ASSISTKINGS QUARTERLY: UCL MADNESS & THE LEAGUE CONTINUES

WELCOME MY FRIENDS TO THE SHOW THAT NEVER ENDS
THE CREATIVE CREATORS AND THE 
PASS-HAPPY INSTIGATORS OR THE
LONG BALL PERPETRATORS, AND WE'VE GOT THE
THROUGH BALL INNOVATORS 
JOIN US AS WE DELVE INTO THE FINE ARTS OF 
THE CREATIVE GENIUSES THAT RUN OUR GAME 
FIT, FIRING AND BORN TO ENTERTAIN
WHERE WERE YOU WHEN CITY & SPURS WENT DOWN?
HOW CAN A MATCH DECIDED BY A WRONG ANGLE, 
MAKE ONE OF THE BEST MANAGERS LOOK LIKE A CLOWN?
THERE'S ONLY SO MUCH A COACH CAN DO
BUT MAYBE HE SHOULD'VE ROTATED KDB, A TIME OR TWO

10
TEJI SAVANIER (Nimes)

-12 assists overall
-KEY PASSES
 -TOTAL: 77
 -PER 90: 2.7 (LIGUE1) 
-UDGC: 2
(4 assists & 3 goals in Savanier's last 6 apps.)
-9 assists directly from set pieces, more than any other player in European football 
(5 from corners, 4 from free kicks)

      I don't know where this guy came from...I don't know what he's about ...but to play like this every match?
     ...Savanier has been loading up the stat sheet with tackles, interceptions, dribbles, key passes, shots, everything...he does it all in midfield, from midfield and for the Nimes midfield.
      His dead ball deliveries are becoming even harder to defend for Ligue 1 defenses by the match: this weekend, his free kick from deep on the left wing created havoc and a slap-stick comedy of errors in the Bordeaux box, culminating in a defender's hand slapping at the ball before it made contact with one of the hulking Nimes targets in the box.
      This penalty was called, no VAR necessary, and Savanier took the ball and went to the spot.
      But what happened next was a reaction to any and all criticism of where he stands (or might stand) in the world of football in 2019: he pulls off his own version of the Panenka penalty, emulating the attempts from the spot of Antonin Panenka from Euro 1976, Messi, Suarez, Sergio Ramos and all that have tried the penalty since...is he trying to say he belongs among these great talents?
      Well, his amazing play keeps on coming to save Nimes, the French midfielder pulling off brilliant crosses and through balls, setting up his teammates with aplomb and reaching 2nd on the European League Assists table and 1st in Ligue 1 over such greats as Mbappe, Depay, Neymar and Fekir.
      This doesn't mean he's better than those players because of sheer numbers, that's a dumb way to think football, but does it also mean that if this guy continues to pull this type of shit off, whether it be in Ligue 1 or anywhere else, does he at least deserve a place in the French national team's midfield, or bench? 

9
MARCO REUS (Dortmund / Germany)

-10 assists overall
-KEY PASSES
 -TOTAL: 50
 -PER 90: 1.7 (UCL), 1.5 (BUND)
-GERMANY: 2 assists in 2 matches last Intl. break 
(both coming as a substitute, both assists saving a draw vs Serbia and winning the match vs the Dutch)
-assisted Toprak who hit the post in the DFB Pokal
-has been directly involved in 8 goals with Jadon Sancho this campaign across all competitions, with the goal against Freiburg (scored by Sancho) being the first Reus has ever assisted to Sancho

      Reus had 2 assists on the weekend, tearing Freiburg apart with a duo of exquisite slide-rule passes across the face of goal for teammates (Sancho and Gotze) to tap in at the far post. They were wondrous pieces of play that must be seen to be believed as it finds the German back at his best.
      He's pulled Dortmund back within a point of Bayern as the title race becomes the full attention in Germany, both clubs ousted from the Champions League long ago and the respective matches between each club haven't told the tale of the season whatsoever (looking at you 5-0 Bayern over Dortmund!). 
      Reus's combination play with Jadon Sancho has reached the same level of telepathy that his longstanding dueling partnership with Mario Gotze has, although nothing has ever reached the pinnacle of that Gotze-Reus-Lewandowski trident that took the team to the apex of European football in 2013, this recent tandem  (with the young English teen Sancho) has produced far more goals than any other since then and has done it with world class precision.
      Not only that, he also had two assists from the bench in the same number of matches for Die Mannschaft, saving their blushes in both of those games and pulling them over the line against the Dutch when they probably deserved to lose (the same can be said for the 1-1 draw vs Serbia).
    In both German national appearances for Reus off of the bench, he pulled his national side back from the brink, and at a time where the team is at a crossroads and the criticism has hit a fever pitch.
      It is a blessing to see Marco Reus fit, firing and demonstrating his complete value to both club and country.

