Ruben Dias got dribbled past as frequently as Sadio Mane this season.
Dias: 0.54 per 90
Mane: 0.54 per 90
It feels as if the media/fans want another iconic defender to fill the void left by Van Dijk's injury. Dias isn't that.
For what it's worth, City's goals conceded and xG conceded improved by roughly 10%.
Dias is a good defender, don't get me wrong, but that's all he is. A good defender. The media need to stop forcing this narrative that he's the best player in the league down our throats.
The rightful owner of the POTY award is Harry Kane.
If you're hell-bent on giving it to a Portuguese player in Manchester, it's Bruno Fernandes.
City have adopted a more defensive structure and Dias has fit in well. That does NOT make him the best player in the league.
I hate "did he win the league?" arguments because of how reductive it is.
Henry finished 2nd when he had 24 goals and 20 assists in 2002/03. Suarez, Salah and Hazard didn't win the league in their iconic 13/14, 17/18 and 18/19 campaigns.
Kane 2020/21 deserves the same praise.
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A thread on Thomas Tuchel - As described by himself and those who have worked with him.
This should be helpful to those who are unfamiliar with his methods and will hopefully help clear a few misconceptions.
Tuchel on his style of play — Creating a fundamental framework within which all players operate while also giving them the freedom to come up with their own solutions.
Tuchel on youth development — Young players need to face obstacles and come up with solutions to truly develop as players. Not everything should be taught or handed out on a silver platter.
Introducing Edouard Mendy – A thread on his strengths, weaknesses, areas to improve and fit at Chelsea.
The thread will mainly focus on three keepers – Alphonse Areola, Mike Maignan and Kepa Arrizabalaga - along with Edouard Mendy.
Data for Areola is from the 2018-19 season because he didn’t play enough in 19-20.
Data has been taken from the amazing people at @fbref.
While Mendy is a very solid shot-stopper, Alphonse Areola stands out as the best option in this regard. All 4 options play behind good defences and therefore face few shots.
Maignan is average and Kepa is bad at shot-stopping.
Let’s take an in-depth look at Kai Havertz – his strengths, weaknesses and tactical fit at Chelsea.
(THREAD)
Havertz’s progression since 2016-17, both in terms of actual and expected output, has been very promising. His creative metrics in particular have seen an improvement in the 2019-20 season.
He seems to be a naturally skilled finisher too, judging by his xG over-performance.
His performance metrics such as shots and dribbles have gradually improved with time too. Development isn’t linear and he has regressed in some metrics but that is how players grow.
His penalty box touches has increased over the seasons as he has moved closer to goal.
Amidst all the hype for Werner and Havertz, let’s not forget how good Hakim Ziyech is. Chelsea are signing one of Europe’s best creators for just £35m.
Ziyech’s variety of passes and output is absurdly good, even accounting for the Dutch league. Bonkers.
(THREAD)
Looking at the chart, one thing stands out – Ziyech is a master at the whipped pass from the right channel.
If Werner and Pulisic make the right runs, they will feast with Ziyech supplying them. Add in Reece James’ crossing from RB and it could be something special.
Besides his signature whipped pass, he is also excellent at taking set pieces. We’ve had some average (to put it kindly) set piece takers over the past few seasons, Ziyech is on a different level compared to the players we have had taking our free kicks and set pieces.
The season is finally over and Chelsea have made top 4. Let’s chart our progress over the past 12 months and compare it to last season to see how much the team has improved. (THREAD)
First up, our basic numbers. Lampard lost Eden Hazard, one of the 5 best players on the planet when he left Chelsea, and replaced him with a bunch of under-21 players.
The result? Chelsea have somehow become even better going forward. 76.23 xG is an absolutely *elite* tally.
Chelsea’s xG of 76.23 was the third highest in the league behind usual suspects Liverpool and Man City.
This is the highest xG Chelsea have recorded in a single season since xG became available (in 2014-15) and the first time Chelsea have crossed 70 xG.