Willian To Arsenal Transfer Analysis

It is that time of the year again. The silly season where transfer rumours fill up the back pages and social media timelines and the most important 3-word phrase is “here we go”. Despite suggestions that this transfer window might not be as active due to the impacts of the Corona Virus outbreak on footballing revenues, clubs are still finding creative ways to get deals over the line. Arsenal will be bolstered by their recent FA Cup win which guarantees them European football for next season and an extra 30 million to spend in the transfer market. The tabloids have already linked them with a whole host of players already including the likes of Phillipe Coutinho, Thomas Partey and Gabriel Magalhaes but, it looks like the one player who is definitely signing for the club is Willian on a free transfer. 

Willian is making the move from West to North London

Willian rejected a 2-year contract extension with Chelsea and will be leaving the club after his 7-year spell to join their London rivals Arsenal. Arsenal is offering Willian a longer deal with a 3-year contract on a wage that is reportedly somewhere in the region of 100,000 pounds a week. Willian becomes the 3rd player to be represented by super-agent Kia Joorabchian to join the club in the last 12 months after David Luiz and Cedric. Kia Joorabchian is an Israeli Super-Agent who is good friends with Arsenal technical director Edu and he seems to have an increasingly bigger say on the transfer dealings of the club. The Arsenal board seem to be a lot more compliant with these super agents and one has to question whether this strategy is healthy for the club in the long term.

Willian is 32 and will be offering almost no resale value when his contract expires in 2023. One has to hope that this deal is not a favour to Arsenal’s favourite super-agent because signing a 32-year-old winger does not seem like the transfer business of a club with title-winning ambitions. Nevertheless, in the short term, Willian can provide something to the club and be a useful option to Mikel Arteta’s side.

Arsenal’s Creativity Conundrum

Arsenal is in the middle of a creativity crisis. Their biggest creator, Mesut Ozil has been frozen out by the manager and looks to have played his last game for the club. Arsenal is desperately lacking in terms of creativity in midfield and that is evident by the fact that no Arsenal midfielder created more than one big chance last season in the Premier League. They ranked 15th amongst PL teams last season for Shot Creating Actions (16.18 Per 90) and 16th in the League for Key Passes (285). Arsenal is also 12th in the Premier League for big chances created and is the worst of the Big 6 Teams in terms of Expected Assists and progressive passes. What is worse is the only Arsenal player in the top 50 players in the league last season for Shot Creating Actions is Mesut Ozil with 3.94 per 90. With the next best Arsenal player being Nicholas Pepe with 2.96 down in 51st place.

Willian, on the other hand, was one of the most creative players in the league last season. Willian ranks 6th in terms of Shot Creating Actions per 90 in the league last season (5.02) and had the 3rd most shot-creating actions from open play behind De Bruyne and Grealish. He was also 7th in the league for key passes (71) and 6th in the league in terms of Passes into the Penalty Area (68). Arsenal can utilise some of Willian’s creativity to unlock the likes of Aubameyang and Lacazette in the final 3rd, especially against low blocks.

Willian vs Nicholas Pepe Comparison 2019/20 Season

Willian offers a different threat on the right-wing compared to Pepe as shown by the chart above. Pepe offers a bigger goal threat and is slightly more adventurous with his dribbling. However, Willian ranks much higher in terms of creativity with regards to Shot Creating Actions, Progressive Distance and passes into the box. If Arteta were to continue with the 3-4-3 system then Willian can prove to be a viable alternative on the right flank to Nicholas Pepe or even an option on the left if Aubameyang was to play through the middle.

However, Willian will not be starting ahead of Arsenal’s record signing Nicholas Pepe and it is unlikely that Willian was brought to the club to be an option off the bench. Arteta used the 3-4-3 system after the restart due to the shortcomings of the Arsenal squad but, his long term vision for the team is to transition into a 4-3-3 or a 4-2-3-1. In this formation, Willian can be used as a number 10. For Chelsea, Willian played almost exclusively on the right-wing but before that Willian was often deployed in a central position during his Shakthar Donetsk days and he could do something similar in North London. Willian is brilliant on the half-turn and he could occupy the spaces in between midfield and defence to create chances. Willian will also be more willing to press from the front than Mesut Ozil and having him there can be an education for someone like Joe Willock.

Whatever way you look at it, adding Willian to the Arsenal squad is a plus. He is an experienced Premier League player who can immediately improve the first 11 if they decide to play 4-2-3-1. The other plus side is the cost, he will be joining on a free transfer and if the wages are reportedly 100 grand a week then it is a transfer with little risk and high reward. Signing a 32-year-old player is not ideal, but these may be the signs of the times for Arsenal and in this point in time, Willian might be the best they are going to get.

