The Premier League is done and dusted and the Champions League qualifications are decided as well. There were a number of star performers from the English clubs and it is always interesting to compare two players from different clubs who play in similar positions.
In this piece, we have chosen Arsenal’s Granit Xhaka and Manchester United’s Paul Pogba, two players who ended the season on a strong note. While both players play slightly different roles for their side, they have interestingly close numbers to show for this season.
While Xhaka is expected to sit back and protect the back-4 for the Gunners, Pogba is expected to be a creator from the midfield under Jose Mourinho. So it is not surprising that Pogba has 5 goals and 4 assists to his name, compared to just 2 each for Xhaka.
Capable of spreading play and keeping possession, Xhaka has a passing accuracy of 90%, which is up there with the best in the league for his position. Pogba, who tries to break defences, has an accuracy of just 85%. However, in that 85%, Pogba has created 57 chances, with 53 key passes to his name. The slightly defensive Xhaka has still managed 32 key passes, creating 34 chances this season.
Pogba has been more effective in front of goal, and has a shot accuracy of 42%, compared to just 35% for Xhaka but the Arsenal man tops the French international in every other aspect of the midfield game. With a successful take-on rate of 78.26% to show for (just 66.37% for Pogba), Xhaka has won 58 tackles all season, compared to just 41 from Pogba.
Xhaka has also won 57.89% (57.25% for Pogba) of his ariel duels, making 5 blocks and 42 interceptions this season. Pogba has also made 42 interceptions and has won 53.375% of his total duels, compared to just the 46.04% won by Xhaka.
Incidentally, both players joined their respective clubs last summer and have made enough of an impact to be the first choice for their respective teams next season. Arsenal will be competing in the Europa League and Xhaka might be the man pushing them to a title, while Paul Pogba will hope that he can find his magic from his Juventus days.
With both players showing great promise for the future, this is a battle to keep an eye on during the 2017/18 campaign.
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