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BBC News
a day ago
- Sport
- BBC News
Is Guehi a good fit for Liverpool?
Liverpool are monitoring Crystal Palace centre-back Marc Guehi ahead of a potential summer move, BBC Sport understands - and the data backs up why he's on the Reds' radar. As head coach Arne Slot begins to shape the squad in his image, defensive reinforcements are firmly on the agenda. Guehi, 24, has emerged as one of the most consistent defenders in the Premier League, and his statistical profile for the 2024-25 season underscores his suitability for Liverpool's system. The chart below, powered by Opta data via provides a percentile breakdown of Guehi's 2024/25 Premier League performances compared with other defenders. But what exactly does "percentile" mean? In simple terms, a percentile ranks how a player compares to others in the same position. For example, if Guehi ranks in the 90th percentile for passes blocked, that means he performed better in that category than 90% of Premier League defenders. It's a way of assessing performance in context, not just raw numbers. He ranks in the 97th percentile for passes blocked, showing a sharp reading of the game and ability to get in the way of forward play - a key requirement for a centre-back in a pressing, front-foot system like Liverpool's. With the team often defending higher up the pitch, having centre-backs who can anticipate and intervene early is also performs strongly in dribble challenges and tackles won, both sitting well above the league average. These are core traits for a Liverpool defender, particularly in scenarios where the high line is exposed and one-on-one defending becomes make-or-break. The "errors" metric, referring to mistakes leading to shots or goals, is also reassuring, with Guehi ranking well here, reflecting his composure under pressure. In a system that places demands on centre-backs to operate in isolation or in transition, his calm decision-making is a significant plus. One area of development remains aerial and physical duels, as reflected in his percentile for challenges lost, but even this is context-sensitive. Palace's compact shape can skew defensive numbers when compared to Liverpool's expansive setup, and Guehi's intelligence in choosing when to engage often offsets any perceived physical Jarrell Quansah reportedly on his way to German giants Bayer Leverkusen, and Ibrahima Konate struggling with injuries, Guehi represents a Premier League-proven option with immediate upside and long-term value.
BBC News
a day ago
- Sport
- BBC News
Joao Pedro's unappreciated qualities
Chelsea are expected make a £60m acquisition of Joao Pedro and as our previous post explains, the Blues are bringing in healthy funds from taking part in the Club World likely new signing brings some interesting dimensions. The radar chart below, using Opta data via compares Joao Pedro's performance against fellow Premier League forwards - and the results are quietly understand the significance of this graphic, it's important to unpack what "percentile" means. Each stat shows how a player compares to others in his position. So, if Pedro sits in the 80th percentile for a certain metric, it means he has performed better in that area than 80% of Premier League forwards. It's a relative measure - not raw totals, but performance in in context, Joao Pedro excels. He ranks particularly high in fouls drawn that lead to a goal, a sign of his sharp intelligence and ability to manipulate defenders in the final third. For a Chelsea side that struggled to unlock defences last season, Joao Pedro's knack for inviting pressure in dangerous areas and turning it into goal-scoring chances could prove contribution to Shot-Creating Actions (SCA) also stands out. This metric counts the two attacking actions leading to a shot, such as a key pass or dribble. Joao Pedro ranking highly here suggests he is regularly involved in the build-up to attacking moves, whether drifting into pockets of space or linking play with midfield runners - an ideal fit for a fluid, possession-oriented goals minus xG - a metric that compares actual goals scored with expected goals - is also well above average. This indicates a forward capable of finishing at a level above the norm, whether through superior technique or instinctive play in tight his percentile in Progressive Passes Received shows his ability to stretch opposition lines and present as a dynamic option between the lines - something Chelsea have often lacked in transition his Shot on Target percentage sits slightly below elite levels, that seems a trade-off for the kind of multi-phase involvement Joao Pedro offers. He's not just a finisher - he's a facilitator, disruptor, and spatially intelligent forward who enhances those around short, the data shows why Chelsea were willing to pay a premium. Joao Pedro isn't just a £60m investment in goals - he's a player who embodies the modern, multi-functional forward, and could quickly become a central figure in Enzo Maresca's attacking blueprint.
Yahoo
15-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Liverpool's plan to replace Trent Alexander-Arnold is now OBVIOUS
Frimpong isn't necessarily a player who makes progressive passes and looks to break opposition lines. He's a robust dynamic wing player, who loves to bomb up and down the flank. He's still very progressive - just in a different way. Whereas Alexander-Arnold will thread long passes, Frimpong will go on runs to evade his opponents and put crosses or passes into the box. Advertisement Obviously, bringing him in alone isn't going to replace all of Alexander-Arnold's good qualities. But it doesn't look like Liverpool are planning on signing just Frimpong alone. His teammate, Florian Wirtz is also on the club's radar and the club have been in contact with him to explore a potential move as per David Ornstein for The Athletic. Now Wirtz brings directness and speed as well. He ranks in the top 10 for sprints in the Bundesliga this season - Frimpong is first in the metric (1021) while Wirtz is in eighth place (832). But Wirtz is so much more than that. He's also one of the best creative outlets in the league. Advertisement As per FBref no one has more goal-creating actions (25) than Wirtz this season. Apart from Michael Olise (0.49 er 90), Wirtz also averages the most expected assists (0.37 per 90) and he has created the second most big chances (17) again behind the French international (31). Bringing him in is going to cost the club a lot of money. But he could replace Trent's creative output, while Frimpong fixes the void left on the right flank. Together, the two of them could make Liverpool even stronger and continue their exciting partnership that made Bayer Leverkusen go unbeaten in the Bundesliga last season.