 

Emiliano Martinez’s 10 Year Journey to Arsenal No. 1

As Bernd Leno screamed in anguish at the Amex Stadium on the 20th of June, Arsenal fans had their heart in their mouths. After receiving a blow from Neal Maupay while he was mid-air, Leno landed awkwardly and significantly damaged his knee ligaments. As the German was stretchered off the field, he seemed to be taking all of Arsenal’s hopes with him. Leno had established himself as one of the key members of the side and was one of the standout players of the campaign. He has kept them in games all season long and was often the difference between a draw and a heavy defeat. But now without their number 1, and a huge run of games before the end of the season, Arsenal’s European aspirations were dealt a significant blow.

Bernd Leno’s injury at Brighton could have been a lot worse

However, Leno’s replacement and Arsenal No. 2 Emiliano Martinez would quickly allay all fears. The Argentine was faultless as his outstanding performances helped Arsenal win the FA Cup and secure their place in Europe next season. But Martinez’s story starts much before that fateful day in Brighton, and in this video, we will be taking an in-depth look at his journey from Argentina to Arsenal’s number 1.

Growing up in Argentina

Emiliano Martinez was born in Marta de Plata, a city in the Province of Buenos Aires. He started his youth career with Independiente, which was 400km from his hometown. His family struggled financially throughout his childhood and there were times where his parents could not even put food on the table or pay the bills. At aged 16, he was noticed by an Arsenal scout while playing for Argentina Under 17’s and after impressing in a trial, he was signed for 1.1 million pounds in 2010 from Independiente. It was a tough move for a 16-year-old, and his mother and brother dissuaded him from leaving Argentina. But he decided to go anyway knowing it would be a once in a lifetime opportunity for both him and his family. Martinez arrived in London as a scared teenager who did not speak a word of English. He was not even allowed to play any professional games till he was 18 as he did not have a European passport and was forced to play only friendlies instead. 

Martinez’s 10-year career with Arsenal

After spells in the youth team and an emergency loan to Oxford United, Martinez finally made his Arsenal debut in a 3rd round league cup tie vs Coventry City at home in September 2012. He made his second Arsenal appearance in the next round in the infamous 7-5 game vs Reading where Arsenal were 4-0 down after 40 minutes but still managed to claw back after extra-time thanks to a Theo Walcott hattrick. Martinez then spent the 2013/14 season on loan to Championship side Sheffield Wednesday. He returned to Arsenal in the following 2014/15 season and was the Third Choice Goalkeeper behind David Ospina and Wojciech Szczesny. However, due to an injury to the Colombian and a suspension for Szczesny, Martinez was handed his debut in the Champions League away to Anderlecht where Arsenal won 2-1. 1 month later he came on for his Premier League debut against Manchester United at home after an injury to Szczesny.

Martinez made his debut in the UCL away to Anderlecht

Martinez went on to play the next 4 games for the club while the other 2 keepers were sidelined and he did an excellent job considering he was only 22. He managed to keep a clean sheet in 3 of the 4 games and was even named in UEFA’s team of the week for his performance in a 2-0 victory at home to Borussia Dortmund.

After those fringe appearances, more loan spells followed for the Argentine. The first of which was an emergency loan to Rotherham United in the back half of the 2014/15 season followed by a season-long loan to Wolves in the 2015/16 season where he struggled with injuries. Martinez then went into the 2016-17 season as the 3rd choice keeper for the gunners, starting all the League Cup games as well as 2 Premier League appearances against West Ham and Crystal Palace when Petr Cech was injured in April.

Martinez’s loan spell at Reading was career-defining

However, with Petr Cech, David Ospina and later Bernd Leno at the club, Martinez failed to breakthrough and was relegated to 2 more loan spells. He spent the 2017/18 season at Spanish first division side Getafe where unfortunately he only made 5 league starts and was the number 2 behind Vincente Guaita. In January 2019, he signed for Reading on loan which would go on to be the most important and impressive loan spell of his career. He made some stunning saves to help Reading pull off a great escape and avoid relegation from the championship. These performances caught the eye of Arsenal and Unai Emery and ahead of the 2019/20 season, Emery assured him that he can stay at North London and fight for the Number 1 spot as well as play in all the cup games.

Martinez’s performance in the 2019-20 season

Martinez started all of Arsenal’s Europa League games last season and performed admirably whenever called upon. However, people only started to take notice of him after the game at Brighton. Following Bernd Leno’s injury, Martinez was nearly faultless throughout the restart. He made some crucial saves for the Gunners, including an acrobatic save from a deflected Trent Alexander Arnold shot in the dying seconds of the game against Liverpool which secured Arsenal’s victory. He was also superb in Arsenal’s run in the FA Cup, making crucial saves from Riyad Mahrez in the semi-final and Christian Pulisic in the final.

