Which midfielders have earned most points from shots on target and big chances created this season?

ONE key feature of Dream Team’s revolutionised scoring system this season is the reward of one point for every shot on target and big chance created.

This improvement benefits players who pose a serious threat, therefore allowing the rankings to reflect the true nature of any given game, rather than just the outcome.

Goal involvements remain the game’s primary currency but gaffers should be aware of which players are ticking over with shots on targets and big chances created – the metrics are intrinsically linked.

With that in mind, let’s analyse which midfielders have earned the most points from these avenues so far this season.

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Most shots on target and big chances created (combined) among midfielders:

• 17 – James Maddison (£4.4m)
• 16 – Bruno Fernandes (£5.9m), Martin Odegaard (£5m)
• 15 – Moussa Diaby (£3.4m)
• 13 – Anthony Gordon (£3m)
• 12 – Rodri (£4.2m), Bukayo Saka (£6.4m), Jarrod Bowen (£4.6m)
• 11 – James Ward-Prowse (£4.1m), Pascal Gross (£4m), Eberechi Eze (£3.7m)

Tottenham’s No10 leads the way despite the fact he doesn’t have additional European fixtures to bolster his schedule.

Only Manchester City forwards Erling Haaland (£8m) and Julian Alvarez (£4.5m) have registered more than Maddison’s 13 shots on target at the time of writing.

This seems to indicate that the England international should probably have scored more than two goals so far but his personal xG of 1.9 suggests he’s roughly on track – many of his shots are from distance (relatively low-quality chances).

Arsenal’s captain has also notched 13 shots on target.

This is interesting as many Dream Team bosses would identify Saka as the Gunners’ primary threat – the England winger does have five goals and five assists to his name already this term.

However, it’s notable the 22-year-old features lower down on this list than Odegaard.

If Saka is forced to miss some games having now limped off in his last three outings, the Norway international seems like the best replacement for Dream Team gaffers who still want to benefit from Arsenal’s attacking verve.

These stats underline the fact Manchester United’s skipper has been trying his best to propel his side out of their funk.

Mohamed Salah (£6.7m) is the only player to have created more big chances than Fernandes’ six among all assets and so the latter can count himself unlucky not to have registered more than two assists.

The Red Devils face Brentford, Sheffield United and Coperhagen in their next three games so Fernandes owners may be better off ignoring the team’s general malaise and sticking by him for that relatively favourable run at least.

Both Diaby and Gordon have to be considered excellent value-for-money options given their efforts so far.

The former has quickly become a key player for an Aston Villa side that are currently the joint-second highest scorers in the Premier League.

The Villains’ fixtures look friendly for the foreseeable future too.

Rodri’s presence is intriguing as he’s primarily seen as a defensive midfielder but, because City dominate so many of their games, he actually spends a lot of time in advanced areas.

Where would the Spaniard be in this ranking had he not been suspended for the last two fixtures?

Statistical confirmation of the threat posed by West Ham’s key midfielders here.

Ward-Prowse, with his fearsome set-pieces, ranks highly for big chances created while Bowen, who is essentially a forward, has quickly reached double figures for shots on target.

Lastly, Gross is expected to return for Brighton soon (possibly on Thursday night) while Crystal Palace will reportedly have to go without Eze for the next six weeks while the bonus point king recovers from a hamstring injury.

Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk