Page 27 – The Pulse of Football

Oct

2024

Preview: Barcelona face Sevilla at the start of a huge week for the club

Does García Pimienta know something that his Sevilla predecessors did not to finally beat Barça?

By Filip Mishov

LaLiga leaders Barcelona have a big week ahead of them as they are set to host Sevilla on Sunday, and Bayern Munich, on Wednesday, at Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys before making the trip to Spain’s capital to face arch-rivals Real Madrid all in the space of six day.

With that being said, Hansi Flick will be pressured to rotate in order to keep the squad fresh, but at the same time, the German tactician will hope to avoid the mistake of making too many changes as Osasuna taught the Champions League’s winning coach a harsh lesson, when Bryan Zaragoza & co. inflicted them their first defeat in the Spanish top-tier back in September.

Also, Flick’s faith in youth will be put to a test as the Catalonia-based club is the only one among Europe’s top five leagues to feature three 17-year-olds (Pau Cubarsi, Marc Bernal and Lamine Yamal) who have played more than 200 minutes. With the defensive midfielder – Bernal ruled out for the remainder of the season due to a knee injury and Yamal sustaining a hamstring strain while on international duty with La Roja, that is almost certain to change as Barça have not put a timescale on the wonderkid’s possible return yet.

However, it is not all doom and gloom as Fermín López is back in training and Gavi is finally nearing a return from long-term injury with the Spanish prodigy taking part in first team training during the international break. Marc-Andre ter Stegen, Ronald Araújo, Andreas Christensen, Dani Olmo and Ferran Torres remain on the sidelines and with Yamal out, the in-form vice-captain, Raphinha is expected to occupy the right wing spot, but Flick has to decide between giving Pau Víctor another opportunity at left wing or giving Ansu Fati his first start of the season.

*Possible Barca starting XI, made with the new line-up builder at FotMob.com*

As for Rojiblancos, Barcelona represent one of, if not the most difficult opponents to face because Sevilla’s last league win against Barça at Camp Nou dates back to 2002 and the Andalusia-based club has recorded only three league home wins against them over that same period. But the Sevillistas are hoping for a change of scenario as now, García Pimienta is at the helm, a former Barcelona player, and coach of La Masia’s youth teams and finally, Barcelona B. The Catalan has not enjoyed the best start of the season at his new club but Sevilla did defeat city rivals Betis before the international break and to extend their current unbeaten run to three games, something that sees them sat 12th in the standings. Additionally, unlike Flick, Pimienta enjoys a clean bill of health within his squad with only Saúl Ñíguez unavailable, which should give him plenty of options to choose from and provide support for Belgian forward Dodi Lukebakio, who has been their best player this season.

Finally, the Blaugrana boast a perfect home record in LaLiga with three wins under their belt, while Sevilla are still winless on the road this season with three draws and one loss, and given their struggles when facing Barça, it would take a monumental performance to break their Catalan curse, but hope dies last and who knows what Pimienta has up his sleeve from his time spent in Barcelona.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

You can follow every game from LaLiga with FotMob this season — featuring deep stats coverage, xG, and player ratings. Download the free app here.

Oct

2024

Preview: Liverpool and Chelsea put their strong starts to the season on the line at Anfield

Many are tipping Manchester City and Arsenal to battle it out for the Premier League title this season but on current form, Liverpool and Chelsea are the two best teams in the English top flight.

By Sam McGuire

The Reds host the Blues this weekend in a pivotal game for both managers and projects.

As Arne Slot keeps pointing out, his side have had favourable fixtures so far this season. Their record of six wins from seven attests to that.

An away win at Old Trafford sounds impressive on paper but Manchester United have, yet again, been awful this season. The game against Chelsea is the first time his Liverpool team are coming up against a recognised top team in good form.

After a number of lacklustre showings before the international break, he’ll want a reaction from his players. He’ll want a good showing and a positive result.

Enzo Maresca finds himself in a similar situation. Chelsea are unbeaten since their opening-day defeat to Manchester City. They’ve had some big wins this season over Wolves, Brighton and West Ham United. However, they’ve also dropped points in games against Crystal Palace and Nottingham Forest.