Martinez has made a solid case to be number 1 next season

Emiliano Martinez’s Goalkeeping Strengths

Martinez has a huge frame and an incredible 6’4″ height which makes him nearly impossible to beat. Also, apart from his size, what stands out is his amazing handling. Many keepers including Bernd Leno like to punch the ball when crosses come in or parry shots aimed at them but Martinez does not employ those techniques. He tends to hang on to crosses coming into the box and catch shots aimed at him and that helps alleviate the pressure on an Arsenal defence that tends to concede from set-pieces. Martinez’s other strength is his ability on the ball which is an integral part of Arteta’s set up as he likes to play from the back. Martinez started his career as a striker and has always had that technical ability with the ball at his feet that a modern goalkeeper needs. Despite Arsenal’s build-up play giving most fans heart attacks, it is visible how comfortable Martinez has been on the ball even against the high press of Manchester City and Chelsea.

As for Martinez’s shot-stopping, you only have to see the statistics to see how impressive he has been. He has the highest save percentage for any goalkeeper in the league at an astonishing 81%. He also ended the season with the highest per 90 differential between Post Shot xG and actual goals conceded. His post-shot xG minus goals allowed per 90 was 0.49 which in lay man’s terms means Arsenal were conceding 1 less goal every 2 games when Martinez was on the pitch. Leno in comparison had an equally impressive save percentage of 77.6% which was the 3rd highest in the league. Together, Martinez and Leno made 143 saves this season for Arsenal which is the most for any club in the league and they will be fighting it out next season for that number 1 spot. The Argentinian has done incredibly well for Arsenal since coming in but Bernd Leno has been supremely consistent for a longer period and Mikel Arteta does have a dilemma on his hands with regards to who he picks next season.

Martinez was visibly emotional after Arsenal’s FA Cup Victory

But for now, it is time to celebrate the rise of Arsenals current longest-serving player. After years of being the 3rd and 4th choice keeper at the club, Martinez’s spirit never wavered. A decade and 6 loan spells later, Martinez finally has his moment of glory as he helps Arsenal lift the FA Cup at Wembley for the 14th time. And perhaps the most poignant moment of that final was seeing him lean against the advertising boards, earphones on and phone in hand as he video calls his family back in Argentina. And as the tears rolled down his cheeks and the emotions bubbled over, it was a moment that transcended sport and reminded us how football can change lives for the better.

 

Can Chelsea challenge Manchester City and Liverpool for the Title?

As we enter the final legs of the season, with Chelsea one step away from silverware and 2 games away from Champions League qualification, one has to say that it has been a stellar season for the blues. Frank Lampard came into the job last summer with little expectations and plenty of hope, but he seems to have delivered on most counts. After a tumultuous but successful year under Maurizio Sarri, Chelsea became a bore to watch and were labouring to victories instead of coasting to them. Lampard has done well to reverse that trend and Chelsea are now an exciting team, full of vibrant youth and attacking flair. However, as most youthful attacking teams do, Chelsea has blown hot and cold this season. The league started on a sour note with a 4-0 drubbing against United, but Chelsea did well to recover from that. Lampard won the PL manager of the month in October as Chelsea went on a 6 game winning streak in the league between September and November. Sadly, that was followed by a 14 game run in the league where they only won 4 times and lost 7 as well as a 3-0 hammering at home in the Champions League Round of 16 vs Bayern Munich.

Lampard has had a successful first season with the club

However, since the restart Chelsea have been electrifying at times, beating the likes of City and United in the FA Cup. But to match that there have been some woeful defeats to West Ham and Sheffield United. But finally, after all the chips are laid down, Chelsea could get a trophy and finish 3^rd in the league in their first season under Frank Lampard with a transfer ban and that is commendable.

Trusting the Youth

Through both circumstances and choice, Chelsea has adopted a new strategy this season and have finally started to trust their youth. This started from their bold managerial choice. After years of riding the manager merry go round and sacking coaches on a whim, Chelsea made an appointment for the long term. Chelsea was known for picking successful and experienced European coaches like Ancelotti, Mourinho, Conte and Sarri, but this time they went with the more youthful and pulsating choice in Frank Lampard. Frank Lampard has handed 8 Chelsea academy debuts this season, more than any other manager for the club in their history. Part of this is down to Chelsea’s transfer ban that they suffered due to breaching UEFA rules, but they finally found a manager who can guide and develop their successful youth prospects. The likes of Abraham, Mason Mount and Fikayo Tomori have grown into the team this season and are set to be first-team regulars while the youngsters such as Reece James and Billy Gilmour have shown plenty of promise as well.

Who they have signed

Chelsea has already made significant headway in the transfer market to try and close the gap to the Top 2. Hakim Ziyech was signed all the way in February with little competition and to add to that Timo Werner was poached from under Liverpool’s nose last month for a bargain fee in the region of 50 million pounds. Christian Pulisic has done well this season to replace some of Eden Hazards attacking threat, but Chelsea was still missing some of that firepower which they have now acquired. Timo Werner scored 34 goals and bagged 13 assists last season for RB Leipzig and Hakim Ziyech has been Ajax’s player of the year for the past 3 seasons. They both will significantly boost Chelsea’s chances next season, but it will be interesting to see how Lampard might set up with these 2 in the side.

