Kevin de Bruyne was Man of the Match once again on Saturday, delivering a virtuoso display as Manchester City thumped Tottenham 4-1 at the Etihad.This season, De Bruyne has been one of Europe’s best playmakers, but other players in that realm are teammate David Silva, Liverpool’s Philippe Coutinho and, of course, Mesut Ozil.The criticism thrown at the latter is that he isn’t consistent enough, but with his undeniable quality, many Arsenal fans will tell you he’s the best number ten in the league.

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KDB & Ozil’s 2017-18 PL stats compared

So, how has the World Cup winner compared to the outstanding De Bruyne so far in the 2017-18 Premier League campaign? Let’s take a look at some key statistics.

Goals

Ozil’s scored three times in 15 Premier League appearances (0.2 goals per game), but De Bruyne has recorded six goals from his 18 outings (0.33 per match).

Assists

Mesut is known as the “Assist King”, and he’s set up five league goals this term, however De Bruyne has assisted eight, and at a better rate too (0.44 per match, 0.33 for Ozil).

Passing and creativity

On average, the 26-year-old is creating 0.56 clear goalscoring opportunities per match, which is marginally better than Ozil’s rate of 0.53.

Both City and Arsenal tend to dominate possession, and Ozil is impressively averaging 68.27 passes every match, but it doesn’t beat De Bruyne, who’s on 75.89.

Dribbling and shooting

The ex-Chelsea man averages 2.28 shots per game (1.53 for Ozil), and his 56% shooting accuracy is better than Ozil’s 35%.

De Bruyne also boasts a higher dribbling success rate (80% compared to 64% for Ozil) and crossing accuracy (30% to Ozil’s 24%) than Arsenal’s chief creator.

The “dirty work”

These stats may not be attack-minded, but they’re useful when assessing a player’s all-round game, and the Man City star leads the way here too.

Ozil’s work-rate is vastly improved, and he’s winning the ball back 4.13 times per game on average, but KDB’s pressing means he’s averaged 6.06 recoveries each match.

De Bruyne’s 79% tackle success ratio is four percent higher than Ozil’s rate, and he’s winning a few more of his duels too (52.25% compared to 46.15%).

Fans weigh in on the debate

Here’s what some fans said about the pair on Twitter after Saturday’s games, in which both players scored stunning goals:

Conclusion

Of course, the classy duo play in very different teams, but of the 11 stats compared, De Bruyne’s come out on top in every single stat compared, suggesting that he is now the superior playmaker.

If the Belgium international is able to maintain his current level, Pep Guardiola’s men will run away with the league and probably break even more records.

What do YOU make of these stats? Who do YOU think is the better playmaker: De Bruyne or Ozil? Share YOUR opinion in the comments box below!