In The Radar, a new Sky Sports column, Nick Wright previews the return of the Premier League with a look at Arsenal's defensive prowess and Dominik Szoboszlai's outstanding start at Liverpool. Plus: an emotional milestone for David Brooks
Wednesday 31 January 2024 22:54, UK
Diego Simeone gave an impassioned defence of his footballing philosophy on Spanish radio show El Larguero last week in which he bemoaned the standard of defending in the Premier League.
"In English football, the games finish 4-4, 5-3, 6-2, 5-1," said the Atletico Madrid boss. "It's beautiful for the fans. Almost all the games are like that, end-to-end. But nobody knows how to defend."
It could be interpreted as a dig aimed at his old foe Pep Guardiola. He was speaking only days after Manchester City's distinctly un-Atletico-like eight-goal draw with Chelsea. But another thought sprang to mind: he should try watching Arsenal this season.
Mikel Arteta's side captivated fans with their exhilarating title charge last term. But having fallen painfully short, shipping 11 goals in a chaotic four-game winless run in April, their manager has shifted the emphasis dramatically in the new campaign.
"I feel like I'm watching a different team," noted Sky Sports pundit Jamie Carragher recently. "They are more solid defensively, but they are not as fluid and they are not creating as many chances."
From chaos to control. The change of tack was confirmed in conversation with Ben White last month. "We reviewed last season," he told Sky Sports. "You see the games when you don't pick up the points when you probably should. Those games are so important."
They resolved to tighten up; to channel Cholismo and win "no matter how". Risk has been reduced and the impact can be seen in the underlying numbers. Last season, Arsenal's games featured the sixth-most expected goals in the division. This season, they have featured the fewest.
They are no longer the team to watch if you crave goalmouth entertainment, in other words. But the hope for Arteta is that, over the course of a long season, and with Arsenal sitting only a point behind leaders Manchester City, the change of approach will win out.
Their defensive displays augur well. Arsenal have the joint-best record in the Premier League for goals conceded and clean sheets this season. They have limited their opponents to the fewest shots on target and given up the fewest expected goals against.
Saturday's trip to Brentford evokes memories of their chastening loss on the opening day of the 2021/22 campaign but there appears little chance of this team being bullied in the same way.
William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes provide the bedrock. Since the beginning of last season, Arsenal have a win rate of 71 per cent when they start together and 56 per cent when they don't.
They are a formidable centre-back pairing; quick, powerful and difficult to beat. According to Opta, they have only been dribbled past twice in a combined 1,824 Premier League minutes this season.
It is not just them. Arteta, already using a centre-back at right-back in White, is increasingly favouring the more defensively-minded Takehiro Tomiyasu over Oleksandr Zinchenko on the left. Declan Rice and Kai Havertz have added stature in midfield.
The result is a team capable of dominating physically as well as technically. "Yes, they have good players," said Sheffield United boss Paul Heckingbottom after his side's recent defeat at the Emirates Stadium. "But there is a real edge to them as well."
It remains to be seen whether Arteta has got the balance right. Fans would certainly welcome a little more fluency in attack. But Simeone should take note. This Arsenal side know how to defend.
Dominik Szoboszlai enjoyed a fruitful international break, scoring two goals and providing an assist in games against Bulgaria and Montenegro to help Hungary clinch their place at Euro 2024.
His stellar displays came after a slight dip at Liverpool but if he looked a little jaded in their last couple of games, he can be forgiven. The 23-year-old has played more minutes than any other outfield player at his club this season. He has put a lot in, too.
Tracking data shows he has run the equivalent of three marathons in 12 games. He ranks ninth in the league for distance covered and even higher for sprints, behind only a quartet of forwards in Anthony Gordon, Heung-Min Son, Nicolas Jackson and Dejan Kulusevski.
He cannot be expected to solve all of Liverpool's issues in midfield. Major question marks remain over the No 6 position. But Szoboszlai has provided a huge injection of physical intensity in an area of the pitch where it was desperately needed.
Crucially, he also channels his energy effectively, coupling tireless work-rate with an excellent pressing game.
Only two players, Tottenham's Son and Crystal Palace's Jordan Ayew, have made more pressures resulting in turnovers in the Premier League this season. Szoboszlai ranks behind only Brentford's Christian Norgaard in terms of possessions won.
Perhaps most impressive, though, is that Szoboszlai is proving just as influential on the ball. His goals against Aston Villa and Leicester showed his penchant for the spectacular. Technically, he looks a significant upgrade on his predecessors in Liverpool's midfield.
Only four players have created more chances in the Premier League this term. Only three - Bruno Fernandes, Rodri and James Maddison - have made more passes in the final third.
Jurgen Klopp has marvelled at the speed at which he settled following his £60m arrival from RB Leipzig - "since the first minute of training" - and the Liverpool boss will need him more than ever when they face Manchester City live on Sky Sports on Saturday.
On their last visit to the Etihad Stadium, the 4-1 loss in April, their midfield was overrun. Szoboszlai, a player who looks increasingly like Klopp's dream midfielder, makes that eventuality far less likely.
This weekend brings a huge game at the other end of the table too as 16th-placed Bournemouth travel to Sheffield United, who sit four points behind them in 18th. For midfielder David Brooks, the return to his former club will be an emotional occasion.
The 26-year-old went through a horrendous ordeal after being diagnosed with stage two Hodgkin Lymphoma in 2021, three years after swapping Sheffield United for Bournemouth. But he is playing again now and he has a long history of overcoming adversity.
That became clear when speaking to his former coaches in the Blades' academy in 2018. He came to them at a low ebb following his release by Manchester City aged 17, a small, boyish figure seen as being "two or three years behind" in his physical development.
Other clubs were put off. Brooks himself wondered if he would get another chance. But Sheffield United gambled on him, convinced by his technical quality. It paid off as he eventually broke into their team before earning his £11.5m move to Bournemouth.
Sheffield United built him up carefully, exposing him to non-league football and allowing the time he needed for his body to catch up. But Nick Cox, the former head of their academy, put it best. "The major player in the development of David Brooks was David Brooks."
His journey, even to that point, required immense determination. He has overcome far greater challenges at Bournemouth since.