New York Times
07-02-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
What Marshall Munetsi and Nasser Djiga will bring to Wolves
Wolverhampton Wanderers will have two new faces in their squad when they travel to Blackburn Rovers on Sunday. And neither of their deadline-day signings were entirely conventional for a Premier League club. Marshall Munetsi is a midfielder from Zimbabwe who is 28 — older than many players when they typically make the move he has from France's Ligue 1, where he played for more than five seasons for Reims, to the Premier League. Advertisement Meanwhile, Nasser Djiga is a defender from Burkina Faso whose career in Europe has brought him to England via Switzerland (with Basel) and Serbia (with Crvena Zvezda, more widely known in the UK as Red Star). But Wolves have identified Munetsi as a player who can offer Vitor Pereira an extra physical presence in midfield and Djiga as a physical central defender who can help their head coach transition his side towards the front-footed style he wants to adopt. So what might the pair offer? In Munetsi's scouting report on the data website FBref, certain statistics stand out immediately. The tool compares him against his fellow midfielders in Europe's 'big five' leagues — the Premier League, Ligue 1, Serie A, La Liga and the Bundesliga — plus UEFA competitions over the last year, and the first statistic that leaps out is his goalscoring ability. Across six seasons in Ligue 1, he managed 21 goals in 148 appearances from midfield, including four from 19 this season, and in the last year, he sits in the 90th percentile for non-penalty goals among midfielders in the big five leagues. His non-penalty expected goals tally places him in the 95th percentile — it suggests that, with better finishing, his ability to get himself into goalscoring positions would bring even greater rewards. His capacity to get into these positions is highlighted in this example against Angers… And this shot against Le Harve shows his knack for capitalising on scruffy chances… He also has solid numbers when it comes to breaking up opposition attacks, sitting on the 73rd percentile for tackles in the attacking third of the pitch, underlining his ability to force high turnovers. His relentlessness is clear in this example against Brest… And in this example against Nice, he does not win the ball but forces the opposition to play sideways… However, there are less impressive parts to Munetsi's game too, particularly when it comes to passing. He sits in the bottom one per cent of midfielders for passes attempted, passes completed, total passing distance and progressive passing distance, while his pass completion percentage is in the bottom two per cent. That might help explain why he sits in just the 42nd percentile for assists. Advertisement So Munetsi is very much a destroyer and useful goalscorer rather than a creator or playmaker, but at over 6ft 2in (188cm) tall and with the ability to cover lots of ground, he will give the Wolves midfield an extra physical edge that Pereira has been looking for. 'At times, he has been overshadowed by midfield partners,' Luke Entwistle, editor-in-chief of Get French Football News, tells The Athletic. 'He's always the bridesmaid, never the bride. Other players have maybe caught the eye more and Munetsi has always been the one who's been very functional. 'He's a bit all over the pitch. He's a bit of a destroyer, a bit of the Manuel Ugarte type, but he does stuff that's not really that pretty. 'He doesn't put up huge numbers in any particular metric but he's very functional. The passing stats aren't good. He is very much about laying it off to somebody else and they will do the job. 'I think that there is maybe a technical deficit there. He's not asked to pass the ball much but you also have to ask the question as to why he's not being asked to pass. 'But out of possession, Munetsi is an absolutely great player. I've mentioned Ugarte once but I would say he's of a similar profile: very athletic, a bit of a destroyer.' GO DEEPER Wolves' transfer window: £42m of under-the-radar acquisitions and Lemina set to leave Djiga's FBref scouting report is less reliable, given it is based only on his 720 minutes in this season's Champions League, with data from the Serbian league limited. That compares to 2,839 minutes for Munetsi in the last year in Ligue 1. But even bearing in mind the small sample size, the Champions League data places Djiga in the top 25 per cent of centre-backs for goalscoring and the top 18 per cent for assists, suggesting that he can be a threat in attacking areas. His passing data is less impressive, placing him in the bottom 23 per cent for passes completed, although his pass-completion percentage puts him in the top 52 per cent. In terms of defending, he sits in the bottom 39 per cent for tackles made and the bottom 21 per cent for tackles won, but he does sit in the top 23 per cent for interceptions. Djiga has earned a reputation in Serbia as a front-footed defender with the ability to start attacking moves. This is clear in the example from the Champions League match against Young Boys last week… He displayed his confidence in possession in the opening minute of the same game… His positive style is also evident in this example, playing for Basel against Lausanne before his move to Serbia… 'His beginnings were not as impressive,' says Nebojsa Markovic, a Serbian football journalist, speaking to The Athletic. 'It's not like he came here amazing right away. 'The club actually moulded him because he came so young. His improvements were particularly obvious this season and he was really good in the two matches against Bodo/Glimt in the play-offs for the Champions League (in August), where he showed that this could be his season. Advertisement 'He showed how he is a modern centre-back who can do many things. He has physicality and is the kind of player who would maybe fit stylistically into Ligue 1 in France. He's very physical and he's really good at aerial duels. 'In the Serbian League, things are much different because he's playing in a team that dominates so much, so he's more on the ball playing for passes and maybe finding players between the lines. 'The European matches were maybe what he will get used to in the Premier League because Crvena Zvezda were not really dominating their matches in the Champions League. 'But he's more of a defender that tries to do things positively and that's a really good thing because you can always dial it back a little bit if necessary, but he has the courage and he's always trying to read the game.'