8
TRENT ALEXANDER-ARNOLD (Liverpool)

-10 assists overall
-7 assists in his last 11 apps. 
(4 in his last 5 matches)
-KEY PASSES
 -TOTAL: 65 (5 chances created vs Cardiff)
 -PER 90: 2.3 (UCL), 1.7 (EPL)
-UDGC: 3

        This kid proceeds to up his paygrade by the match, laying on assists in his last 3 matches, 4 in his last 5 and 7 (including a 3 assist match) in his last 12 games, it's becoming apparent how devastating but also how crucial Alexander-Arnold is to the success of Liverpool's front three.
        And it hasn't just been Salah, Mane or Firmino to have scored goals from his brilliance: vs Cardiff on Sunday, Wijnaldum ran on to and met Alexander-Arnold's sizzling corner kick delivery into the middle of the box, smashing it on the volley after a lone bounce into Cardiff's net, breaking the deadlock at the 57th minute and pulling Liverpool ahead.
        Mind your brain here for a moment when it tries to wrap itself around the idea that Trent Alexander-Arnold will have played in a World Cup, a Champions league final, had double digits in assists from right back in a season, scored for his national team, and registered a hat trick of assists all before the age of 20....
        ....now all he wants to do is add EPL and UCL champion to his ever-growing resume.


7
JOSHUA KIMMICH (Bayern Munich)

-15 assists overall
-UDGC: 10
-KEY PASSES
 -TOTAL: 97
 -PER 90: 2.3 (UCL), 2.3 (BUND)

     Back to his best in attack, the versatile young right back and midfielder (who could be future captain of Bayern and Germany) created 2 goals in the last three matches, and though he didn't grab an assist in the 1-0 victory over Bremen, he was instrumental and influential: sending in a match high 6 chances including a litany of precise crosses that were sent askew by wayward headed finishing.
       Kimmich continues to thrive out wide, displaying a multitude of fantastic crossing / passing varieties that expose the weaknesses of every back line he faces.  

       No wonder Messi wants him at Camp Nou....

6
JADON SANCHO (Dortmund)

-15 assists overall
(3 goals, 0 assists, 4 key passes in last 3 matches)
-UDGC: 5
-KEY PASSES
 -TOTAL: 71
 -PER 90: 2.4 (BUND), 2.1 (UCL)
-has been directly involved in 8 goals with Marco Reus across all comps. including assisting Reus 5 times this season, all comps.  
     
       Sancho scored another goal for Dortmund, arriving at the far post to tap in an illustrious Marco Reus assist,  but he also forged ahead creatively, slicing a turning pinpoint through ball for Reus to latch on to and deliver a carbon copy 2nd assist to Gotze for yet another point blank range finish. 
       This gave Sancho his 5th Uncredited direct goal contribution on the season in the 4-0 win.
       The Englishman goes from strength to strength, using his speed, anticipation and tenacity in the final third ala Raheem Sterling to grab huge goals with a footballing IQ years beyond his tiny age.
       And though the stats may declare him to have gone without a registered, official key pass vs Freiburg, his brilliantly measured through ball on the carpet to Reus made the assist from the German a formality in its ease, both passes rolled in with exquisite weight and timing.
        Now that Dortmund have to focus solely on the Bundesliga, just like Bayern Munich, we should see the best from both clubs and the entirety of the German league in what should be a breathtaking final jaunt thanks to the one point gap between Munich at the top and Dortmund at 2nd.
   