At Leipzig, Werner was used in a front two next to a traditional target man such as Youssef Poulsen and for Chelsea he can be used in a front 2 alongside Giroud. However, Frank Lampard’s preferred choice of formation this season has been a 4-2-3-1 and that might see Werner be used up top as the only number 9. Unfortunately, Werner is not great with his back facing the goal and does not have great hold up play. Hence, he might struggle initially playing as the lone striker in a 4-2-3-1 system like he did with Germany in the 2018 World Cup. Instead, he could be used on the left and play as an inside forward that looks to get behind the defence which is similar to the role Aubameyang has at Arsenal. Ziyech is also a tactically fluid player that can play both as a CAM or from the right and helps to give Lampard some different options in attack.

What Other Areas Need Strengthening

It is clear and obvious that while Chelsea has already made 2 attacking signings, their major problems are in defence. They have conceded 49 goals this season in the league (as many as Crystal Palace) and that is not going to help them win titles. In Rudiger, Zouma and Tomori Chelsea have decent Center Backs but none of them is elite like Laporte and Van Dijk and that is what you need to win championships. Similarly Left Back is also an area of concern with Marcos Alonso not being viable in a back 4 and Emerson Palmieri on his way out and the likes of Nicolas Tagliafico and Ben Chilwell from Leicester are being touted as possible targets. However, the major problem area is undoubtedly between the sticks. Kepa Arrizalabalga was signed for a world record 72 million pounds and to say he has been a disappointment has been an understatement. He has the lowest save percentage amongst goalkeepers (56%) in the Premier League and to make matters worse he has the highest difference between goals against and expected goals on target. He has conceded 42 goals this season but has an Expected Goals on Target of 33.5, this means he has conceded 8.5 goals more than he should have based on the shots he has faced. Chelsea has been linked with the likes of Andre Onana, Dean Henderson and Jan Oblak and it is a position they must strengthen if they are to be serious threats to the title.

Kai Havertz to Chelsea?

 

Chelsea are leading the race to sign Havertz

 

However, despite their defensive deficiencies, it is being reported that Chelsea is the front runners to sign Kai Havertz, the prince of German football. It would take a significant fee upwards of 70 million pounds to afford the Bayer Leverkusen man but if they can do then there is no reason why they should not sign him. Critics have questioned that Chelsea should forget signing him and look at defensive options instead but that shouldn’t necessarily be the case. In an ideal world, they should have the finances to buy all their primary targets, but even if they don’t, they shouldn’t turn down the opportunity to sign a player of Havertz’s quality and potential.

Chelsea needs to be realistic, they will not win the league next year and it is near on impossible to cover that 30 point gap in one season. But if they can get their 3 attacking signings in this window (Werner, Havertz and Ziyech) it will allow them to adjust to the pace and physicality of England throughout the next season. Then along with additions in goal and in defence which will be made in the next 3 transfer windows, Chelsea can mount a serious title challenge in 2021-22. This is precisely the same thing which Klopp did at Liverpool. His first 3 singings were all attacking ones in Mane, Salah and Alex Oxlade Chamberlain. Once those 3 were settled in the league and the team, Klopp went big to get Van Dijk, Fabinho and Alisson and then instantly Liverpool were title contenders.

The transfer ban last season may have been a blessing in disguise and has allowed Chelsea to have enough money in the bank to spend in this year’s market where there is little competition. And the way the likes of Marina Granovskaia and Petr Cech have set up this Chelsea team, it seems like they will have the best chance to break the Liverpool and Manchester City hegemony that has ruled over England over the past few years.

Top 5 Youngsters in the Premier League 2019/20

One of the standout features of the Premier League season and restart in particular has been the rise of young talents in the country. Clubs all over the Premier League including the Big 6 are putting more of their faith in their youngsters and they are starting to reap the dividends. Academies like Chelsea and Arsenal are going through a purple patch currently with 4 and 5 graduates breaking into the first team and other teams like Manchester United are giving more and more impetus and importance to their youth. Part of this is down to the system that is created in each of the academies in the country and also the role of the youth system set up in St. Georges Park for the England youth teams which has enjoyed great success recently. In the past 4 years the England Youth Teams have won an U-20 WC, an U-17 WC, an U-19 European Championship and 3 Toulon tournaments. Clearly there is a special batch of youngsters in England at the moment and this season we are finally seeing some of that talent filter through in the premier league. But who are the standout talents in the league aged 20 or younger that are shining above the rest, lets take a look at the top 5.

