Eden Hazard vs Kevin de Bruyne: Stats reveal which star is better ahead of Manchester City’s clash with Chelsea
Ahead of Saturday's mammoth showdown between Pep Guardiola and Antonio Conte, we decide which Belgian is best
THIS weekend's biggest Premier League showdown comes from the Etihad Stadium, as Chelsea travel north to take on Manchester City.
Both clubs are battling to take home this season's league crown, with Antonio Conte's Blues just one point ahead of Pep Guardiola's men after 13 games.
In the top-of-the-table six-pointer there is one particular headline-grabbing sub-plot.
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That is, the battle of the Belgians: Eden Hazard and Kevin De Bruyne.
Both stars have enjoyed stellar seasons with their respective clubs and with De Bruyne wanting to prove something against the club who gave him up in 2014 after just three Premier League appearances.
In fact, ahead of the game, Chelsea boss Conte said: "It's a pity he's playing for another team now."
But which Belgium international forward is truly the better player? We take a look at the stats to investigate...
On the face of things, Hazard has had the better start to the 2016-17 season, netting seven goals - to De Bruyne's two - as he has firmly reestablished his 2014-15 form after a poor campaign last time around.
However, KDB has played the role of creator for Sergio Aguero and Co this term, with a superb seven assists to his name, while Hazard has set-up just one goal.
In terms of shooting, both stars have taken a similar number, with Hazard taking on extra at 36 to De Bruyne's 35.
However, Hazard has been far more accurate at 50 per cent of his shots on target, while the City man is comparatively wayward at 29 per cent.
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It's a similar tale when it comes to the percentage of shots taken to hit the back of the net, with Eden leading Kevin at 19 per cent to just six percent.
Overall it has taken just 155 minutes per goal for Hazard this season, while De Bruyne has been forced to wait around 431 minutes per strike.
Hazard can also boast a better pass completion rate at 85 per cent, compared to De Bruyne's 82 per cent.
However, De Bruyne comes into his own when you look at the crossing stats.
He has delivered 53 compared to Hazard's 34, while 32 per cent of De Bruyne's crosses have reached their target, compared to the Chelsea man's 18 per cent.
De Bruyne is also created chances more frequently, setting his team-mates up every 25 minutes - to Hazard's 42 per minutes.
Finally, when it comes to successful dribbles, it is the Blues ace coming out on top, putting together a whopping 53 runs this year, compared to De Bruyne's comparatively low 12.
While Hazard comes out trumps on more than his fair share of categories, it's only fair to say that the Stamford Bridge star has played 1,084 minutes, to De Bruyne's 862.
Number-crunching aside, it is no doubt going to a be a compelling battle within the war at the Etihad come Saturday lunchtime...