5
DUSAN TADIC (Ajax)

-18 assists overall
-KEY PASSES
 -TOTAL: 129
 -PER 90: 2.9 (UCL), 2.8 (ERED)

         Tadic was imperious vs Juventus again in the Champions League knockout stages, ripping off a litany of chances to his teammates in the final third in an all out assault on Woijtech Szyzycnzy's goal.
         The Serbian was teeing up pass after pass to Ziyech to launch at goal, or executing a sublime backheel into the box for Lasse Schone to pass into the net from only yards out, however the Danish defensive midfielder passed it backwards to Van De Beek in what would end up as a deflected shot, but we must highlight something here: Tadic was supportive and encouraging towards his teammate instead of angry after his perfect assist opportunity was ruined by Schone's lack of composure.
        That's the leadership we were espousing in the last edition of Assist Kings Quarterly, where we said his leadership would be paramount to Ajax getting through yet another European giant in Juventus and we predicted that they would by the same score they did.
        And even as Ronaldo scored in both legs, they stayed calm, remembered the aggregate score and began a bevy of beautiful, articulate and spell-bindingly quick attacking play upon the much hailed Juve back line.
        Ajax could've grabbed 4 or 5 more goals, with the Serbian setting Hakim Ziyech up in the box with a huge chance, though his rifled shot was kicked away by a shocking goal line clearance from Miralem Pjanic as the ball was heading into the net.
        Dusan Tadic is definitely one of the ten best players in Europe on current form, with a ridiculous 28 goals scored in all competitions (6 in the Champions League alone) and 18 assists putting the Serb in Messi-esque statistical levels.
        Maybe he should've never left Holland in the first place.

4
 JORDI ALBA (Barca)

-14 assists overall
-KEY PASSES
 -TOTAL: 71
 -PER 90: 2.1 (UCL) 1.4 (LIGA)

     Jordi Alba is the best left back in the world and he proved that yet again over the last few matches, with a little cushioned pass to Coutinho from a supernatural Messi long ball. 
      Alba snapped the ball out of the air with a deadened single touch that clapped off the inside of his left foot and sent the ball through to Coutinho into a nest of space at the top of the left corner of the box, the Catalan left back  understanding the pocket as Coutinho's favorite area to blast shots from distance, the agility of thought from Alba harnessing such footballing IQ: giving the under-fire Brazilian time and space to launch his right foot into the ball like a Howitzer and send Barca through to the semifinals and United home in shame.

        Then he did the most unusual thing: not only did Jordi score in La Liga, days later, he did it with his right foot against Sociedad, latching on to a sick Messi pass and cutting inside on to his right and smacking it far post, a powerful and deceptive shot that helped Barca to the victory, Alba scoring his 3rd goal of the season in the process.
         That is the 8th goal Messi and Alba have been involved in together and the 17th since last season, but only the 1st Messi has laid on for his teammate this campaign.
          Elsewhere in the same match, Jordi set up 4 chances, smashing low crosses in front of the face of goal for Suarez to tap home, only for a last gasp tackle from Sociedad to sweep it away from danger. Alba was creating and facilitating with a vengeance the last few matches, bringing his performances up another notch.
          With 2 assists and a goal in the last 5 matches for this guy, who knows how much more he has in the tank, though I would never count him out. 
         He belongs in the final phase.

3
HAKIM ZIYECH (Ajax)

-17 assists overall
-UDGC: 10
-KEY PASSES
 -TOTAL: 144
 -PER 90: 4.1 (ERED), 2.0 (UCL)

