Aaron Wan-Bissaka has received a good deal of criticism for his recent performances and in general for his attacking play.
Since his arrival at United from Crystal Palace in the summer of 2019, the right back’s abilities going forward have been seen as inferior to his defensive capabilities, with full-backs Luke Shaw, Brandon Williams and Alex Telles all viewed as more attack-minded.
Shaw was considered by many to be man of the match in yesterday’s Manchester derby, so it is surprising to see statistics that show Wan-Bissaka actually was much more advanced in his passing than his older compatriot.
Figures produced by @Utdarena show that the vast majority of the 23-year-old’s passes were forward and had a high degree of progression value. Wan-Bissaka is represented by his shirt number, 29, on the chart below and is shown as finding Bruno Fernandes (18) and Mason Greenwood (11) regularly in the build-up. By contrast, the majority of Shaw’s passes went to Fred (17) or back to Maguire (5) and had a low progression value (the blue line indicates regressive passes).
Of course, the figures represent just one match and one statistic – passing, but it is a good sign that Wan-Bissaka’s attacking play is continuing to develop. If he is also able to improve his crossing, then the Englishman could well become the complete full-back that United so desperately need on the right flank.
Manchester United's Pass Map vs Manchester City
It's the first game that Aaron wan-Bissaka has had a greater progressive impact in our build-up than Luke Shaw. pic.twitter.com/Mv0BwAT16K
— UtdArena (@utdarena) December 13, 2020
Edinson Cavani has made quite an impact since his deadline day arrival at Old Trafford, but how much do you know about our other South American players, past and present? Take our quiz below to find out!