5. Reece James

At number 5 we have Chelsea right back, 19 year old Reece James. England have been blessed with immense depth in the right back position, but Reece James has the ability to be the most complete one of them all. He joined Chelsea at age 6 and rose up the ranks in the immensely successful academy, winning the Chelsea academy player of the year in 2018. He also had a successful loan spell last season with Wigan, winning their player of the year award as well as being named in the Championship team of the season. This season he has had limited playing time but has managed 2 goals and 3 assists in all competitions. His major strengths are in the attacking third and he averages 6.4 crosses per game which is the most for any Chelsea player. He also has an xA of 0.17 per game which is pretty good considering the likes of Trent Alexander Arnold average an xA of 0.27 per game. He is also great with the ball on his feet and has a dribble success rate of nearly 75% which is the 3^rd most for Chelsea players. Defensively as well Reece James is quite assured, and he averages 2.37 tackles per game as well as 2.73 blocks per game which is the most for any Chelsea player. At only 20, James still has plenty of time to improve and grow and he is set to be a key part of this Chelsea defense for years to come.

4. Gabriel Martinelli

Coming in at number 4 and the only non-Englishman on the list is 19 year old Gabriel Martinelli. The Brazilian forward was an unknown quantity coming to Arsenal from Brazilian side Ituano last summer for a fee of 6 million pounds, but he has hit the ground running at the Emirates. He has played as both a left winger and striker this season and has emerged in the spotlight thanks to his work rate, spatial awareness and predatory finishing. Jurgen Klopp even hailed him as the talent of the century and it’s not hard to see why. The teenager has scored 10 goals and bagged 4 assists so far this season and has averaged a goal contribution every 100 minutes which is nearly 1 per game. But those numbers don’t tell the entire story, it is his hunger and desire to play and work for the team that really stands out. He averages 33.4 pressures per 90 which is the most in the Arsenal squad and 7 more than the next best player, to add to that he averages an astonishing 1.7 tackles won per 90. Just last week Arsenal signed Martinelli to a new long term deal and he is set to be an integral part of their rebuild under Arteta.

3. Bukayo Saka

At number 3 on the list is another Arsenal teenager who recently signed a long term contract with the club and that is Bukayo Saka. Arsenal have had the likes of Eddie Nketiah, Joe Willock and Reiss Nelson break into the first team from the Hale End academy but undoubtedly the man who has made the most impact is 18 year old Bukayo Saka. He has scored 4 goals this season but more impressively he has bagged 12 assists this season in all competitions, which is only bettered by Kevin De Bruyne and Trent Alexander Arnold amongst PL players. Saka is an extremely proficient dribbler and averages 1.7 successful dribbles per game. He is also one of the main creative outlets for the gunners and is averaging 2.8 shot creating actions per 90 in the league. To add to that he has shown his defensive abilities during his time playing LB and he averages 2 attempted tackles each game. Also, the 18 year old has been so versatile this season, playing in various positions including Left Back, Left Wing Back, Left Wing, Right Wing and even Central Midfield. His ability to keep up his assist output despite being used in various positions for 3 different managers is a real testament to the quality that he possesses.

2. Phil Foden

If there was ever a poster boy for England’s next generation of superstars, it would definitely be Phil Foden. The Man City superstar rose to fame in the 2017 U-17 World Cup which England won and where Foden was awarded the Golden Ball. In the 3 years since then, Foden has won a whole host of silverware at Manchester City but has struggled to get loads of playing time in City’s star studded team. This season though he has been extremely impressive whenever he has played and even won the Man of the Match in the league cup final. Foden has 7 goals and 9 assists this season which is astonishing considering he has only played 1397 minutes, that means he is averaging a goal contribution every 87 minutes! He is also averaging 5.4 shot creating actions per 90 in the league which is 3^rd amongst all Manchester City players. He is also 3^rd amongst the squad for successful Dribbles per 90, averaging an impressive 2.3. With David Silva leaving Manchester next season, Foden is primed and ready take up his mantle in Central Midfield and show the world just how good he is.

1. Mason Greenwood

Without a doubt the number one talent in the Premier League is Manchester United star Mason Greenwood. There has not been as much hype about a young striker in England since the days of Wayne Rooney and so far, the Manchester United man has lived up to the hype. At 18 he has already become a regular first team player for the red devils and has scored the most goals in a PL season where the player turned 18 since Michael Owen in 1998. Greenwood has scored 16 goals this season on top of the 5 assists he has provided in all competitions. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer described Greenwood as the most natural finisher at the club and looking at the numbers it is not hard to see why. Greenwood has scored 9 goals in the PL this season despite having an xG of only 3.1. This means he has a league high difference between goals and xG of 5.9 and that means he is scoring goals from places which he statistically isn’t expected to and that is a mark of a great finisher. Also, he has a league high goals per shot of 0.27 and shots on target percentage of 54.5% which is another indication of his elite finishing. The 2 footed wonderkid is clearly years ahead of his age and is set to be a key member of this Manchester United and England set up for years to come.

This is a special bunch of talents coming through right now and they are set to be the face of this league for the best part of the next decade. But lets not get ahead of ourselves, the promise and talent is evident but it still needs to be matched with desire and hunger. And once that magic combination is achieved, for these extraordinary group of kids not even the sky is the limit.

Has De Gea Taken His Eye Off The Ball?

