Goal scorers can often get all the plaudits, but what about the creative talents who set them up?
Research has shown Celtic star Jota is the most superior in that department across the Scottish Premiership. The 23-year-old has been a shining light since joining the Glasgow giants from Benfica in summer 2021 and instantly became a hit among the Hoops support with his flicks and tricks. He has contributed to eight goals this season, while netting nine himself.
Jota tops Betvictor's performance rating algorithm after amassing an average of 2.28 chances created per 90 minutes and 0.44 expected assists per game - giving him a 'creator score' of 9.9/10. Despite failing to hold down a regular starting place in Ange Postecoglou's starting XI, his Celtic teammate Liel Abada comes in out second having provided 2.14 opportunities per 90 minutes and a tally of 0.41 for expected assists – scoring him at 9.58.
The Parkhead duo are placed ahead of Rangers winger Ryan Kent, who scores nine. He has played more minutes than both Jota and Abada this campaign, which gives him 2.36 in terms of the chances he sets up and an average of 0.27 assists per game.
Below is each top-flights club's star playmakers. Martin Boyle (Hibernian), Josh Ginnelly (Heart of Midlothian), Daniel Armstrong (Kilmarnock), Greg Kiltie (St Mirren), Connor Shields (Motherwell), Stevie May (St Johnstone), Glenn Middleton (Dundee United), Leighton Clarkson (Aberdeen), Yan Dhanda (Ross County) and Joel Nouble (Livingston) make up the chart when you spin the algorithm to top players per team.
Chances created per 90 minutes provides insight into the frequency at which players are creating chances, whereas expected assists per 90 (xA) provides insight into the quality of the chances. Combining the two to produce the ‘Creator Rating’ gives a comprehensive picture of chance frequency and quality, with the top-rated players being those who create a high rate of high-quality chances, with the statistics coming from OPTA data.
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