THE Premier League’s best dribblers have been revealed… and it proves Arsenal have the second most terrifying attack.
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Opta defines a dribble - also known as a take-on - as “an attempt by a player to beat an opponent when they have possession of the ball”, with a successful dribble seeing them keep hold of it.
Barcelona winger Ousmane Dembele pips El Clasico rival Vinicius Junior to be crowned overall take-on king.
But third on the list, and the top Premier League player, is Kevin De Bruyne.
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Messi has been snubbed from the list of the best dribblers in the past year according to research done by International Centre for Sports Studies (CIES). Messi has often been lauded for his close ball control, a feature he used to devastating effect during Argentina’s run to World Cup glory in Qatar.
The criteria used by CIES includes also the number of crosses whipped in, and Messi rarely sends crosses, save for the lobbed passes over the defence. It also looks at the frequency of successful dribbles, playing time, and the sporting level of matches played.
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Top 10 dribblers in Europe 2022-23 season, sorted in order of their successful dribbles per 90 minutes (players with a minimum of 500 minutes only).
= 9. Leroy Sane – 2.6 per 90
= 9. Yan Couto – 2.6 per 90
8. Georginio Rutter – 2.9 per 90
7. Azzedine Ounahi – 3.0 per 90
6. Samuel Chukwueze – 3.1 per 90
5. Adam Ounas – 3.2 per 90
4. Evann Guessand – 3.3 per 90
3. Sofiane Boufal – 3.4 per 90
2. Chidera Ejuke – 3.5 per 90
1. Lionel Messi – 3.7 per 90
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The Manchester City star, 31, gets a 98.4 rating from CIES which incredibly places him above the likes of Rafael Leao, Kingsley Coman and Kylian Mbappe.
De Bruyne has forged a reputation as one of the best players in the world - but more for his eye-of-the-needle passing and unmatched creativity rather than his ability to beat a man.
The next Premier League star on the list is Liverpool’s January signing Cody Gakpo, who comes in ninth overall.
He is immediately followed by another City star in Phil Foden and then Newcastle’s flamboyant flair ace Allan Saint-Maximin.
In fifth and sixth on the Premier League list are Arsenal duo Gabriel Martinelli and Bukayo Saka.
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Ousmane Dembele (France/Barcelona)
What makes Ousmane Dembele unique is the fact that he is not only a great dribbler but also that he is excellent at it with both feet. The Frenchman is one of the most exciting attackers in Europe right now and is one of the most dangerous players a defender can come up against in the final third.
Dembele is deceptively fast and his burst of pace is further aided by his long strides, which makes him almost impossible to catch up with once he beats a defender.
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Riyad Mahrez (Algeria/Manchester City)
Riyad Mahrez is one of the most exciting wingers to have graced the Premier League in recent times. The Algeria international first made waves at Leicester City, playing a starring role in the Foxes’ incredible Premier League triumph in the 2015-16 season.
He was roped in by Manchester City subsequently and even now, Mahrez continues to terrorize defenses with his dribbling skills and agility. The left-footed winger loves to drop his shoulder and send defenders the wrong way before barging into the box and testing the goalkeeper.
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