Forwards fetch fees, wingers win points

The big money in the summer was spent on the forwards. But as September ended, the smart money is on a winger collecting Player of the Month yet again.

Whilst an abject Manchester United have done their best to make a Rasmus Højlund out of Benjamin Sesko, it’s Arsenal’s Arsenal of wingers that have led them to second place, even if Viktor Gyökeres has offered a more than reasonable cameo and their set piece excellence was called up at Newcastle at the weekend.

Jack Grealish scooped last month’s award and whilst his Everton side lost the Merseyside derby, he proved a handful for Conor Bradley. His standing balls up at the back post have started to feel predictable, but only because of how prolific he’s become at it. This isn’t the Aston Villa Grealish the neutral fell in love with, the raw schoolyard-like player that became the nation’s ‘Gazza’ during the belated Euro 2020.

There is some Pepism amongst his game. Though he has the freedom to drift into the box, a no-man’s land of a position in which marking him becomes hard and challenging him dangerous when he has the ball at his feet, his decision-making around when to drift is benefiting Everton. David Moyes doesn’t have to coach him, more so just nudge his confidence along.

In Grealish’s absence, Jeremy Doku has flourished, ranking among the division’s highest when it comes to attempted crosses and dribbles, and joint second for assists.

He’s been a menace, and possesses the penetration that Pep’s new brand needs.

Raheem Sterling was a Guardiola signing, even if the manager arrived twelve months after the player. He was a piece of the puzzle, along with John Stones, that the Catalan instructed City Football Group to acquire. Following Sterling came Leroy Sane, and the pair were two sides of the same coin. Sterling, drawing full-backs in, Sane galloping past them. In Doku, City may finally have a player that can do both. Where Arsenal can deploy contrasting styles on each flank, City need Savinho to step up in the same way Doku has.  In much the same way Xavi Simmons does for Spurs. The wiles of Bernardo Silva have at least meant the front three of City have stretched defences. As a result, Phil Foden has found space, and more importantly, form.

Pep has historically been focussed on moving the ball to move the man. This is now his true English phase; exploiting a man-to-man game, where defenders will follow attackers and space is abundant in the middle.

Arsenal did it brilliantly at home to Nottingham Forest, who ironically might move away from somewhat of an old-school approach that made them so successful last year under Nuno. Eberiche Eze loitered wide on the halfway line whilst Noni Madueke, who has deputised brilliantly for an injured Buyako Sako, raced to the byline with the ball given half a chance. His own injury is a shame. It felt inevitable that once his midfield teammates read his cutbacks, they’d score at will. Oh, what a luxury to have Saka return to fitness, an industrious Leandro Trossard to call on, as well as Gabriel Martinelli at the ready to punish tiring defences.

Across North London, Spurs began life under Thomas Frank shape-shifting fashion. They put Burnley to the sword but adapted into an impressive pressing outfit when overturning City, with Brennan Johnson key. Mohammed Kudus has had a similar effect to Madueke, and the hole he has left at West Ham is evident. Xavi Simmons so far looks like a one-trick pony, but so did Doku when arriving from Rennes. Simmons should be afforded time, especially given the quality of manager who has signed him. Spurs need a plan B in the meantime though, as despite Kudus’s form, Spurs are becoming a little predictable leaning on him so much.

It’s easy to point to the big clubs to demonstrate the worth of the winger so far this term. Only Erling Haaland (9) is ahead of Antoine Semenyo (6) for goal involvements this campaign. The Ghana forward’s second, on the break, against Liverpool, was of the highest quality.

Of the current top seven, only Palace (3-5-2) and Liverpool (shared load amongst the front six, with a lesser-than-usual impact from Mo Salah this season) are playing 4-3-3 and are making wingers central to their gameplay. Outside of the top seven, Burnley are accruing points when they get Jaidon Anthony into space.

So when Aleksander Isak, Sesko, Gyökeres, and Nick Woltermade are four of the top ten imports of the summer and none, for various reasons (timing of the transfer in the main), are yet to hit their stride, it’s frightening to think what the football is going to look like when they do.  Until then, “get it wide, son, get it wide.”