       Ziyech was dynamite in the Juventus tie, assisting the biggest goal of the two legs with a shot that was intercepted by his own teammate Donny Van De Beek, who was closing in on goal and smashed it home, making up for his point blank miss from close range in the 1st leg by making no mistake in Turin. 
        It was a bizarre move as the Ziyech shot looked loose, fluffy and off target, but it was proven perfect for Van De Beek to grip on to and dispatch into Juve's net, shocking and sickening the Italian fans with the worries of another big win on the road, from behind, and against a European giant by this pesky, soon to be cash-rich club.
         Hakim doesn't seem capable of stopping his rise as one of the best young players in the world, yet he's often overlooked in favor of Sancho, Mbappe, Dembele, De Jong, De Ligt, Van Dijk etc.
         But Ziyech is growing in leaps and bounds, posting another 7 shots blasted at goal (narrowly missing or being saved by Szyznzy), and 4 chances created etc.....but the most incredible stat that ushers in the moniker of world class:
 4 completed tackles out of 9 attempts against the Italian club, a statistic that was just as high when Ajax faced Real Madrid, or when the Moroccan played Spain in the World Cup last summer.
      Ziyech never ignores an opportunity to get stuck in, and like basketball (a sport every footballer seems to be obsessed with right now, looking at you Griezmann!!!) Ziyech's hard work and tenacious stealing of the ball in the opposition half, or in midfield, has developed into attack after attack for the Dutch giants.
          With 17 assists total (3rd in Europe), 10 goals created from uncredited direct goal contributions (tied for 1st in Europe) and a staggering 144 chances created (1st in Europe), Hakim Ziyech is proving to be one of the best players in world football this season as the Dutch-born Moroccan tries to lead Ajax through Spurs and to a 2nd European final in 3 seasons.

2
CHRISTIAN ERIKSEN (Tottenham)

-17 assists overall
(5 assists in his last 6 matches for Spurs)
-KEY PASSES
 -TOTAL: 96
 -PER 90: 2.8 (UCL), 2.6 (EPL)

        He nearly gave it away....
        The biggest win in Tottenham Hotspur history was earned partially from a sick assist by Christian Eriksen, though it was his give-away in the final seconds to Sergio Aguero that almost ruined the best campaign the Dane has had in his now 8 year spell in London.

        After Eriksen had ripped possession away from a bad Laporte pass into midfield, the Danish captain slid the ball to Son, haunting the City defense at the edge of the box. The South Korean waited and collected the ball, then took a few steps to his right, then curled a flame-thrower around Ederson from outside of the box to steal the lead on aggregate back from an intense Manchester City. 
        The response time was unreal, with Tottenham wasting not a second in their barrage of the City goal, rushing in on Laporte like the hounds of hell. 
       And the assist by Eriksen is subtle world class exhibitionism: he slides the ball to Son whilst surrounded by options and defenders, breaking the crowd and ruining the only chance City had at winning the ball back with haste; and his pass was quickly spilled wide to the point that it gave Son more than enough time to dwell on his next course of action before deciding to bury City from distance.
         Though his stupid and cheap turnover should've been punished, VAR just saved Eriksen's Spurs legacy. 
        No matter how many assists he may grab over the rest of 2019, nothing will ever come close to the majesty of taking Tottenham into a winnable Champions League semifinal, and though he is incredibly lucky to have gone through with his awful turnover in stoppage time, Spurs wouldn't have been in that scenario without his 2 assists over both legs.

1
LIONEL MESSI (Barca)

-19 assists overall
-UDGC: 7
-KEY PASSES
 -TOTAL: 121
 -PER 90: 3.2 (UCL), 3.1 (LIGA)


       Messi was at it again, as he always is, against both United and Sociedad over the past week: scoring 2 goals and grabbing an assist.
       Against Sociedad, Leo sent Alba into the box with a lovely swiveling through ball for the left back to hold on to, meeting the ball, cutting back and twisting inside on his right to stun us all with a nuclear effort from distance.
       This was the 9th goal Messi and Jordi Alba combined on this season and only the 1st the Argentine dished to his left back teammate. 
        It was special play from the Barca captain, Messi spinning defenders askew with every swivel or turn of his hips.
        And though he didn't create much in the 2nd leg destruction over Manchester United (where Messi's finishing exploits were more on display), he still carved a brilliant chance from a free kick where he curled in a floating ball for Ivan Rakitic to smash into De Gea only yards in front of goal, a truly dynamic chance barely snuffed out by the Spanish keeper who already ruined the tie with a serious mishap earlier  (also caused by Messi).
        While retaining his #1 spot on the overall assists table with 19, 3rd in uncredited direct goal contributions  (including his filthy eyes-in-the-back-of-the-head cross to Suarez in the 1st leg against United, creating an own goal), and being 5th in total chances conjured, Messi reigns supreme.