The former Leicester City manager has his side playing good football. He has them playing as a team. He’s also figured out a way to get the best out of Cole Palmer. He’s yet to record a statement victory over an established top team.

Winning at Anfield could force people to take notice of this Chelsea team. A win on Sunday would also end the terrible recent record the Blues have against the Reds – they’re winless in nine matches across all competitions. Their last victory arrived in 2021 during that terrible run of form for Liverpool under Jürgen Klopp. Liverpool fans may remember that in that particular game, Fabinho partnered Ozan Kabak at centre-back.

This should be a good game for the neutral.

Both sides are attack-minded with Chelsea ranking second for Expected Goals this season and Liverpool currently sat in third for this metric. The Reds top the charts for Big Chances Created while the Blues are second. In the alternative, Expected Points table, we have Slot’s men sat top with Maresca’s side in second.

This really is the two most in-form teams in the league so far this season facing off. These are two teams with stacked attacks and impressive defensive units. These are two teams under new management, looking to show their good start is the real deal, not just a honeymoon period. This is a game you do not want to miss.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

You can follow every Premier League game with FotMob this season — featuring deep stats coverage, xG, and player ratings. Download the free app here.

Oct

2024

Preview: The league’s leakiest defence take on the meanest attack as Wolves host Man City

Although the international break is now behind us, Wolves manager Gary O’Neil may be wishing for another week off, with his Molineux men currently sitting bottom of the Premier League table, and with the visit of Manchester City coming up on Sunday.

By Dan Tracey

Gary O’Neil will almost certainly be looking at ways to shore up Wolves’ defence, with 21 goals conceded across their first seven league games of the season, at an average of three goals per game is not one that is sustainable in either the short or long-term.

In the long-term, it is the kind of metric that points to a relegation battle, at best, and demotion to the EFL Championship at worst. In the short-term, failure to land a first league win of the season in the next couple of weeks may lead to a change in the dugout.

That is not to suggest that the visit of Manchester City represents a free hit for O’Neil and his players and if they are to suffer another heavy defeat at home, a change may even have to be made before next weekend’s clash with Brighton.

In fairness to the team that is currently propping up 19 others in the Premier League, their attacking output has been far better from what you would expect from a team in their position, and with nine goals to their name, they rank joint 12^th on that measure alone.

However, it is not goals scored that matter the most, it is league points and with both they and Manchester City needing them for far differing reasons, this clash has all the hallmarks of an ideal warm-up for matters at Anfield – where Liverpool take on Chelsea just a couple of hours later.

It must be noted that City have shown their own defensive deficiencies at times this season, but whereas Wolves can’t seem to convert the necessary chances to get them out of trouble, the defending champions never seem to panic even when finding themselves going behind.

A scenario that played out against Fulham a fortnight ago, and one that they would rather avoid when referee Chris Kavanagh gets Sunday’s game underway. Should the defending league champions pick up the win in the West Midlands, they could even find themselves going back to the top of the table.

That would put the pressure back on to Liverpool as it will be down to Arne Slot’s side to then find a way to pick up maximum points against Chelsea. But first, City need to make sure they clear the hurdle placed in front of them before placing one in front of one of their title rivals.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

You can follow every game from the Premier League with FotMob this season — featuring deep stats coverage, xG, and player ratings. Download the free app here.

Oct

2024

Fulham’s high-risk high-reward policy is working well this season

Fulham have enjoyed an impressive start to the 2024/2025 season and might count themselves unlucky not to have gained more points.

By Matt Smith

With just two losses in the Premier League, both away from home, Marco Silva’s men are currently sitting in eighth position and the data certainly shows that they could be higher in the table.

Last time out, the Cottagers were defeated 3-2 by Manchester City, but they gave Pep Guardiola’s side plenty to think about. This performance showed the level they are currently at, going toe-to-toe with one of the best sides in world football. Fulham created 2.6 expected goals, which amounts for around 33% of City’s total xG conceded this season in the top flight.

