Thread by @PremLeaguePanel

🔎Steven Bergwijn to Spurs - an analysis thread:

Firstly some excellent video analysis:

Career is on a clear upwards trajectory:
•2016/17– 207 minutes per G/A. 2 goals 2 assists
•2017/18– 114 minutes per G/A. 8 goals 11 assists - playing on the left and right wing
•2018/19– 110 minutes per G/A . 14 goals 12 assists – playing on the left and right wing

•2019/20
- 89 mins per G/A. 5 goals 10 assists already
-Higher assist output due to taking on a more creative role as an attacking midfielder/2nd striker (before Malen got injured)
-7 assists in 10 games as an attacking mid
- 2 key passes per game last season to 2.8 this season

Traits

1.Dribbling
•2.5 successful dribbles per game (same as Heung-Min Son this season, Moura this season = 1.6)
•His style suits Mourinho’s 'soloist' approach in attacking areas - often relies on instinct of attackers rather than structured attacks

•When playing on the left- Bergwijn often cuts inside. Even though it may be predictable, it's still very hard to stop as his footwork is so quick
A) He either shoots with a very powerful shot (21% of his 19 league goals since start of last season are from outside the box)

B) Or because he draws so many men towards him he takes advantage of the overload on the other side and plays the opposite wide man or full back into space – a type of switch of play

•When playing on the right:
A) He starts wide and dribbles inside and then dribbles back onto his right foot when he’s got the defender unbalanced in the area, to create room for a shot.
B) Or his starting position will be more narrow (which will complement Aurier overlapping)

2. Creativity – this mainly comes from him finding open spaces on counter:

Drops centrally to receive ball➡️Quick & strong on the half-turn to evade marker➡️Has space to dribble at defence➡️good long shot means defender can't back off➡️defender commits➡️Passes to man in space

3. Off-ball movement
•Scores more goals through movement into space for a cut-back rather than movement to far post and scoring tap-ins like Sterling for example
•Shown by just 3 goals in six-yard box since start of last season and 9 goals in the rest of the penalty area

4. Areas to improve
• Weak foot - just 1 goal from his left foot since start of last season
• Through balls - especially when cutting inside from the left- rarely tries this (similar to Memphis who developed this trait for Lyon in 2018/19). Shooting can become too predictable

How he will fit in at Spurs?

1. Kane injury solution
•Moura has been disappointing as lone striker for Mourinho – 1 goal & 0 assists in 8 starts as a central striker
• Moura forced to play there as isn’t comfortable on the left,so Son has to play there instead of as a striker

A) Move Son to lone striker - as Bergwijn's natural position is left wing - Son has 20 goals/assist in 23 starts since start of last season
B) Play Bergwijn himself as lone striker & keep Son on the left – at PSV Bergwijn has deputised for Malen up front since he tore his ACL

2. Second striker/attacking mid
•Important as an alternative to Dele in this role given loss of Eriksen
•Plays the attacking mid role in a similar style to Dele when playing with Malen- when Malen picked up the ball in wide areas, Bergwijn’s job was to get into the box

•Now Spurs have Lo Celso creating from deeper in double pivot,then a less creative but goalscoring-type attacking mid is suitable
-Lo Celso-most passes into final third (23),most take-ons (5) & most chances created (3) vs Norwich
-2nd most passes into final third (13) vs Watford

3. Bergwijn's versatility enables him to get enough game-time when Kane is actually fit too, thus avoiding the problem of a player being unhappy on the bench
• Left wing – natural role
• Second striker
• Right wing

4.Structuring counter-attacks
•Once ball is recovered➡️Lo Celso/Ndombele carrying & passing from inside own half➡️Bergwijn positions himself centrally as link-man to Son/Moura/Kane➡️Bergwijn is explosive on the half-turn & can then dribble away from marker & play one of them in

•Spurs construct the highest % of their attacks through the middle of the pitch in the PL (28%)
•Interestingly Spurs also have the highest % of goals from counter-attacks in the whole league

This thread was 3 days of hard research in the making

Probably the thread we’ve worked hardest on to compose yet - the Mario Mandzukić of threads 😅

If you like it, retweets of the initial post in the thread much appreciated 🙂