Felipe Anderson has fallen down the pecking order under David Moyes (Getty Images)
When we talk about the best left-wingers in the Premier League, the obvious name that comes to our mind is Chelsea’s talisman Eden Hazard. The Belgian maestro has once again ruled the Premier League, shouldering the burden of Chelsea’s attack and leading the Blues’ surge for the title.
Hazard has amassed 7 goals and 8 assists in the Premier League so far, stamping his authority and proving his supremacy over the likes of Leroy Sane, Sadio Mane and Felipe Anderson.
It is a virtual no-brainer that Hazard has had more impact than any of the above-mentioned players on the list. However, let us make a statistical comparison of the other players on the list to see who has been closest to the Belgian in all aspects of the game.
Let us begin with Liverpool’s Sadio Mane. The Senegalese has been a revelation since he made his move to Anfield from Southampton back in 2016, taking his game to a new level under the tutelage of Jurgen Klopp. Along with Roberto Firmino and Mohamed Salah, he has been a part of the deadly front trio that has taken Liverpool to great heights both at the domestic and European fronts.
Playing down the left of Liverpool’s 4-3-3, Mane has had a decent season so far and has chipped in with 6 goals and an assist. He hasn’t scored too many spectacular goals but he has still managed four Man of the Match distinctions.
He has averaged 31.2 passes with an accuracy percentage of 78.9, including 1.2 successful long balls per game. