When it comes to the whole Mesut Ozil v Kevin de Bruyne debate, most people probably reckon they know which one has the better stats, at least this season.

Manchester City are unbeaten in the Premier League this term and have only failed to win once. As De Bruyne has the highest amount of assists so far (six), most assume he’s the best playmaker.

Ozil has only managed two assists and has come under a huge amount of criticism. Some fair, some not so fair. However, when you compare the two midfielders’ stats, they’re not as far apart as you’d expect.

Ozil has actually played 273 minutes fewe than De Bruyne, which theoretically puts him at a disadvantage as he’s had fewer chances to prove himself on the pitch.

However, the German has created 30 chances – exactly the same amount as the City ace.

kevin de bruyne
(Photo by Nigel Roddis/Getty Images)

They’ve both only scored once, but our 29-year-old has a far better shot conversion rate: 8.33% to De Bruyne’s 4.55%.

Plus, Ozil’s been slightly more accurate with his passing. He’s completed 86.3% compared to De Bruyne’s 86%.

Therefore, despite being ‘poor’ this term, Ozil’s quality in attack shines through.

In defence, however, it’s a different story.

De Bruyne’s made more tackles (16 to Ozil’s six), interceptions (eight to Ozil’s five) and recoveries (61 to Ozil’s 25) than our playmaker. How annoying.