Although creating chances has been a key part of their early success this term, Silva has his side extremely organised defensively. Losing João Palhinha was a significant blow during the summer transfer window with the Portuguese midfielder protecting the back four, but they’ve only conceded eight times this campaign, with only four sides managing less.

The addition of Emile Smith Rowe in an attacking midfield role has been beneficial, meaning Andreas Pereira has dropped into a slightly deeper position alongside Saša Lukić, predominantly. It’s a fairly unfamiliar role for the Brazilian, who is naturally more of an attacking midfielder, but Silva has managed to get the balance right in the middle of the park.

Pereira’s performances this campaign have gone slightly under the radar. Only Bukayo Saka has created more chances than Pereira, who might feel slightly unfortunate to not have registered a single assist considering the opportunities he’s producing for his team-mates.

*Pereira passing stats per 90, Premier League 2024/25*

Lukić is the natural enforcer and plays the role of a pivot in build-up, receiving off the back four. Pereira will play slightly further forward, linking up with the likes of Smith Rowe in advanced midfield positions. It’s a high-risk high-reward strategy from Silva, but it seems to be working so far.

The balance of Alex Iwobi on the left, a player who likes to drift inside and come into central areas, alongside Adama Traoré, more of a touchline winger who likes to be direct and get in behind, has worked wonders with the style of full-backs behind then. Antonee Robinson plays more of a wing-back role, getting forward and providing crosses, exploiting the space left by Iwobi.

The American left-back has created 0.9 chances per 90 minutes while completing nine successful crosses. Robinson has provided two assists for his side and loves to bomb on down the left and get involved in play in the final third.

*Robinson stats, Premier League 2024/25*

On the right, Kenny Tete is more of a stay-at-home right-back. Not as effective in the opposition half of the pitch, Tete provides a little more defensive solidity. Although it could mean Traoré is slightly isolated on the right, Smith Rowe and Pereira can often drift into these areas to provide overloads.

Raúl Jiménez has taken the role of starting centre-forward this campaign, and Silva is starting to utilise the Mexican forward properly after a disappointing run of form in recent years. The former Wolves man thrives off crosses into the penalty area, and Fulham’s setup allows them to utilise Jiménez perfectly. The Cottages have completed more accurate crosses per 90 minutes than any other side in the Premier League this season.

The addition of Joachim Andersen has also been a bit of a coup for Fulham. Losing Tosin Adarabioyo in the summer transfer window after he departed at the end of his contract, the Cottagers forked out to bring in Andersen from Crystal Palace. The Danish centre-back’s passing range and defensive ability has made Silva’s side more solid at the back and fluid in their build-up. In fact, Andersen has the most accurate long balls and clearances per 90 in the entire division this season.

Fulham are currently unbeaten at home, with their only away losses coming against both Manchester clubs. Drawing away at Ipswich and at home to West Ham might be seen as two disappointing results so far, but they’re still picking up points and becoming incredibly difficult to beat. Silva’s men now have a run of fairly favourable fixtures, playing the likes of Wolves, Crystal Palace, Brentford and Everton, who are all in the bottom half of the table, before the end of November.

Heading towards Christmas and 2025, we could see Fulham mounting a serious charge for European football. Of course, it’s a small sample size and still very early days, but the data and performances suggest that the Cottagers are heading in the right direction under Silva. Champions League qualification might be a bit of a stretch, but there’s no reason Fulham can’t be competing for the top eight come May.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

You can follow every game from the Premier League on FotMob – with in-depth stat coverage including xG, shot maps, and player ratings. Download the free app here.

Oct

2024

Preview: Madrid travel to Celta Vigo, one of LaLiga’s great entertainers this season

After two weeks off thanks to the international break, LaLiga champions Real Madrid are back in action. Their tenth league match of the season will see them visit Balaídos to take on the eye-catching Celta Vigo.

By Neel Shelat

Celta promise goals galore

Celta Vigo are unquestionably among the most exciting teams in LaLiga this season. Led by Claudio Giráldez in his first full season in charge of a professional club, they are third in the division in terms of total goals (scored and conceded) per game.

They have a dynamic attack led by Borja Iglesias and Iago Aspas, although the latter is suspended for this game after being sent off in the win over Las Palmas. Celta Vigo kept their only clean sheet of the season in that match, despite playing with nine men for over half an hour!