BESTEST OF THE RESTITH / 
RESTIUS OF THE BESTEST:

JULIAN BRANDT (Leverkeusen)

-13 assists overall
-UDGC: 5
-KEY PASSES
 -TOTAL: 93
 -PER 90: 3.1 (EUROPA), 2.2 (BUND)

        Julian Brandt snatched another Bundesliga assist as he helped Bayer Leverkeusen to a desperately needed victory, producing 5 chances total.
        His bristling play isn't enough to make our list again, with the stench of his previous performances (and that of his club's) still permeating in the air.

EDEN HAZARD (Chelsea)

-13 assists overall  (all in EPL)
-UDGC: 4
(1 in Europa league last week)

        Hazard hasn't notched an assist, but he was damn close against Prague in the 2nd leg of the Europa league quarterfinals, a topsy turvy 4-3 match where the Belgium captain passed to Pedro, only to see his teammate's great shot clap off of the inside of the post and cause a calamitous and hilarious own goal for Prague.
       It was harsh luck for the stat sheet, although any goal in the knockout stages of European competition is a big goal.

KEVIN DE BRUYNE (City)

-9 assists overall
-KEY PASSES 
 -TOTAL: 46
(6 in his last 3 apps. including 2 vs Crystal Palace and 3 vs Tottenham in the UCL 2nd leg)


        What has happened to Kevin De Bruyne has been awful: a cyclical form of knee and muscle injuries that have hampered a season we know would've been brilliant had he been able to play even 30-35 matches this season. 
        Instead, we've only seen snatches of KDB (featuring in the starting XI only 32% of the time in the EPL), but my has he been unreal when he's played. 
         In the last few matches, De Bruyne ripped off an assist, a goal, a bunch of key passes, then a brace of assists in the Premier League over Crystal Palace being quickly followed up by his heroic performance in the Champions League against Tottenham, a game where he went off, unleashing his frustration with a trio of viciously engineered and miraculously devilish assists. 
       The Belgium man hasn't had a bad season on the whole whatsoever, with 9 assists, 2 UDGC, assisting teammates who've struck the post twice, and has scored 5 goals as well. 
       This is all achieved in a mere 247 minutes in the Champions League  (he has 4 assists, good enough to be tied for 2nd place in the UCL assists table) and 966 in the Premier League.
        It is sad how little we've seen of him, but when we have....he's still the outrageous creator we've always known.

MOHAMED SALAH (Liverpool)

-9 assists overall
-UDGC: 10 

           The Egyptian's creative ways are coming to the fore as Liverpool push for two colossal titles: their first Premier League title ever and first English title since 1990 and their first back to back Champions league final appearances since 1984-85 and first UCL title since 2005.

           Against Porto, Mo Salah delicately poked an odd off the ground cross / pass through two Porto defenders and to the back post for Sadio Mane to tap home, beginning the rugged extinction of Porto from the same stage of the tournament that Liverpool knocked them out last year.
           Salah has been proving everyone an idiot with his rampaging runs into the box creating nearly 20 goals by themselves and he's been scoring them himself, too (his thunderbolt from distance against Chelsea was, aesthetically, the most pleasing goal of the Premier league season thus far). 
           But Salah only seems to be playing well (in the eyes of the media) if he's scoring bags full of goals...and though he's notched a more than adequate 23, with 19 in the Premier League, the Egyptian still seems to be treated as if he's a lost dog covered in gasoline.
         This is why we came up with Uncredited direct goal contributions as a statistical entity, so we can quantify the unofficial creative play that players hardly ever get credit for.  Salah has a further 10 goals created on top of his 9 assists, with another penalty earned this weekend vs Cardiff giving him another UDGC as he tortured a defender into pulling and dragging the Egyptian to the floor. 
        It's these type of contributions that have allowed Klopp's Liverpool to dictate terms early to opponents or kill the matches off, and whether it's official, unofficial, a goal, or an assist, or something uncredited, if Mo Salah is bearing down on goal, something big for Liverpool will happen.

