Amazing stats show Joe Gelhardt, Kylian Mbappe and Leeds United striker similarities

Finding the perfect striker – the method:

The perfect striker is someone who has achieved at least a minimum target in carefully selected position-specific metrics.

Those metrics were: expected goals per-90 minutes, expected assists per-90 minutes, shots per-90 minutes, conversion rate, touches in the opponent's box per-90 minutes, dribbles per-90 minutes, received passes per-90 minutes and progressive runs per-90 minutes.

These stats provide a good measure of the complete forward as it gives a good indication of a player's ability to get chances (xG), create chances (xA), test the keeper (shots), successfully beat the keeper (conversion rate), dangerous in the box (touches), worry defenders (dribbles), demanding the ball (received passes) and stretching defences (progressive runs).

The metrics were then adjusted to only show players that scored a certain number, with the filter increased in difficulty in a last-man-standing exercise until there were only a small amount of players left.

Finding the perfect striker – the results:

The five players remaining were Joe Gelhardt; PSG and France star Kylian Mbappe; Leeds United’s Wilfried Gnonto; Yorbe Vertessen, on loan at Union SG from PSV; and Copenhagen starlet Roony Bardghji.

“Joffy” also holds an interesting record after having 11 touches in the opposition box back in October 2021 against Wolves while playing for Leeds United.

That’s the most any player has had in a Premier League match after being subbed on as late as the 62nd minute since Opta began recording the data (2008-09 onwards). Gelhardt also possessed a better assists per-90 minutes ratio than 99% of strikers!