LaLiga 2018-19: Why Ousmane Dembele is an extremely important player for Barcelona

Neymar's departure last season sent shock-waves into the hearts of the Barcelona supporters as he was one of their most important forwards ever since his arrival. His exit, however, fueled speculation that Barcelona would look to replace him with a young and exciting talent.

They did exactly that by signing Borussia Dortmund ace Ousmane Dembele, who has dribbling and playmaking abilities like none other.

However, Dembele's tenure with La Blaugrana has been filled with multiple setbacks as he faced a muscle tear that forced him to be on the bench for as long as five months last season. In all, Dembele missed 27 games for Barcelona as they were knocked out from the UEFA Champions League due to the lack of firepower up front.

The 2018-19 season, however, has been a little bit different for the Frenchman. Despite delivering a slow start that put doubts in the minds of fans and critics alike, Dembele has had a dream time since last week, where he has been both ruthless and efficient for Barcelona.

🌪 Ousmane Dembélé completed eight of his 10 dribbles against Villarreal, more than in any other game for Barça in all competitions. ⚡ @Dembouz pic.twitter.com/Nw6riucfDr

— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) December 2, 2018

In the match against Villareal, Dembele was seen toying with defender Alfonso Pedraza, completely shutting him down before delivering a cross. Furthermore, he created a setup that allowed Gerard Pique to score from one of the cleanest assists in the match.

Dembele had a great start to the week as he scored an equalizer against Atletico Madrid. He came off the bench in that match, but made an indelible mark on the proceedings.

Talking about assists, Dembele also created the opportunity in the PSV game for Lionel Messi, who scored the opener.

The Frenchman is certainly living up to the expectations this season, and is one of Barcelona's most important players at the moment. Consistency is what he lacked earlier, but he is now showing that he can perform solidly from one match to the next.

This could be a great opportunity for Dembele to really showcase his potential in the upcoming matches and truly establish himself as a force to be reckoned with.