He’s the kind of player who makes you lean forward in your seat. You know the feeling. The ball finds its way to the left flank, the Etihad crowd holds its collective breath, and suddenly, Jeremy Doku is doing that thing where his hips move one way while his boots seem to be vibrating in another. It’s chaos. Pure, unadulterated Premier League chaos. But if you look at Doku stats this season, you’ll find a weirdly polarizing story that doesn't always match the adrenaline rush.
Statistically, Doku is a freak. A glitch in the matrix. Honestly, if you’re a fullback facing him, you aren't just playing a football match; you’re participating in a 90-minute stress test. Pep Guardiola loves him for a reason. Yet, there’s this lingering debate among City fans and FPL managers alike. Is he actually "productive" enough? Or is he just a world-class dribbler who occasionally forgets where the goal is?
The numbers tell us he’s arguably the most effective ball carrier in world football right now. Period. But "effective" in a Pep system means more than just beating your man. It’s about gravity—how many defenders you pull toward you—and what you do once that space opens up.
The Gravity of Doku Stats This Season
Let’s talk about the dribbling first because, frankly, it’s ridiculous. Doku is currently ranking in the 99th percentile for successful take-ons and progressive carries among wingers in Europe's top five leagues. He isn't just "good" at dribbling; he’s statistically an outlier. He averages over 5 successful take-ons per 90 minutes. To put that in perspective, most "elite" wingers are happy if they land 2.5 or 3.
But here’s where it gets nuanced.
The Doku stats this season show a player who is becoming more disciplined. Last year, he was a wildcard. This year, he’s a tactical weapon. He’s creating roughly 4.2 shot-creating actions per game. That’s a massive jump. He isn't just running into cul-de-sacs anymore. He’s drawing three defenders, pausing, and then sliding a ball into the half-space for Kevin De Bruyne or Phil Foden.
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It’s about the gravity he exerts. When Doku is on the pitch, the opposition's defensive block has to shift. It has to. You cannot leave a right-back on an island with him. When that block shifts, holes appear in the middle. Erling Haaland thrives in those holes. So, while Doku might not have 15 goals on his stat sheet, his presence is often the "assist before the assist."
The "Final Product" Problem?
People love to complain about his finishing. "He needs to score more," they say. And yeah, his expected goals (xG) usually hovers higher than his actual output. This season, his conversion rate is sitting around 8-10%, which is... okay. It’s fine. It’s not Mo Salah levels, but Doku isn't Salah. He’s a touchline-hugging creator.
Interestingly, his expected assists (xA) have seen a steady climb. He’s getting into the box more. He’s making better decisions. Instead of just smashing a low cross into the first defender, he’s picking out cutbacks. Opta data shows a 15% increase in his "successful passes into the penalty area" compared to his first few months in Manchester. That is the Pep effect in real-time.
Why the Premier League Can't Handle Him
The league has a "Doku problem."
Usually, when a player is this fast, you just drop deep and double-team them. But if you drop deep against City, you’re just inviting a slow, painful death by a thousand passes. If you come out and press, Doku kills you in transition. He is the ultimate "out ball."
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Looking at the Doku stats this season regarding "progressive carrying distance," he’s covering nearly 350 yards per match with the ball at his feet. That’s a lot of turf. It’s exhausting for defenders.
I was watching a match a few weeks ago—won't name the opponent to be kind—and the right-back literally looked like he wanted to be anywhere else on earth. Doku had completed four dribbles in the first fifteen minutes. That psychological damage doesn't show up in a standard box score, but it's there in the "touches in the opposition box" stat, where Doku is consistently top three for City.
Decision Making vs. Raw Output
- Shot Creation: He’s third in the squad for key passes per 90.
- Ball Retention: Despite the high-risk dribbling, his pass completion is surprisingly high (around 84%).
- Defensive Work: This is the shocker. His "tackles in the final third" are up. He’s pressing harder.
Guardiola doesn't keep you on the pitch if you're a defensive liability. Doku has learned to track back. He’s learned to trigger the press. His defensive intensity stats have spiked by nearly 20% this season. He’s becoming a "City player," not just a "flair player."
Breaking Down the Big Games
If you want to understand Doku stats this season, you have to look at how he performs against the "Big Six." In high-stakes games, his volume of dribbles actually drops slightly, but his efficiency goes up.
Against lower-block teams, he’s a battering ram. He’ll try 12 dribbles because he can. Against a team like Arsenal or Liverpool, he’s more calculated. He waits for the 1-on-1 moment. He waits for the transition. His "progressive passes received" stat is crucial here—it shows that his teammates trust him to hold the ball under immense pressure.
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Is he the best winger in the league?
Strictly on a "who would I hate to defend" basis? Yes. On a "who provides the most consistent FPL points" basis? Maybe not yet. But the trajectory is clear. He’s 22. He’s playing for the best coach in history. He’s already dominating the most difficult league in the world in 1v1 situations.
What the Future Holds for Doku's Numbers
Expect the goal count to rise. It’s the natural evolution. As he gets more comfortable in the "half-spaces," he’ll start drifting inside more often, much like Raheem Sterling did during his peak City years.
The most telling Doku stats this season aren't actually the goals or assists. It's the "progressive carries into the penalty area." He’s doing it more than anyone else in England. Eventually, that volume of high-quality penetration turns into massive output. It’s just math.
For now, appreciate the chaos. Appreciate the fact that in an era of "system players" and "safe passing," Jeremy Doku is a throwback to the street footballers who just wanted to make a defender look silly.
Actionable Takeaways for Following Doku This Season
If you're tracking his progress, stop looking at just the "G/A" (Goals and Assists) column. That's for casuals. If you want to see if he's actually improving, keep an eye on these specific metrics:
- Check his "Deep Completions": These are passes completed within 20 meters of the opponent's goal. If this number is high, it means his final ball is getting better.
- Watch the "Success Rate %": Anyone can attempt 10 dribbles. If Doku is completing 60-70% of them, he is effectively breaking the opponent's defensive structure every 15 minutes.
- Monitor "Passes Received": If Rodri and Kovacic are feeding him the ball more often in tight spaces, it means the tactical trust is at an all-time high.
- Look at "Secondary Assists": Often, Doku beats two men, crosses it, a defender gets a toe on it, and then Haaland taps it in. Doku gets no "stat" for that in a newspaper, but he created the goal.
The reality is that Jeremy Doku is a statistical unicorn. He provides a profile that no one else in the City squad—or perhaps the league—can replicate. Whether the "output" nerds like it or not, the data proves he is the most dangerous 1v1 threat in football today. Keep an eye on his "Successful Take-ons" per 90; as long as that stays above 4.5, he is doing his job exactly how Pep wants it done.