Saka badly overlooked in senior Gong
The nomination of the Premier League Player of the Season has sparked much debate, not only around the individuals nominated, but also around those who missed out. Rodri’s absence from the senior squad is difficult to justify after an excellent season. Bukayo Saka will also feel aggrieved.
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Of course, he does appear on the young roster. But unlike fellow nominees Phil Foden, Erling Haaland, Cole Palmer and Alexander Isak, Saka was not shortlisted for the major award, with Arsenal represented by Dirk Lan Rice and Martin Odegaard.
These teammates made a huge contribution to Arsenal’s championship. But it’s hard to ignore Saka as the team’s most influential figure. With 16 goals (his highest tally to date) and nine assists, his total is seven times higher than any other Arsenal player.
The numbers tell only part of the story.
Bukayo Saka’s side more threatening to Arsenal
Mikel Arteta has relied on Saka more than ever this season, with Arsenal attacking down the right flank more than any other Premier League team. Gabriel Martinelli’s lack of form on the left has placed more responsibility on his shoulders.
Of course, Odegaard is also part of their strength on the right. The same goes for Arsenal’s marauding right-back Ben White. But mainly it was Saka who provided the threat. He ranks first in the Premier League for touches in the penalty area and is second only to Haaland for shots.
None of this is news to Arsenal’s Premier League rivals. But the fact that Saka is often double or even triple marked by his opponents only makes those numbers even more impressive.
The 22-year-old’s mission is not just to solve problems. He pressed ferociously and tracked the ball diligently while still finding room to be creative.
He is fourth in the Premier League for passes passed in the final third, underlining his role in breaking down defences, and while there are three players ahead of him in chances created, he is top for expected assists, underlining his role in breaking down defences. the quality of these opportunities.
This level of all-round threat is unique in the Premier League. Saka is the only player to reach double digits in non-penalty expected goals and expected assists this season. His total goals scored is 21.15, second only to Mohamed Salah and Haaland.
He also stands out for his consistency.
Even early in the season, before Arsenal’s attack had yet to click and before others were hard at work, Saka almost always excelled, contributing in all but one of his first eight games. A goal or an assist set the tone for a period in which he often led his team.
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Watch some of Bukayo Saka’s best moments for Arsenal this season
It’s odd, then, that in such a dizzying season he’s not in contention for the biggest individual award. He has contributed more than any other player to Arsenal being at the top of the Premier League. Few at any club can match the breadth of his contributions.
Sterling looks out of step with Chelsea’s resurgence
Mauricio Pochettino admitted after Chelsea’s 2-0 win over Tottenham Hotspur last week that team spirit is more important than big-name players in the team’s recent resurgence.
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Twice, the first was during his on-court interview sky sports During a press conference in the Stamford Bridge media room, he once again went out of his way to praise Noni Maduek, using the young winger as an example of what he was talking about.
He said Maduek’s performance was “incredible” not only for his defensive efficiency in helping to protect young right-back Alfie Gilchrist, but also for his contribution in the final third.
“That’s what we need,” Pochettino added. “Even if you have big-name players, big-name players, if they can’t play like they did today and try to help the team deal with defensive situations, it’s not going to happen.”
Raheem Sterling has not started for Chelsea since March and has missed out on England caps
Pochettino did not specify which “big names” he was referring to, but he had the absent Raheem Sterling in mind. Due to injuries, he only performed well in the first half of the season and has not started since March.
Sterling’s pedigree is unquestionable. He is a four-time Championship winner with 121 goals and 63 assists in 376 games, placing him among the Premier League’s top 20 players in both categories.
Productivity has certainly declined since his arrival from Manchester City. But it’s his defensive performances that raise the biggest questions about his place in Chelsea’s squad.
Premier League tracking data this season shows that Sterling moves approximately one kilometer less than the rest of Chelsea’s attacking players, moving just 9.5 kilometers per 90 minutes. Only Mykhailo Mudryk has less pressure off the ball per 90 minutes.
What’s most striking, though, is that Sterling walked the court 75 percent of the time. That’s the highest-stats tally among a forward in this class this season, and stands in stark contrast to Mudrick, Madduk, Nicholas Jackson, Cole Palmer and Connor Gallagher.
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In a rare interview, Chelsea boss Todd Boley says his plans for the club are “coming together” following the team’s recent progress
This has always been a feature of Sterling’s game, at least to some extent. This isn’t inherently a bad thing, as it allows him to conserve energy for explosive forward runs that have proven devastating during his Premier League career.
But as he struggles to provide goals and assists to mitigate his relatively limited off-ball movement, and as his head coach talks about the importance of defensive diligence from attacking players, it becomes increasingly difficult to see where he fits into their future.
Kompany may regret Muric’s late arrival
Burnley face the prospect of being relegated back to the second tier when they face Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday. Vincent Kompany’s side are five points from safety with just two games remaining.
But fans have a right to wonder what would have happened if their manager had swapped summer signing James Trafford for former No. 1 Alejane Muriqi sooner.
Of course, Muric has had his best moments since returning in March, scoring against Everton and Brighton, but made glaring mistakes in the backcourt.
But Burnley have lost just two of their first eight Premier League games this season and their recent upturn in form is no coincidence. Those mistakes aside, Muric’s performance was outstanding.
Arijanet Muric is second only to Aston Villa’s Emiliano Martinez in xG blocked
The underlying numbers highlight his stopping qualities.
According to Opta statistics, the Kosovo international has prevented 6.98 goals in just 720 minutes of playing time, ranking second in the league this season behind Aston Villa’s Emiliano Martine Sri Lanka. Simply put, he conceded about seven fewer goals than expected based on the quality of shots he faced.
While Trafford’s prospects are unquestionable, he is at the opposite end of the spectrum having conceded 60 goals (excluding own goals) in 28 starts for an expected goals total of just 50.62.
Change is necessary. The problem is that it comes too late.
