Arda Guler - Arda Güler vs Pedri: When the Assist Lies
AG
Statistical ParadoxLa Liga - J12vs Pedri, Barcelona

Arda Guler: Arda Güler vs Pedri: When the Assist Lies

November 19, 2025Achraff ADJILEYE
3.08
gC
8
G+A

This season in La Liga, Arda Güler has become one of the revelations of Xabi Alonso’s Real Madrid. Trusted with a new creative role, he has developed strong on-field chemistry with Kylian Mbappé, the team’s leading scorer. That connection is reflected in his numbers: he is second in the league for assists, just one behind Marcus Rashford, who leads with six.

But beyond the last pass, the story of his decisive contribution looks very different.

The Hidden Reality Behind Arda Güler’s Assists

Arda Güler has been involved in 12 goal actions for Real Madrid this season, eliminating on average 1.67 opponents per action, for a 26% contribution share. This gives him a total of 3.08 goal contributions (gC).

At first glance, being one of the league’s assist leaders paints him as the ultimate creator. Yet his gC profile tells a more nuanced story:

  • He often delivers the final pass,
  • but on actions where multiple teammates contribute significantly.
  • His involvement — measured by how many opponents he eliminates — remains relatively low.
  • Many of his assists come at the end of collective, multi-player sequences.

In other words:
He is involved, but not the primary driver of the goal action.
And this reality only appears when we look at the entire goal sequence instead of the final touch.

Pedri: The Opposite Case — Invisible in G/A, Essential in gC

Now compare this with Pedri at Barcelona. He has delivered just one assist all season, which might make him appear far less decisive than Güler. But his gC card reveals a completely different truth.

Pedri has been involved in 10 goal actions, eliminating an impressive 2.20 opponents per action, with a 32% contribution share. This gives him a total of 3.19 gC, higher than Güler’s 3.08 despite having four fewer assists.

This contrast highlights a fundamental truth about attacking contribution: Final passes are not always the most decisive passes.
The players who break lines, destabilize blocks, or initiate the winning sequence often remain invisible in traditional stats. And Pedri is the perfect embodiment of this.

Why Goal Contribution (gC) Matters

Unlike G/A, which only highlights the final touch or the scorer, gC identifies who truly shapes the goal action. The Pedri vs Arda Güler case is yet another striking example of how flawed the traditional “decisive contribution” narrative is when based solely on goals and assists.

Pedri belongs to that category of players whose influence starts far earlier in the action:

  • the first line-breaking pass,
  • the bold initiative in midfield,
  • the dribble that destabilizes two defenders,
  • the positioning that opens the channel,
  • or simply the action that changes the geometry of the attack.

For years, these players lived in the shadows, undervalued because G/A could not capture their essence. Today, gC finally quantifies their impact transparently, giving them the visibility and recognition they deserve — and have always deserved.

Arda Güler shines in the spotlight of assists. Pedri shines in the structure of plays. And if you want to know who truly drives goals, gC tells you far more than G/A ever will.