Caught Offside examines who the ten most accurate passers on the Continent currently are using pass completion stats from Europe’s top five leagues, with three Emirates Stadium stars on the list.
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10) Thiago Motta (Paris Saint-Germain): 92.3% pass completion rate (PCR)
The Ligue 1 champions’ experienced holding midfielder has been a key addition to the Parisians’ expensively assembled squad at the Parc des Princes these past two years, with the Italy international’s coolness under pressure and accurate passing one of the reasons for the club’s many successes in France of late.
9) Alvaro Arbeloa (Real Madrid): 92.4% PCR
A surprise entry perhaps in this top ten list in that you would not really expect there to be too many defenders making the cut.
However, the ever reliable Spain international has always had the ability to find a team-mate with a pass to feet, even under pressure, which is what makes the attacking full back such an outstanding player.
8) Mathieu Flamini (Arsenal): 92.6% PCR
Anyone who has noticed the huge difference in how the north London club have been performing so far in this campaign, particularly in defence, will know that much of that improvement from last season has been down to the return of former France international midfielder Mathieu Flamini, who Gunners head coach Arsene Wenger managed to lure back to the Emirates from AC Milan on a free transfer last summer.
Flamini is renowned for his tenacity in the tackle, but also keeps possession very well indeed.
7) Sergio Busquets (FC Barcelona): 92.6% PCR
The highly rated Spain international does a lot of work that goes unnoticed for the La Liga champions in front of their back four as the holding midfielder breaks up opposition counter attacks, before starting off his own side’s forward thrusts by using his much under-rated passing abilities to find a team-mate.
6) Thiago Silva (Paris Saint-Germain): 92.7%
Again, as with Real Madrid full back Alvaro Arbeloa previously, a bit of a surprise to find a defender make this top 10 list, although in the case of PSG’s brilliant Brazil international and the world’s most expensive centre back, perhaps one should not be that shocked to find the classy player’s name appearing here after all.
5) Per Mertesacker (Arsenal): 93%
The big Germany international is currently enjoying an eye-catching campaign at the heart of the north London club’s midfield, although the vast majority of the praise for the experienced central defender has been focused around his abilities to keep the opposition away from his goal, with the player’s passing skills having slipped under the radar.
4) Xavi Hernandez (FC Barcelona): 93.1%
The diminutive Spain international playmaker’s whole game is based around his unrivaled ability to find a team-mate with an accurate pass to feet even when under the severest of pressure, something that the midfielder has been doing now for a decade and more for the Catalan giants and the Spanish national team too.
3) Laurent Koscielny (Arsenal): 93.3%
The appearance on this top 10 list of a second Arsenal centre back explains just why the north London club have been so rock solid at the back in the Premier League so far in this campaign, with the France international himself managing to complete an incredible 93.3 per cent of all of the passes that he has attempted in the top flight, which is quite some achievement indeed when you think about it.
2) Matias Fernandez (Fiorentina): 93.7%
The Chile international has been in fine form for the Florence-based outfit in Serie A this season, with the attacking midfielder having managed to register three goals and six assists in total in his 17 matches in Serie A , while the 27-year-old’s passing stats have also been outstanding, with the player having been successful with almost 94 per cent of all his passes to Fiorentina colleagues in the league.
1) Alex (Paris Saint-Germain): 94%
What a campaign the experienced former Chelsea centre back is currently having at the back for the Ligue 1 champions, with the 31-year-old having not only found the back of the net on two occasions in his 21 league outings for the Parisians, but the one-time Brazil international also possesses the highest pass completion rate of any player in Europe’s top five leagues.