ALEXANDRE LACAZETTE (Arsenal)

-10 assists overall
(3 assists in the last 8 apps.)
-UDGC: 9
-Lacazette & Aubamayang have combined for 9 goals this season

SANTI CAZORLA (Villareal)

-10 overall assists
-KEY PASSES
 -TOTAL: 76
 -PER 90: 2.5 (EUROPA), 2.5 (LIGA)

         Caz continues his unbelievable return from a 2 year injury hell, racking up assists in La Liga and troubling every opposition midfielder with his silky, mid-2000s Spanish ways.
         It's as if he never left the pitch and it's fabulous to see him back, as he assisted again in La Liga on the weekend.


OUSMANE DEMBELE (Barca)

-8 overall assists
-UDGC: 2
-KEY PASSES
 -TOTAL: 67
 -PER 90: 3.2 (UCL), 2.4 (LIGA)

        The French World Cup winner came back from injury with a bang this weekend, starting vs Sociedad and contributing the match winning goal right before half time that broke their resistance to Barcelona, hammering in a perfect corner to compatriot Clement Lenglet to guide into the far corner.
         This is the 2nd goal Dembele has assisted to Lenglet, both coming from corners and the pair of assists winning both matches. 
          With 10 goals created and 7 between Messi and Dembele, the Frenchman is finding his feet in the Barca XI at the right time as two legs against Liverpool on the horizon.

THIAGO ALCANTARA (Bayern)

-8 overall assists
-UDGC: 2
-KEY PASSES
 -TOTAL: 53
 -PER 90: 1.5 (BUND), 1.6 (UCL)
-assisted Gnabry with 2 clear cut chances with the goal open, with Gnabry hitting the post in the DFB Pokal and forcing a brilliant kick save vs Werder Bremen on Saturday
SPAIN:1 assist in the UEFA Nations League (post World Cup)

METRIC

1. PERFORMANCE:
 the impact and effect their creativity (any act on the ball) has on the overall results of their team (i.e victories and losses combined with high or lower levels of performance). In this part of the metric, we judge goals and contributions to goals that aren't credited officially with assists  (such as earned penalties or causing own goals.
2. UNCREDITED DIRECT GOAL CONTRIBUTIONS (UDGC):
This would include chances created that weren't officially counted thanks to a teammate's bad touch or failed run, since key passes are only officially counted if the pass is completed, yet we all know a pass doesn't have to be completed for a chance to have been created (just make sure your brain is alright after that...whew..mine is barely). Here, we also equate decisive passes (the pass that sets up the assist) as chances created, as well. 
3. RECENCY BIAS:
We do give credence on these lists to players who are hotter in current matches than others who have cooled, with the overall tallies being considered 
4. DIFFICULTY OF OPPOSITION:
This is an obvious factor. Example:  such is the lower level of defensive, goalkeeping and deeper midfield talents below the top 2 or 3 clubs in France's Ligue 1 or the Netherlands Eredivisie, that 7 or 8 assists in the Premier league, Bundesliga or La Liga equates to 10 or 11 in France or Holland. 
The eyes don't lie 

MOST CHANCES CREATED 
(all comps)
1. HAKIM ZIYECH (Ajax): 144
2. MEMPHIS DEPAY (Lyon): 130 
3. DUSAN TADIC (Ajax): 129
4. WILLIAN (Chelsea): 127
5. LIONEL MESSI (Barca): 121

MOST UDGC (all comps)
1a.HAKIM ZIYECH (Ajax): 10
1b.MOHAMED SALAH (Liverpool): 10

1c.JOSHUA KIMMICH (Mun): 10
2.ROBERT LEWANDOWSKI(Mun):9
3a. SERGE GNABRY (Mun): 7
3b. LIONEL MESSI (Barca): 7 
3C. RAHEEM STERLING (City): 7
4a. LUIS SUAREZ (Barca): 6 
4b. LEROY SANE (City): 6 
5. ANTOINE GRIEZMANN (Atletico): 5

MOST ASSISTS (all comps):
1. LIONEL MESSI (Barca):      19
2. DUSAN TADIC (Ajax):        18
3a.LEROY SANE (City):          17
3b.CHRISTIAN ERIKSEN (Spurs):17
3c.HAKIM ZIYECH (Ajax):         17
4a.KYLIAN MBAPPE (PSG):         15
4b.JOSHUA KIMMICH (Bayern):  15
4c.JADON SANCHO (Dortmund):15
5. MEMPHIS DEPAY (Lyon):        14