The 2019/20 Premier League campaign is currently on pause due to the threat of coronavirus.
The extreme measures are necessary, and unlike the relentless scheduling that has become commonplace within English football, the hiatus will provide time for supporters, players and clubs to take stock of the season up until its point of suspension.
The enforced break has arrived with a lot still to play for in Manchester City's season. Pep Guardiola has already won the Carabao Cup, and his team are still competing for the FA Cup and Champions League.
City's league performance hasn't been as strong this year but once analysing the numbers beneath the surface, it becomes clear that one player's showings in particular simply cannot be knocked compared to his teammates and peers.
Some 194 central midfielders have amassed over 1,500 minutes in Europe's top five leagues this season, with those players compared on the scatter plot below using two metrics that capture creativity.
The metrics used are shots assisted per 90 and Expected Assists from open-play per 90, which measures the likelihood that a given pass will become a goal assist.
Evidently, the best performing player by some distance is Kevin De Bruyne.
The City talisman is simply on a different level to other central midfielders within Europe, averaging almost three shots assisted per 90 which is notably better than second-best James Maddison with 2.4 shots assisted.
Unlike Maddison, though, De Bruyne generates plenty of shots for others that are fairly easy to score, hence his greater Expected Assists value.
The Belgian manages to blend quality with quantity to such an extent that he's a complete outlier in comparison to others. He's essentially twice as creative as the typical central midfielder.
If the Premier League season does eventually resume, De Bruyne should almost certainly be in contention for a major award once the campaign is concluded despite Liverpool's dominance, as he's undeniably unique in contrast to his 'competitors'.