The most intriguing part of this Celta side has to be Óscar Mingueza, the former Barcelona defender. He was a sturdy centre-back or at most a defensive full-back for Xavi’s side, but Giráldez has refashioned him into a flying right wing-back. He has been doing his best Trent Alexander-Arnold impression in Vigo, already breaking his personal seasonal record for goal involvements with six in just eight games. Real Madrid will have to keep a close eye on him.

Will a refreshed Real Madrid attack click?

The two-week break and a favourable fixture against a frail Celta Vigo defence might just be what the doctor ordered for Real Madrid’s misfiring attack. Although they have the second-most goals and the second-highest xG tally in the league, they haven’t been able to create chances at anywhere near the same consistency as their main title rivals, Barcelona.

Thanks to the world-class quality of their players, their clinical finishing has helped them get over the line in most cases, but Carlo Ancelotti will surely be a lot happier if he can get his star forwards to click. Both Kylian Mbappé and Vinícius Júnior did not travel with their national teams in this break so they should be well-rested and refreshed, though they were also nursing slight injury issues. Should either of them fail to feature, the likes of Rodrygo, Endrick, Arda Güler and Brahim Díaz will be keen to make the most of the opportunity they get.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

You can follow every game from top flight game from Spain live with FotMob — featuring deep stats coverage, xG, and player ratings. Download the free app here.

Oct

2024

Preview: Arsenal head to Dorset looking to extend their winning streak against the Cherries

With seven games of the Premier League season now played Arsenal have still dropped just four points, and at a glance it looks as though a Saturday afternoon trip to the south coast should be one of their easier away trips of the season.

By Ian King

Arsenal scored nine goals in their last three games before the international break, which hints at the scale of the job ahead for Bournemouth.

The historical record certainly seems to back that assessment. In the nine years since the Cherries found their way into the top flight they’ve only taken five points off Arsenal in fourteen attempts; a 2-1 win in January 2018 and 3-3 and 1-1 draws in January 2017 and December 2019. Arsenal have won each of their other eleven League meetings, including the last seven in a row.

Arsenal have one or two minor injury worries ahead of this match. Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli are both at risk of absence following knocks picked up during the international break for England and Brazil respectively. Both will be assessed before the match on Friday tea-time. Martin Ødegaard is also still likely to be absent, though it seems fair to say that Mikel Arteta has coped pretty well without his usual captain.

For Bournemouth, the most significant question is whether Tyler Adams, who’s been out since the summer following back surgery, is fit to return to the team. This is the game that had been targeted for his return, but it’s unconfirmed that he will, and if he does return in this match, it may turn out to be from the substitutes bench. Bournemouth’s recent form has been inconsistent of late, with 2 wins and 3 defeats in their last 5 matches.

If there is a potential weakness to be exploited, it could be Arsenal’s defence. They only conceded 29 in 38 games last season but they’ve conceded five in their last three games since last keeping a clean sheet in the League against Spurs four weeks ago, three of which came against somewhat modest opposition, in the form of the newly-promoted Leicester City and Southampton.

It’s not much, but it is at least a glimmer of hope for Bournemouth, and considering both Arsenal’s recent form and Bournemouth’s record against them in recent years, it’s difficult to see past the Gunners continuing to keep pressurising both Liverpool and Manchester City at the top of the Premier League table.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

You can follow every game from the Premier League with FotMob this season — featuring deep stats coverage, xG, and player ratings. Download the free app here.

Oct

2024

Preview: Man United aim to change the narrative at home to Brentford

It’s over a month since Manchester United last won a Premier League game, over two months since they last won one at Old Trafford and, quite incredibly, more than ten months since they won back-to-back home league matches in the same season.

By Karl Matchett

Quite how Erik ten Hag has lasted long enough to keep sight of that particularly niche anniversary remains a mystery, but for United to even have a chance at ending the run soon, they need to first put an end to successive 3-0 home league defeats.

