The question of who would play at right-back brought on a dilemma for Gareth Southgate ahead of last summer’s World Cup, with Kieran Trippier and Kyle Walker both vying for a place in the England team.
Little did Southgate know he would face an identical conundrum months later – with two different players.
Indeed, Liverpool’s Trent Alexander-Arnold and Crystal Palace’s Aaron Wan-Bissaka – two young and immensely talented full-backs – have given Southgate no choice but to consider them for his next England squad.
Not only that, it’s likely one of them will be handed a starting spot in at least one of this month’s Euro 2020 qualifiers against the Czech Republic and Montenegro.
The prize up for grabs? Either Alexander-Arnold or Wan-Bissaka could enter pole position to be England’s first-choice right-back for this summer’s UEFA Nations League finals and beyond.
Southgate found a way to include both Trippier and Walker in the starting line-up in Russia as a result of the latter’s versatility, but this time there may well be room for just one double-barrelled marvel at right-back.
In order to get a better idea of who Southgate might opt for, we’ve taken a look at the statistics behind the league performances of Alexander-Arnold and Wan-Bissaka, analysed their playing styles and explored their chances of usurping Walker and Trippier.
What do the stats say?
There are two main conclusions to draw from the statistics. Generally, Alexander-Arnold is a more effective going forward and Wan-Bissaka is the sounder defensive option.
Of course, those summations could be skewed by the respective approaches of Liverpool (a primarily attacking outfit) and Crystal Palace (managed by a coach renowned for his organisational skills), so it is worth looking at the numbers a little more closely.
Per 90 minutes in the Premier League this term, Alexander-Arnold has created more chances (1.51), made more successful passes (45.28) and completed more crosses from open play (1.16) than Wan-Bissaka (0.41, 24.82 and 0.37).
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Meanwhile, per 90 minutes Wan-Bissaka has won more total duels (7.64), made more blocks (0.48), clearances (3.35), interceptions (2.24) and won more tackles (2.76) than Alexander-Arnold (3.23, 0.05, 2.12, 1.31, 1.46) – although it’s worth noting Alexander-Arnold has a better tackle success rate (70.73%) than Wan-Bissaka (67.89%).
Alexander-Arnold also comes out on top in terms of his passing success rate (77.13% to Wan-Bissaka’s 72.63%), but Wan-Bissaka has a better duel success rate (66.99% to Alexander-Arnold’s 43.54%).
There are yet more reasons to believe Wan-Bissaka is the superior defender. During Liverpool’s 4-2 win over Burnley on Sunday, Alexander-Arnold was dribbled past four times; Wan-Bissaka has been dribbled past seven times all season. In fact, only seven players have successfully dribbled past him this term.
In contrast, Alexander-Arnold’s reputation as the more technically gifted player is well earned. He created three chances against Burnley, while Wan-Bissaka has created just 11 all season.
Style of play
There is another notable statistic that stands out. Per 90 minutes, Wan Bissaka has attempted more take-ons (2.87) and completed more take-ons (1.68) than Alexander-Arnold (1.16, 0.56).
Dribbling is usually associated with attacking play and it’s clear Wan-Bissaka likes to get forward, providing overlapping runs when Palace winger Andros Townsend cuts inside onto his stronger left foot.
Wan-Bissaka used to be a winger but his impressive defensive attributes – particularly his positioning – saw him convert to right-back.
And not only is he able to utilise his speed, athleticism and dribbling ability to attack down the right, the 21-year-old is also able to get out of trouble in his own defensive third by skipping past onrushing opponents.
Alexander-Arnold also grew up playing in a different position. “When I was younger I was always a defensive centre-midfield player – someone who liked to get on the ball and make things happen,” he said recently.
That makes a lot of sense. The 20-year-old has been used in central midfield by Jurgen Klopp from time to time and his eye for a pass certainly makes that transition simpler, though his crossing ability and capacity to get up and down the pitch makes him an ideal wide player – he has provided six assists in 21 league games this season.
Without question, both players have settled into the position they should now stick with. But will doing so harm their chances of becoming England regulars?
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Are Walker and Trippier in danger?
Despite enduring a slightly inconsistent campaign so far, Walker has undeniably developed into one of Europe’s leading full-backs in recent years under the tutelage of Mauricio Pochettino and Pep Guardiola.
Walker’s experience and insight into winning trophies – the latter garnered completely over the last two seasons – have seen him become a vital part of the England squad.
What’s more, his willingness to play out of position, and the versatility he possesses to make the adaptation process seamless, means Southgate – or any England coach – will likely call on 28-year-old until he hangs up his international boots.
That’s not to say his place in the starting line-up isn’t under threat, though it would be a surprise to see him left out of both qualifiers later this month. The same cannot be said for Trippier.
The official reason for his likely absence from the upcoming squad announcement will be a glute injury, and there’s no real way of telling whether Southgate would have omitted the Spurs defender had he been fit.
Trippier is renowned for being a frequent crosser of the ball. But despite the fact he has completed more crosses from open play per 90 minutes (1.5) than Alexander-Arnold this term, the quality of his deliveries has been indifferent.
On top of that, the 28-year-old is unsuited to the modern full-back role – he has completed just 0.23 take-ons per 90 minutes this season – and his defensive positioning has been repeatedly criticised.
Regardless of his international future, Trippier will always have something of a cult status as a result of his magical free-kick against Croatia in the 2018 World Cup semi-final. But put simply, he must improve to keep his place in the squad going forward.
TAA vs. AWB: Who is in the frame for Nations League?
The decision as to who will be England right-back at next summer’s UEFA Nations League finals could depend on the system England deploy.
Southgate has switched between a 3-4-3 and a 4-3-3 since last summer. With three at the back at the World Cup, Walker was the right-sided centre-back and Trippier the right wing-back. In the 3-4-3 used after the World Cup, Southgate has rotated his two main right-backs with Alexander-Arnold.
With Alexander-Arnold set to enter the fray more regularly and Wan-Bissaka fighting for a place of his own, Southgate has a predicament. For the sake of keeping the focus on England’s two rising stars, let’s imagine Walker and Trippier are unavailable. Who will Southgate opt for between Alexander-Arnold and Wan-Bissaka?
In theory, Alexander-Arnold would be more suitable in a 3-4-3 and Wan-Bissaka would better fit the 4-3-3. Liverpool rarely switch to three at the back, but Klopp likes his full-backs to start high up the pitch and only get higher, which suggests Alexander-Arnold is more of a wing-back than a full-back regardless of Liverpool’s system.
Conversely, Wan-Bissaka – the stronger defender of the two – suits a back four. His accomplished sense of positioning means he doesn’t require a third centre-back to fill in for him, something Alexander-Arnold would perhaps be more reliant on.
There is an interesting yet familiar alternative, too, that could see both players feature in the starting line-up. Could we really see Alexander-Arnold and Wan-Bissaka replicate the Walker-Trippier dynamic in a 3-4-3? If so, who would be the centre-back and who would be the wing-back?
Would Alexander-Arnold’s pervious experience in central midfield serve him well in a back three? Or are Wan-Bissaka’s defensive strengths more suitable for that role?
These are the questions that will currently be revolving around the England manager’s head. Southgate has plenty to think about ahead of crucial upcoming fixtures. Thankfully for him, the quality and potential of Alexander-Arnold and Wan-Bissaka should trigger a good headache rather than a bad one.
The post TAA vs. AWB: the unique double-barrel marvels competing for the same England spot appeared first on Squawka News.
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