On Friday night as David De Gea failed to save a routine Steven Bergwijn shot that was hit straight at him, it felt like déjà vu. These sort of mistakes have become more of a regularity for the Spaniard and it seems to be more than just a bad patch of form. For De Gea this downward slide can be traced back to the 2018 World Cup, where the Spaniard made only 1 save the entire tournament. This continued into the 2018/19 season where routine mistakes against the likes of Marcos Alonso, Lionel Messi and Granit Xhaka cost United dearly. This season De Gea’s errors have been even more prominent. It started with being beaten by Patrick Van Aanholt on the near post, then it was his failed attempt to catch Ismaila Sarr’s shot at Watford and finally he kicked it right into the boot of Calvert Lewin in March. This has happened far too often for a keeper of his quality and the Red Devils need to see this objectively instead of remembering him for what he was 3 years ago.

Even during the Sky Sports half time show, Roy Keane as well was extremely critical of De Gea and did not pull any punches. He said, “I am sick to death of this goal-keeper and would be fighting him at half time”. He proceeded to state that the Bergwijn goal was a standard save for an established international goalkeeper and De Gea is the most overrated goalkeeper he’s seen in a long, long time. While this is the Roy Keane way of saying things and he does go over the top, there is no denying that De Gea’s mistakes are becoming more frequent.

Henderson has been outstanding for Sheffield this season

On the flipside, Dean Henderson’s performance during the restart was the antithesis to De Gea’s. The Englishman was excellent for Sheffield United and made 6 saves for the Blades which kept them in the game as they drew 0-0 to Aston Villa. He has had a fantastic 2 year loan spell at Sheffield United and the United academy product has been one of their standout performers this season. Last year, he won the Golden Glove in the championship and kept 22 clean sheets as Sheffield United secured promotion to the Premiership. And he has built on that form this year with plenty of notable displays. He is certainly knocking on the door at United, but are his performances that impressive that he should displace United’s 4 time player of the year in the line up?

David De Gea	Metric	Dean Henderson
8	Clean Sheets	11
71%	Save Percentage	77%
57%	Close Range Save %	67%
76%	Mid Range Save %	80%
84%	Long Range Save %	100%
47%	1 on 1 Save %	54%

*Stats updated till Tottenham vs Manchester United

Henderson has kept 11 clean sheets so far this season and is in the running for the golden glove, while De Gea has only managed 8. They both have a similar number of saves 78 for De Gea and 76 for Henderson but Henderson has a superior save percentage of 77% compared to 71% for De Gea. Also, if you look at the save percentage in terms of the location of the shots, the stats are in favor of the Englishman. Henderson has a better save percentage from short range, mid range and long range shots even though those are considered to be De Gea’s specialty. Henderson even has a better record this season from 1 on 1’s.

However these statistics don’t particularly tell the entire story behind the quality of a goalkeeper and the shots they faced. A better indication of goalkeeper’s quality is Post Shot Expected Goals (PSxG) or Expected Goals on target which indicated the shot stopping ability of the goal keeper. In a nutshell PSxG is used to indicate the quality of the shots each goalkeeper has faced and how many goals they were expected to concede based on quality of shots faced. Dean Henderson has conceded 22 goals this season but has faced a PSxG of 29.7, this gives a difference of 7.7 between goals allowed and his PSxG and hence he has saved 7.7 goals for Sheffield this season which is one of the highest in the league. De Gea on the other hand has conceded 31 goals but has a PSxG of 29.3, which gives a difference of -1.7 and hence De Gea has nearly conceded 2 more goals than he should have. If you look at De Gea’s PSxG numbers over the past 3 years, the numbers are telling. In 2017/18 De Gea had a difference between goals conceded to PSxG of +12.4, that reduced to +2.1 in 2018/19 and finally now this season it is at -1.7. In terms of the numbers De Gea has gone from being the best shot stopper in the world to below average in the span of 3 years.

De Gea’s mistake against Watford cost United a victory earlier this season

The other damning statistic is the mistakes he has been making which have become more of a habit. De Gea has conceded 3 errors which have led to goals this season adding to the 4 errors he conceded last season. Comparatively Henderson has been tighter, conceding only 1 mistake which led to a goal which was against Liverpool and Gini Wijnaldum earlier in the season.

One more differentiating factor between the 2 is their penalty saving abilities. De Gea has faced only 1 penalty this season in the league which he conceded but adding to that De Gea faced 12 penalties in the league since 2015/16 and has failed to save even one of them in that period. Henderson on the other hand has saved 1 of the 2 penalties he has faced this season, which was against Gabriel Jesus. Also, In the 2017/18 season when Henderson was on loan to Shrewsbury in League one, he saved 2 of the 6 penalties he faced throughout the campaign.

