziyech combined for a duo of give and go flicks, Tadic setting up his favorite teammate who nearly scored with two vicious blasts at goal. 
       The Serbian then set up Donny Van De Beek's close range miss that shaved the far post as well as pulling off a ridiculously silky back heel in the box (and in the face of pressure) that was flicked on by Tadic to a waiting Engeelkamp (on from the bench), sending the youngster clear in on goal with the match at 1-1, only for the young Dutchman to send his shot within a comfortable saving capacity for Szyczyny.

Tadic wonders: "Who shot Neymar??"

        He is second only to Messi in total assists with 17 and tied with the Argentine for total chances created with 119. 

        Tadic may be 30, but if he proceeds to provide another 5 chances in the next leg in Turin, Ajax could surely take the Italians down, couldn't they?
        If they continue to display otherworldly panache and sophistication on the ball in the final third, under pressure and duress (like they expertly did against Madrid and Juventus), and if Tadic is present with his leadership and fantastic passing play, Ajax have a huge chance to down another giant in what has already been a stunning Champions League campaign. 


1
LIONEL MESSI (Barca)

-18 assists overall
-Key Passes:
 -TOTAL: 119
-UDGC: 7

     Lionel Messi created the own goal in the Champions League first leg win over United, the only goal in a conservative, ball domination scenario. 
     And though he was bloodied by an elbow from Chris Smalling that may have broken his nose, Lionel was the deciding factor in this game, as he always is.
     The goal came from what was an outrageous piece of play as Messi cradled a ball over the top from Busquets and then went to his left, knowing Suarez was arriving at the back post and, with eyes in the back of his head as he dribbled to his left, he then flashed a brilliant cross on the turn, scooping it to Suarez to head back across the goal, but the shot cruelly deflected off of Luke Shaw and went into the goal, taking away what should've been Messi's 4th UCL assist and replacing it with his 7th uncredited direct goal contribution on the season.
       Three days before the United match,  Leo was rampant against Atletico too, sending in a myriad of brilliant passes, including a long ball to Jordi Alba who hit the post after the one on one opportunity set up by the Barca captain, this chance being the 5th Messi has set up that went off of the post.
     He displays such supernatural passing abilities, knowing where the spaces are, but even more: realizing when and where spaces will open in reaction to his every move.  He attracts too much attention not to be a dangerous distributor of the ball. 
     Messi's assist numbers don't even come close to highlighting his all-encompassing and frankly brutal qualities. 
      Luckily, we have the imagery to remind us.
     

BEST OF THE REST/ REST OF THE BEST:
(With the reason for their exclusion from the top 10 included if necessary)

PABLO SARABIA (Sevilla)

-11 assists overall
-Key passes:
 -TOTAL: 71
 -PER MATCH: 2.2 (LIGA), 1.3 (EUROPA)
-a shocking 14 goals

         Sarabia is very much an under the radar attacker in La Liga: he's been consistently below average or slightly above it in his career, but has now upped his game towards the stratosphere. 
         Pablo is vital for Sevilla, pushing in a career high 14 goals from midfield and posting 11 assists. As you can see, the once prolific Spanish youth player is returning to his roots, and it all makes sense with his overall goal creation exploding this season.
         It's hard to pin down what makes Pablo Sarabia so good: is it the accuracy of his passing in the final third? Is it his dead ball deliveries? Is it his finesse on the ball? Is it His youth history playing alongside Thiago Alcantara,  Saul, Deulofeu, Denis Suarez, Isco among others for the Spain U-21 national team?

        Let's go with: all the above, however his best asset, exposed to La Liga and the Europa league this campaign, is Sarabia's knack for always being in the right areas...he's always going to find himself yards of space, which is exactly why he is Sevilla's undisputed best player.
         Sarabia barely misses our list, only due to the difficulties involved with Alexander-Arnold's 8 assists from right back, in comparison to the Sevilla man's constant final third presence.

KYLIAN MBAPPE (PSG)

Kylian is pissed at our list

-14 assists overall
-2 assists in the last 6 matches for PSG


SANTI CAZORLA  (Villareal)

-9 assists overall
-8 key passes and 1 set piece delivery vs Barcelona that hit the post
-only misses the list due to overall assists being lower than others

DRIES MERTENS  (Napoli)

-11 assists overall
-Key Passes:
 -TOTAL: 85
 -PER MATCH: 1.9 (SERIEA), 2.5 (UCL), 2.9 (EUROPA)
-his profligate play in the Europa league 1st leg against Arsenal highlights the weird turns from greatness to utter banality in the career of Dries Mertens

HAKIM ZIYECH (Ajax)

-14 assists overall

-Key Passes: 129 

UDGC: 10

-1 goal, 1 UDGC and 0 assists in his last 4 matches 

MOHAMED SALAH (Liverpool)

-9 assists overall
-UDGC: 9
-his non-scoring goal contributions have been lucky on the whole for Salah, with out of control dribbling attracting defenders, leaving loose balls in the box that Liverpool have simply beaten opponents to first.


ANTOINE GRIEZMANN  (Atletico)

-10 assists overall
-UDGC: 4
-his dangerous and massively underrated dead ball deliveries are only getting better since the World Cup,  yet while his French teammates bury his chances often  (6 assists for France since April 2018), his Atletico teammates tend to miss big time: at the Camp Nou on Saturday, with the score still leveled at 0-0, the French talisman crossed from a left wing free kick to give center back Gimenez a wide open goal to aim at and Ter Stegen at his mercy, only to send it high and over.

MOST CHANCES CREATED  
(all comps.)
1. HAKIM ZIYECH (Ajax): 129
2. MEMPHIS DEPAY (Lyon): 128
3. WILLIAN  (Chelsea)     : 125
4a. LIONEL MESSI  (Barca): 119
4b. DUSAN TADIC (Ajax)    : 119
5. EDEN HAZARD (Chelsea): 114

MOST UDGC IN EUROPE 
(all comps)
1. HAKIM ZIYECH (Ajax): 10
2a.MOHAMED SALAH (Liverpool): 9
2b.JOSHUA KIMMICH (Bayern): 9
3. ROBERT LEWANDOWSKI (Bay):8
4. SERGE GNABRY (Bayern): 7
5. LIONEL MESSI (Barca): 7