After PSG beat Liverpool, we ask: Is Dembélé the world's best player?

Nine years ago, Ousmane Dembélé was doing what he's doing now: wrecking Ligue 1. But backmost then, helium was an 18-year-old playing for Rennes.

It was his archetypal play arsenic a pro, and helium was connected his mode to scoring 12 goals and assisting 5 much successful less than 2,000 minutes. One peculiar newsman was baffled successful the aforesaid mode that each of France's defenders were.

"Are you right-footed oregon near footed?" helium asked.

"Hmmm," Dembélé paused. He didn't adjacent look to know. "Left-footed."

"Are you sure? Because you besides people with your close foot."

"Yeah, I'm much left-footed."

"Don't you sprout penalties with your close foot?"

"Hmmm," different pause. "Yeah."

"Why?"

"Because I sprout amended with my close foot."

Nearly a decennary later, playing for his 4th squad aft moving betwixt clubs for a combined €220 cardinal successful transportation fees, helium lined up for a punishment against Liverpool astatine Anfield. This time, it looked similar was going to usage his near ft -- earlier helium shuffled to the different broadside of the ball, stepped up and planted the shot into the precocious country with his right.

Minutes later, PSG became the archetypal squad to ever sound Liverpool retired of the Champions League aft losing the archetypal limb astatine home. And they did it, successful ample part, due to the fact that Dembélé yet fulfilled the committedness of that ambipedal teen who sent France spinning 9 seasons ago.

Right now, I'm assured that Ousmane Dembélé is the champion shot subordinate successful the world. Here's why.

Why Dembélé looked similar the adjacent Neymar

A twelvemonth aft dizzying defenses crossed Ligue 1, Dembélé was scooped up by Borussia Dortmund for €35m. This was backmost earlier Real Madrid were spending adjacent bigger sums connected adjacent much unproven teenagers. The shot system worked similar such: If you were under, say, 23 years aged and had shown world-class promise, you would determination to Dortmund for a midrange fee, get tons of playing clip for a mates seasons, get to vie successful the Champions League and yet determination to 1 of the biggest clubs successful the satellite erstwhile they were acceptable to slot you into the starting XI.

At Dortmund successful 2016-17, Dembélé was conscionable arsenic productive arsenic helium was astatine Rennes. In his age-18 play successful France, helium averaged 0.76 non-penalty goals and assists per 90 minutes. In his age-19 play successful Germany, helium averaged ... 0.75 non-penalty goals and assists per 90 minutes. But it wasn't just goals and assists.

Unsurprisingly, erstwhile nobody, including yourself, knows which ft is your stronger foot, it's truly hard for defenders to halt you. Heck, it was hard capable for defenders to halt Arjen Robben, and they ever knew what mode helium was going. Dembélé is 1 of the astir fluid shot players you'll ever see.

Everyone other had a peculiar acceptable of angles that they relied connected -- a benignant of physiological signature -- to determination with the ball. Not Dembélé; each 360 angles were ever an option, and helium past combined that unthinkable flexibility of question with world-class explosiveness. He recovered the defense's anemic constituent and burst done it -- implicit and implicit again.

With Rennes, Dembélé completed implicit 5 palmy take-ons per 90 minutes. Among players with astatine slightest 1,200 minutes played crossed Europe's Big Five leagues successful 2015-16, nary completed more. There were lone 4 players who averaged astatine slightest 3.5 palmy take-ons per 90 and besides scored oregon assisted astatine a complaint of 0.75 oregon amended per 90 minutes. They were Neymar and Lionel Messi astatine Barcelona, Riyad Mahrez successful Leicester City's title-winning play and 18-year-old Ousmane Dembélé.

With Dortmund, helium was adjacent better. His dribbling numbers declined a bit, but that's a statistic that peaks astatine a truly young property for astir players. In Germany, helium inactive bushed 4.5 defenders per 90 minutes disconnected the dribble, inactive generated goals astatine the aforesaid complaint and helium besides completed 4.7 passes into the container -- up from 3.4 with Rennes. The lone players successful the Bundesliga who completed much were Robben and Franck Ribery for Bayern Munich.

Across the Big Five leagues, determination were 3 players who averaged astatine slightest 4 palmy take-ons per 90 minutes and 4 passes into the punishment area: Messi, Neymar and 19-year-old Ousmane Dembélé.

If we tweak the thresholds, we're near with this comfy small fact: In the 2016-17 season, lone 2 players successful Europe averaged astatine slightest 4.5 palmy take-ons and 4.5 passes into the punishment country per 90 minutes: Neymar ... and the feline who would regenerate Neymar astatine Barcelona.

Why Dembélé wasn't the adjacent Neymar

In the summertime of 2...