David De Gea	Metric	Dean Henderson
736	Attempted Passes	812
75%	Pass Completion %	40%
0/4	Short Passes Completed	1/1
340/343	Medium Range Passes Completed	81/82
218/329	Long Range Passes Completed	243/729
2.56	xGChain	0.26

One area where De Gea does comprehensively have an edge over the Englishman is his passing and ability to play out from the back. De Gea has attempted a total of 736 passes over the season and has completed 558 successfully with a 75% completion rate. Henderson on the other hand has attempted 812 passes but completed only 325 with a completion percentage of 40. They both are pretty tidy in terms of Medium Range passes between 5 and 25 yards but in terms of Long Range passes more than 25 yards De Gea is miles better than his counterpart. Also, if you look at xGChain which measures the expected goals of every possession a player is involved in, De Gea outclasses Henderson. De Gea has an xGChain of 2.56 which is 10^th amongst goalkeepers in the League while Henderson only manages an xGChain of 0.26 which puts him at 23^rd amongst keepers. It is important to note that both Sheffield and Manchester United play completely different styles of football with Sheffield being more direct and United who prefer to play it out from the back. However, this is an area of the game where Henderson needs to work on and improve if he were to be the number 1 at Old Trafford.

For now, the situation with the goalkeeper spot at United is that they have committed their future to their long standing superstar. In 2019 De Gea signed a massive contract extension with United till 2023 worth a whopping 375,000 pounds a week which makes him the highest paid player in the Premier League. United won’t be getting rid of De Gea anytime soon, so the question arises is what do you do with Dean Henderson, the man next in line for the throne. United can do what Chelsea did with Thibaut Courtois and loan him out until he becomes a truly World Class player and then bring him in to the team. The other option is they can keep him as the number 2 and let him play the cup and European games and slowly bed him into the squad like how Barcelona did with Marc Andre Ter Stegen. They may also want to cash in on him and there are some rumors of Chelsea preparing a 50 million pound bid for Henderson to replace Kepa. Whatever they do decide to do, it will be interesting to see how the number 1 spot progresses at United over the next few years.

As for David De Gea it seems like this new normal is not too dissimilar to the old one. These high profile errors have cost United badly over the past 2 years and is hindering their progress as they look to reach the champions league and eventually challenge for the title. United have put their faith in him and that world class shot stopper is still in there somewhere but Manchester United need him now more than ever.

 

FIFA World Cup 2018: Belgium – Preview and Line Up

Belgium arrive in Russia with their greatest group of players in the country’s history. However they still are far from being the favorites to lift the trophy, and are still not part of the 4 elite nations (Esp, Fra, Ger and Bra) who most people are predicting to win the tournament.

Nevertheless they still have an embarrassment of riches in terms of attacking talent and one of the most complete squads in the tournament. In Roberto Martinez, they have a manager who has not had much success at an elite level but is still a shrewd tactician and capable of guiding the Red Devils to glory.

Here is how I think Belgium will line up in Russia:

FIFA World Cup 2018: England – Preview and Line Up

England failing in major tournaments is akin to the sun rising in the east and setting in the west; something we all know will happen.

Since 1996, England have failed at every major tournament they have played in and have not even reached the quarter finals of a World Cup since 2006. Their golden generation of Lampard, Gerrard and Beckham failed all those years ago, and now the hope of this great footballing nation lies with a youthful and inexperienced group of players.

However, Gareth Southgate (the new England Manager) has changed the English system and has seemed to bring a breath of fresh air and a new lease of life to these perennial under-performers. And maybe, just maybe there is a tiny flicker of light at the end of the tunnel.

Here is how I think England will line-up at Russia 2018:

There is a great debate over who will get the Number 1 jersey for England and I have chosen Jordan Pickford over Jack Butland as he is better with his feet and realistically has the chance to be England’s keeper for the next 10 years.

They are playing in a wing back system and hence the 2 wing backs would be the boys from Tottenham; Danny Rose and Kieran Trippier.

At Right Center Back is Kyle Walker in his new adapted position, next to him is John Stones; the man who has all the talent in the world but is yet to showcase it and on the left side is the rugged and physical Harry Maguire of Leicester.

Playing CDM is Eric Dier, and beside him is the team’s wild card Ruben Loftus Cheek. Having Jordan Henderson in the midfield is more of the same and England are crying out for a fearless youngster to come out and take the game by the scruff of the neck and I believe RLC is that man.

Playing in front of them are Dele Alli and Raheem Sterling, the latter has had his best ever season, scoring 20+ goals as Manchester City went on to dominate the Premier League. Delli Alli on the other hand has a great relationship with Harry Kane which will be key to England’s success in Russia.

Up front is the English Captain, winner of 2017’s Golden Boot and arguably the best striker in the world at the moment; Harry Kane. Majority of the hope of the three lions will be based on how well he performs and how clinical he can be in the opposition penalty area.

Most Important Player: Harry Kane

Unsung Hero: Kieran Trippier

My Prediction: They will continue to disappoint and lose to a team they’re supposed to beat.