Solace for the beleaguered boss comes in the fact that their next opponents, Brentford, remain without a single away league win themselves this term. While their home form puts United’s to shame – four wins from five in all competitions in 2024/25 – Thomas Frank has been unable to translate that to being on the road, with the Bees’ last top-flight victory outside of their own ground coming in May.

And yet despite that, there won’t be too many away fans who think a result is impossible in the north west on Saturday. Brentford are 11th, United 14th. Brentford have two points more and a goal difference which is superior by three. And if they have plenty of players missing through injury in attack, limiting the options for Frank to shuffle the pack, that might still be preferable to United’s absent bodies being scattered throughout the porous defence and soft centre which has been so brittle again this year.

As an example, Bryan Mbeumo – top ten in the league for goals, big chances created and expected assists, while United have nobody at all on any of those lists – remains available, and is in prime form. United have no player, attacker or otherwise, who has more than a single goal or a single assist in the Premier League this term. While individuality isn’t everything, it certainly helps to have a reliable source of chances.

*Bryan Mbeumo shot map, Premier League 2024/25*

And as a team? Well, Brentford have a better xG than United, have created more big chances and win the ball in the attacking third more times per game. United do, it should be noted, have the edge in xG conceded; however, given that the only half-dozen teams below them in that category are the relegation battlers, newly promoted teams and Brentford themselves, it’s dubious if Ten Hag would realistically highlight that as a positive. Then again, given league results over the past 300-odd days at Old Trafford, it’s hard to know any more exactly where they draw the line on something being negative either.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

You can follow every Premier League game with FotMob this season — featuring deep stats coverage, xG, and player ratings. Download the free app here.

Oct

2024

Preview: Spurs and West Ham kick off the Premier League weekend

Tottenham Hotspur host West Ham United in the lunchtime kick-off in the Premier League on Saturday. It’s two sides who may be slightly disappointed with how their season has started, and we could be set for an exciting encounter in the capital.

By Matt Smith

Spurs have shown plenty of inconsistency so far this campaign, producing some exceptional performances and results while also unnecessarily throwing away comfortable leads and dropping points. Sitting in ninth with three wins, three losses, and a draw, Ange Postecoglou’s side haven’t quite kicked into gear just yet.

Despite their disappointing performances, Spurs might consider themselves unfortunate not to have picked up more points. The north London outfit have created 15 expected goals, more than any other Premier League side.

Dejan Kulusevski has been tasked with a central, deeper role in midfield of late, and he’s beginning to flourish under Postecoglou. Although providing just two goals and assists combined, the Swedish star has been a creative threat in the middle of the park, given the freedom to drift into wide areas from a central position.

After throwing away a two-goal lead against Brighton, losing the game 3-2, Postecoglou’s men will be desperate to bounce back in a London derby against the Hammers.

It’s been an inconsistent start to the campaign for Julen Lopetegui’s side who currently find themselves sitting in 12^th position in the table. An emphatic 4-1 victory against Ipswich last time out has allowed them to create a bit of breathing room from the relegation zone.

Disappointingly, West Ham have conceded 11 goals this term, but Lopetegui has taken some time to bring in the likes of Jean-Clair Todibo after joining in the summer. Niclas Füllkrug, who also joined in the transfer window, is yet to get going after picking up regular injuries.

Jarrod Bowen has undoubtedly been a standout for the Hammers this year. The England international is a consistent performer and provider in the final third, producing four goals and assists combined this season. Despite West Ham bringing in a host of new midfielders in the summer, Tomáš Souček is continuing to prove his worth, scoring twice in just five games.

In this fixture last season, West Ham came away with a 2-1 victory at the Tottenham Hotspur stadium, so Lopetegui’s side will be hoping for a repeat performance as they make the short trip to north London.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

You can follow every game from the Premier League with FotMob this season — featuring deep stats coverage, xG, and player ratings. Download the free app here.

Oct

2024

Christian Pulisic is playing his best football at Milan

Not too long ago, Christian Pulisic was a mystery to many and there was constant uncertainty about his ability. For the first time in a while, the American is fulfilling his potential at club level.

By Kaustubh Pandey

When the US international arrived at Milan from Chelsea, there was a sigh of relief among many Blues fans, who were left rather annoyed with the player’s inconsistency and constant fitness issues that hindered his development.

