Liverpool’s Alberto Moreno vs Manchester United’s Ashley Young – A Statistical Comparison

Liverpool’s Alberto Moreno vs Manchester United’s Ashley Young – A Statistical Comparison

For most of the season so far, Alberto Moreno and Ashley Young have been quietly giving their best day in and day out in the left-back position for Liverpool and Manchester United respectively.

United have previously had a lot of troubles in the left-back area but even though Young is not a natural left-back, he has slotted in well. Trust is something Mourinho has never really lacked in Young, even if opportunities have been a lot more limited than what the player would have liked. However, he has truly made the left-back slot his own, and he has been so important for the Red Devils with his versatility.

A winger by nature, Young has a natural inclination to get forward and attack, which Mourinho usually likes in his defenders. Even as a wide player, Young always demonstrated a capacity and willingness to track back and cover his full-back, which does make things easier for him.

Moreno, on the other hand, has established himself as Klopp’s first-choice left-back once again. Much like Young, he has been showcasing a more mature approach in defence, combined with a more streamlined effort going forward. Moreno has certainly been one of Klopp’s most consistent performers so far this season, despite the Reds’ defensive woes.

While both these players continue to impress for their respective sides, how do they fare against each other in terms of numbers?

Ashley Young vs Alberto Moreno

In 8 appearances for United so far, Young has spent 697 minutes on the field. He has made an average of 1.4 tackles per game, while making about 2 interceptions. He has committed 1.3 fouls and has won 0.3 offsides per game so far. As far as clearances go, Young averages 2.8 per game. He has also made 0.1 blocks in every match.

Meanwhile, Moreno has appeared 12 times for the Anfield side, spending a total of 1080 minutes on the field. He averages 2.7 tackles and 0.8 interceptions per game. So far, his fouls stand at 0.7, with an offside clearance average of 0.2. He makes about 2.3 clearances per game while averaging 0.2 blocks per match.

Verdict

Moreno is stronger than Young on some factors but otherwise, the United player is either on par or ahead of the Liverpool man. It is also worth noting that Moreno has spent more time playing than Young has. The fact that Young is not even a natural left-back is another interesting fact – and the way he keeps performing consistently while recording these brilliant numbers is truly commendable.

(PS: This article was written before Liverpool’s game vs West Ham United yesterday. The game ended 4-1 in favour of Liverpool with Alberto Moreno playing an important role)