Looks like most stat sites have him on 6 assists, which is a good stat, until you look a bit deeper. His expected assists are only 3 which should tell you it’s good finishing as opposed to great quality chances being created that accounts for his high figure. Indeed Denmari Gray and McNeil have higher expected assist records.
Who cares as long as we score? Well, over time those stats indicate he won’t continue assisting at that rate, as it has more to do with worldie finishes. Just as I said when he had 5 assists for an xg of less than two back in October. Got panned for it at the time but it’s panned out, he’s barely assisted since.
You’ve got:
- the simple pass to Maupay against West Ham, with his back to goal outside the box who turns and hits a worldie.
- the cross to Onana against Brighton that misses him and falls to McNeil at the back post to smash him a worldie from an acute angle
- the simple sideways pass to Dominic Calvert-Lewin against palace where Dominic Calvert-Lewin nutmegs his man on the outside of the box and then continues into the box to finish.
That’s just off the top of my head. Sell him in the summer, market him as an arch creator and hope that clubs are stupid enough just to look at the top line stats and give us anything over £15mil.