Yesterday’s Preview: Spain

Tomorrow’s Preview: Belgium

FIFA World Cup 2018: Spain – Preview and Line Up

Watching Spain play their tiki taka football is like watching poetry in motion, and is the most joyous and aesthetic style of football played by any team in the world. The silky one touch play and quick passing manoeuvres they pull off in all areas of the pitch are simply jaw dropping.

They enter this World Cup on the back of 2 indifferent major tournaments however they are one of the favorites to lift the trophy. Their manager Julen Lopetegui has not lost a single game as coach of their senior team or during his time as manager of their u-23 team.

They in my eyes, have the best back 5 of the tournament and that goes a long way in winning titles and major tournaments. And of course they have buckets of talent in attack and midfield.

Here’s how I think they should line up in Russia:

FIFA World Cup 2018: Germany – Preview and Line Up

The reigning champions arrive in Russia as one of the clear favorites to lift the trophy. They probably have the most complete squad amongst all nations and are littered with superstars all over the pitch.

Such is the talent of their team that they did not end up picking the Premier League’s young player of the year and the newly crowned champion Leroy Sane in their 23 man squad. However that decision may have been due to the fact that he turned up with this haircut (see picture below) in the warm up games.

In Joachim Low, they also have one of international footballs finest managers and this will be his 5th Major Tournament with the German National side. He has a great record of reaching the Semi Finals in every tournament they have participated in, is a master tactician and on top of that he provides viewers with some great entertainment on the touchline.

Here is how I think Germany should line up at the World Cup in Russia:

In Goal is Manuel Neuer, who has been injured for the past 8 months and is making steady progress to be fit enough to start in Russia. When fully fit he is one of the best goalkeepers in the world and has revolutionized the art of keeping by becoming a sweeper keeper.

The 2 full backs are Hector on the left and one of the most improved players in the world in recent years and the heir to Phillip Lahm on the right, Joshua Kimmich.

The center back pairing will be the 2 Bayern Munich defenders Boateng and Hummels who tower over most attackers and are extremely experienced in major tournaments.

In the center of the park is Toni Kroos and Sami Khedira who are the perfect foils to each other. Sami Khedira is the hardman who will be physical and aggressive while Toni Kroos is one of the most silky passers in world football.

Playing ahead of them is Arsenal’s Mesut Ozil, who is the star man of this team. He will be the one to thread the eye of the needle and play those deft balls in behind opposition defenses to create chances for the strikers.

On the right is the 2014 World Cup’s golden boot winner, Thomas Muller; he has a phenomenal scoring record in World Cups. And on the Left wing is PSG’s Julian Draxler (Personally I would have had Leroy Sane here and I felt it was inSane to leave him out of the squad).

Starting upfront is Timo Werner who is lightning quick and has been in stellar form in the last 2 years in the Bundesliga.

Most Important Player: Mesut Ozil

Unsung Hero: Joshua Kimmich

My Prediction: Knocked out in the Semi Finals

Tomorrows Preview: Spain

FIFA World Cup 2018: Brazil – Line Up and Preview

For most Brazil fans, the scars of the 2014 semi-final loss will still be fresh in their memory as Germany went for the jugular and demolished Brazil 7-1 in front of their home fans in Rio De Janeiro. 4 years on Brazil’s sole focus for this tournament would be to banish those demons and show why they are the most successful teams in World Cup history.

They have an extremely talented squad littered with the flair and creativity you normally associate with a Brazilian Football team and they also possess the steel and determination one needs to win those crunch moments in the finals.

Here’s how I think they should line up at the World Cup:

In Goal is AS Roma’s shot stopper Alisson who has had a breakout year with the Roman club and has been a major part of their Champions League run to the Semi-Finals.

At Right Back is Danilo who will be deputizing for the injured Dani Alves, while the world’s best left back, Marcelo will occupy the left flank.

The Center Back pairing of Thiago Silva and Miranda brings much needed experience in a tournament of this magnitude, however their lack of pace could be exploited by opposition.

The Central Midfield Double Pivot will be occupied by Casemiro and Paulihno who are great on the ball and will provide much needed defensive cover for the other more attacking players.

Playing in front of them will be the Worlds second most expensive player Phillipe Coutinho who recently transferred to Barcelona from Liverpool. He is the creative linchpin of this team and will be responsible for starting most attacks.

On the right wing is Chelsea’s Willian who I believe is one of the most underrated players in the Premier League and starting up front is the 2017/18 Premier League winner, Gabriel Jesus.

And on the Left Wing will be Brazil’s prodigal son, who will be carrying the hopes and dreams of this football frenzied country; the worlds most expensive player, Neymar. His form and fitness will decide how well Brazil will do in Russia this summer and if he comes to the party, defenders will have nowhere to hide.

Most Influential Player: Neymar

Unsung Hero: Casemiro

My Prediction: Knocked out in the Semi-Finals

Leave your thoughts and line ups on Brazil in the comments below!

Tomorrows Preview: Germany