Liverpool right-back Trent Alexander-Arnold is some way off the abilities of Chelsea’s Reece James. Plus, Chelsea vs Real Madrid, away goals rule, best games and lots more.
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Reece James over TAA all day
We see so many people on these pages proclaiming Trent Alexander Arnold as the best right back in the country. I have always argued against as these claims are always backed up with his individual attacking stats, not his individual defensive stats. Sure, he’s a brilliant player, brilliant passer and has a shot on him. However, he gets targeted a lot as the weak link defensively. Man City did it last weekend just as Leeds did 18 months ago.
Reece James, for me is the better all round player. Until I looked further at the numbers for this season, Trent is actually a lot further behind than I realised.
This season Trent has been involved in 14 goals through assists or by scoring. An impressive number for a ‘right back’. James has been involved in 11. However, Trent has played 2403 minutes, giving a goal contribution every 171 minutes. James has played 1246 minutes, contributing every 113 minutes.
Let’s look at defending. James is successful in 86% of his tackles and his team concede a goal every 113 minutes he’s on the pitch. Trent’s tackling trails at a lowly 65% and his team concede every 126 minutes when he’s playing, so that one is a bit better but points to how his teammates are covering for his tackling failure.
Gareth is right. Reece James is future for England.
PeteB
Chelsea vs Real Madrid
Kudos to Chelsea last night – so near and yet so far.
I have to confess I wanted Real to win but sometimes you just get swept up on the ‘can they actually do this?’ bandwagon and I wouldn’t have begrudged Chelsea a place in the semi final.
However, it did all remind me of that year Barca knocked them out of the Champions League in the latter stages. I was with a Spurs-supporting mate in a pub…
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