Contrasting Finishing Leaving Top Creators with Contrasting Figures

WhoScored has trawled through the stats once more to provide you with in depth data on the most creative players across Europe's top 5 leagues, based on key passes per game. To gain a greater understanding of the individuals who have consistently laid on chance after chance for teammates, only players to have appeared in over half of their sides’ matches this season were considered.

While some have been rewarded for their efforts when it comes to teeing up colleagues, we also look at those who have been more than a little unfortunate to have registered somewhat meagre assists tallies so far, with some standout stars and a few lesser-known playmakers included, so here's the basics:

Across England, Italy, Spain, Germany and France, Marseille's Mathieu Valbuena has created more goalscoring chances for his fellow teammates in the league than any other player with 40. The little Frenchman has been rewarded with 7 assists in his 11 appearances, which again sets the standard across the divisions, along with AC Milan's Antonio Cassano and Madrid's Angel Di Maria.

In terms of the most key passes per game across the leagues of players to have played 6 times or more, it is a Premier League representative that leads the way. However, it may come as a surprise that it is not Silva, nor Rooney, but Swansea City's veteran midfielder Mark Gower. The 33-year-old only came into the side 5 games into the season courtesy of an injury to Kemy Agustien but has certainly staked his claim for a regular starting berth in a holding midfield role, creating 3.8 chances per game.

In the 5 divisions only 12 players have managed to register a tally of 3 or more key passes per game, with WhoScored analysing those who have profited from some high-class finishing, but firstly those who have seen much of the chances they create squandered.

Suffering Due to Poor Poachers?

Of the top 12 players in Europe in terms of key passes per game, the emerging talent that is Marco Reus of Borussia MGladbach is possibly the most unfortunate when it comes to picking up assists. Only the aforementioned Valbuena has set up more chances than the 21-year-old, but while the Marseille-man has 7 assists, Reus is yet to register a single one.

The winger-turned-forward has laid on 34 chances in the league this term (3.09 per game) from 11 appearances and has fallen foul of some slack finishing from his teammates. Despite flying high in the Bundesliga in 5th, 11 teams have scored more than MGladbach's 13 and the fact that Reus is not only key creator for the side but also top scorer with 5 will leave their fans wishing they could have one Reus to create the chances and another to score them!

Newly-promoted Italian side Novara are another team that have struggled in front of goal at times, sitting 18th in the league. Some wayward finishing has led attacking midfielder Alex Pinardi to pick up just 1 assist despite laying on 21 chances in his 6 appearances this season (3.50 per game). Another Serie A player, and a considerably higher profile one at that, has also been unfortunate to pick up just 1 assist from the same number of appearances.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic is not always credited for his ability to create chances for others but in his 6 games so far this season, he has already set up 19 at a rate of 3.16 per game. Similarly to Reus, Milan fans would ideally like a clone of the Swede, who is joint top scorer for the side with 4 despite his limited gametime, though if there is one player who may not be keen on chasing after his own passes it may be Ibrahimovic!

Nice's Camel Meriem is the only other player in our list to have made 10 or more chances per assist. The playmaker has 3 assists to his name in 9 appearances having made an impressive 3.33 key passes per game. Atletico's summer signing Gabi also has 3 assists, but from 24 chances created, his teammates have been slightly more clinical in front of goal than the Frenchman's.

Mark Gower completes are unlucky 6 having racked up an outstanding 3.83 key passes per game over his 6 appearances in the Premier League. A tally of 3 assists means that he is the 6th player to have only registered 1 assist with over 7 key passes on average (7.67), with Swansea's finishing somewhat to blame despite finding their form in front of goal since the Englishman came into the side, scoring all 12 of their league goals this season since Gower's promotion to the line-up.

Profiting Due to Fine Finishing?

While the aforementioned 6 players have been unfortunate not to have larger numbers in their assist columns, some have undoubtedly profited from some expert finishing, and who better to be a playmaker for than Manchester City's strikers right now.

The Premier League leaders lead the way for goals per game across the divisions having struck 36 times already this season, and new signing Samir Nasri has certainly benefited. On his City debut he picked up an incredible 4 assists against Tottenham, having picked up just 1 all season for the opponents North-London rivals Arsenal last season. A further 2 assists have followed having only created 23 goalscoring chances in his 7 league appearances, meaning he has an assist to his name with every 3.83 opportunities he sets up.

An interesting stat sees Antonio Cassano next up on our most fortunate creators list. The Italian has 7 assists to his name in just 9 appearances, which is exceptional for a forward, but has only created 0.28 more chances per game than his strike partner Ibrahimovic, who has just 1 assist in comparison.

Another Man City-man makes the list and who is to doubt David Silva's ability to tee-up teammates having started this season in majestic form. The Spaniard has 6 assists to his name, coming at a rate of 1 every 5.5 chances he creates and Silva is undoubtedly profiting, like Nasri, from the signing of Sergio Aguero and the return to form of Edin Dzeko and Mario Balotelli this term.

Valbuena, as mentioned before, has created the most chances of all the 12 players analysed with 40. With 7 assists to his name these come at a rate of 1 every 5.71 chances he creates and the winger has been a shining light in a fairly dull campaign up-to-now for last season's Ligue 1 runner-up.

Like AC Milan, Borussia MGladbach have a player in each of the unfortunate and fortunate lists, with the latter coming in the form of experienced wide-man Juan Arango. The Venezuelan international captain has created exactly the same amount of chances (34) from exactly the same number of appearances (11) as teammate Reus on the opposite flank, but has 5 assists to his name to the youngsters none, proving that the young German is getting on the end of such deliveries while Arango tends to stay wide, with just 1 goal so far.

The last man on our list is Dortmund and Germany's rising star Mario Gotze. The teenage prodigy has 4 assists from 9 league appearances having created 28 chances for others. The prolific rate at which he sets up his colleagues (3.11 per game) has made him one of world football's hottest prospects and led him to an assist with 7 key passes completed.