Ilkay Gundogan takes twice as long to produce a goal or assist as Kevin De Bruyne.
And that helps to explain why Manchester City slumped to a shock home defeat by Wolves, with the Belgian ace sidelined by injury.
Gundogan has been a useful stand-in, in all three midfield positions, since he joined the Blues three years ago.
But it is often said that, while he is technically very good, and keeps the ball circulating very well, he does not have the same effect on games as the rest of the midfield.
Statistics back that up, showing that De Bruyne, David Silva, and Bernardo Silva all have far superior records when it comes to goals and assists – and that is not including the games where Gundogan has filled in as a defensive midfielder.
De Bruyne leads the way in the last three years, averaging a goal or assist every 112 minutes, with David Silva on 143 minutes, Bernardo on 144 minutes and Gundogan down the order on 197 minutes (again, not including matches in which he took the defensive role).
Stats do not always tell the truth, and in this case they do not tell how well the Germany midfielder keeps the ball circulating, the hard work he does which often creates space and time for others to work their magic.
But on days like Sunday, when City are seeking inspiration, a player who does not create or score as much as the rest becomes a luxury.
The game against Wolves was crying out for De Bruyne – who almost invariably produces a game-changing cross, pass or shot.
A straight comparison of the numbers produced by the Belgium international in the last three years with those of Gundogan - not including Sunday's game - are quite startling.
The two have played roughly the same amount of minutes, De Bruyne clocking 6,713 and Gundogan 6,677.
But in that time, De Bruyne has racked up 20 goals and 40 assists, while Gundogan has managed 13 goals and 15 assists.
There is a clamour among some City fans for Gundogan to be replaced in the pecking order by 19-year-old Phil Foden, who has yet to start a game in the Premier League or Champions League this season.
And the stats also give some credence to that viewpoint.
In the last three years, Foden has managed a goal or assist every 154 minutes – and that becomes even sharper when you focus on last season, when he began playing more regularly.
On last season's figures alone, Foden was directly involved in a goal every 123 minutes, putting him behind only De Bruyne – although it has to be remembered that he largely played in lower profile games against weaker opposition.