In Numbers: Africa’s top performers in the ‘big five’

by Graeme Jackson

Friday Dec 25, 2020. 15:00

African Football take a closer statistical look at the continent’s top-performing players in the ‘big five’ leagues of England, Spain, Italy, Germany and France thus far in 2020-21. Statistics courtesy of WhoScored.

13 – The number of goals scored by Mohamed Salah in the Premier League thus far. The Egyptian has averaged a goal every 83 minutes in 2020-21.

3.2 – The average number of dribbles per game from Fulham’s Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa. The Cameroonian has only been ‘out-dribbled’ by Allan Saint-Maximin and Adama Traore in the Premier League thus far.

81.6 – The average number of passes per game from Napoli’s Kalidou Koulibaly. Only Sassuolo’s Manuel Locatelli (85.6) averages more in Serie A this season.

3.8 – The average number of dribbles per game from Sassuolo’s Jeremie Boga, comfortably the most in Serie A in 2020-21.

90.6 – The average passing completion percentage of Bayer Leverkusen’s Edmond Tapsoba, putting him inside the top 10 most accurate passers in the Bundesliga in 2020-21.

3.5 – The average number of interceptions per game from Hoffenheim’s Diadie Samassekou, the leader in this category in the Bundesliga.

2 – The number of red cards shown to each of Aissa Mandi (Real Betis) and Papakouly Diop (Eibar) – the only two players to be sent off more than once so far in the 2020-21 La Liga.

0.8 – Villarreal’s Samuel Chukwueze has averaged just 0.8 shots per game in La Liga compared to 2.4 shots per game in the Europa League this season.

2.5 – The average number of fouls per game from Dijon’s Pape Cheikh Diop Gueye, the most of any player in Ligue 1 this season.

3.3 – The average number of shots per game from Dijon’s Mama Balde. Only PSG’s Kylian Mbappe (3.6) takes more efforts on goal in Ligue this season.