In his time at Stamford Bridge, Pulisic had never scored or assisted more than ten times in the Premier League and only once did his goalscoring tally in all competitions go beyond ten. That was in his first season after his arrival from Borussia Dortmund and after that, muscle injuries constantly held the American back.

He did provide glimpses of his ability during lockdown but all of it faded towards the end of his stint, even if the Blues pocketed a fee of £20 million from his sale.

His time at Milan starting brilliantly, as he scored in both of his first two league games, playing on the right and combining excellently with the likes of Olivier Giroud, Rafael Leão, Tijjani Reijnders and Ruben Loftus-Cheek. At that point, it did seem as if he had found a spot on the right-wing, a position that had been a problem for Milan under Stefano Pioli in the two seasons prior.

He did nail down that position for himself, contributing to 21 goals in the 2023/24 season under a manager who has always been more about managing personalities than a fixed tactical approach.

Interestingly enough, Paulo Fonseca‘s arrival as Milan coach has perhaps taken Pulisic to another level. He has contributed to eight goals in nine games in all competitions, scoring five times in Serie A alone.

Under the Portuguese, Pulisic started the season in the number ten spot and after that, he was moved back to the wide areas again.

The side sustained a pretty difficult start to the season and if not for their dramatic win over rivals Inter, Fonseca might not have kept his job.

He changed to a 4-4-2 shape for the derby, transitioning from a midfield three. That setup hadn’t worked against Liverpool in the Champions League but he made the change against the Nerazzurri too, as Milan were insistent on always breaking with pace on the counter.

Pulisic, from the right, scored a vital goal against Milan’s arch rivals and has scored three times in a row since then.

He has this licence to constantly bomb forward, carry the ball and beat defenders at will. There is also this freedom to burst into a variety of spaces and arrive centrally to do that.

So much of it is similar to how things were last season. Interesting enough, he has taken less shots per 90 minutes this season than he did last season. That tally is at 1.80 per 90 this season, lower than the tally of over 2.20 per 90 last season.

Despite that, his goals per 90 minutes metric is at a brilliant 0.82, which is far better compared to what he had last season. It is, in fact, the exact double of how things were last season.

The difference lies in how much he is overperforming on his Expected Goals, while making very limited improvement on his shots on target per 90 minutes.

He has overperformed on xG by a solid + 0.30 per 90 this season, when that number stood at only a +0.13 overperformance under Pioli.

A reason for that is also that Fonseca’s setup allows some freedom to attack spaces in the final third and often, Pulisic finds himself in central areas to take shots away.

Plus, the club have moved away from having a target-man striker in Olivier Giroud to link-up forwards in Álvaro Morata and Tammy Abraham. Fonseca has often been used together in the 4-4-2 shape this season and while their off-the-ball work has given them a boost in pressing, their ability to drop deep makes more of Pulisic’s running ability.

Against Liverpool, for example, Pulisic attacked an exposed half-space after receiving the ball from Morata, who dropped deep and laid off the pass. The American attacked the space with his running ability and quite the same happened against Inter, where it was Abraham who dropped off and Pulisic attacked the defenders directly from a more central area.

This may not have been possible with Giroud, who was less flexible and versatile in positioning. Morata and Abraham move around a lot and Leão occupies a fixed position to beat the full-back, leaving Pulisic to attack the central right spaces.

In general too, there have been some great goals in Pulisic’s arsenal this season. That has played a role in him exceeding his xG by a pretty solid margin.

Having said that, this is a player whose issues lay beyond on-pitch abilities. Injuries held him back constantly in England but they seem to have reduced in Italy.

A slightly warmer climate does help. But there is also the factor that the Premier League involves more sprinting at top speed and players that are natural dribblers and runners can suffer from the incredible amount of demand placed on them. The demand in Serie A to make those sprints is less and there is a higher emphasis on structure and shape.

It has toned down the burden on Pulisic’s muscles, helping him be fit for a longer period of time. It isn’t a surprise that since joining Milan, Pulisic has had only two minor injuries.

In a way, this rise to prominence has come at the perfect time. With the FIFA World Cup to take place in the United States, Canada and Mexico, Pulisic hitting form at this point could make him a poster boy at a home tournament.

It doesn’t just cement himself as a star in a commercial sense, Mauricio Pochettino’s arrival as the USMNT boss coincides with this period of form. Things are most certainly looking up and they could yet get better.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

You can follow every AC Milan game on FotMob – with deep stats, xG, and players ratings. Download the free app here.

Oct

2024

Bukayo Saka is bringing new levels to his game at Arsenal this season

Bukayo Saka’s start to the season has gone a little under the radar.

By Sam McGuire

Yes, Arsenal fans are giving the No. 7 the plaudits he deserves but in the eyes of practically everybody else, Saka is firmly in Cole Palmer’s shadow. The Chelsea forward has started the season as he finished his debut campaign with the Blues, scoring goals and chipping in with assists.

The former Manchester City youngster leads the way for goals and assists in the English top-flight this term with 11 having struck six goals and assisted on five occasions for Enzo Maresca’s side.

Ahead of the international break, a lot of people seemed to want Palmer to displace Saka on the England right. And while Palmer is in fantastic form, it does need to be caveated. For example, the Chelsea No. 20 is given freedom. He operates as an attacking midfielder and can drop back to pick up possession or join Nicolas Jackson in attack. Saka, by comparison, has a specific role for Arsenal. And he’s executing it almost perfectly.

If you want a right-sided inside forward for England, it has to be Saka. In fact, there’s an argument to be made that he’s the most in-form right-sided attacker in the Premier League this season.

The versatile 23-year-old leads the way for assists in the English top-flight with seven. He’s well on course to shatter his career-best return of 11 in the Premier League and he’s just two off his haul for the 2023/24 campaign. And we’re just seven games into the current season.

Saka leads the way for Big Chances Created (12) and he’s the only player to be in double figures for this metric. He’s ranked first for Chances Created (27) and has the highest Expected Assists total of anyone in the Premier League with 3.2 . His Expected Assists per 90 average of 0.5 can only be bettered by Kevin de Bruyne (0.55) but the Arsenal man has a larger sample size so it makes his return even more impressive.

Only Cole Palmer has a higher FotMob rating than the Arsenal forward (8.23). Yes, Saka, despite netting just twice in the Premier League, has a higher FotMob rating than 10-goal Erling Haaland. That puts into perspective just how impactful he’s been this term.

For a little more context into just how outrageous his start to the season has been, Saka finished last season having created 15 Big Chances in the Premier League and 91 Chances in total with an Expected Assists per 90 average of 0.34.

At the current rate of output, the 43-cap England international is on course to finish with 65 Big Chances Created to his name and 146 chances created. Obviously, he isn’t going to get close to that sort of output, that would be obscene, but it does highlight just how well he’s started this campaign.

And he’s doing this while averaging fewer touches (60 compared to the 65 last term), in a slightly different role – he’s now the creator rather than the dual-threat he once was. He’s also facing teams who are sitting deeper out of respect for the danger Arsenal pose.

As alluded to by Mikel Arteta recently, there’s a maturity to Saka’s game this season. He’s taken on the responsibility of being the man, perhaps in the absence of skipper Martin Ødegaard. Whatever the reason for it, he’s delivering for the Gunners.

The Arsenal boss heaped praise on Saka after his performance in the 3-1 win over Southampton. The No. 7 claimed a goal and two assists as the title hopefuls came from behind to claim all three points.

“That’s the maturity and that’s the steps that players have to do. He has been long enough in the team now, he has the right to have that role. He believes in that, that he has the capacity to change games, to decide games, like many other players, and he wants to be at the top.

“Sometimes players have to create those moments, and he’s certainly done that today again. Do it at home, do it away, do it in big games, in the not-so-big games, and when the team needs it, not when it’s 3-0. That is what defines a top, top player. What he’s doing at his age is unbelievable. We have many examples of that as well.”

Saka is scaling his game to new heights. If this explosive start to the season continues, he could well fire Arsenal to the Premier League title.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

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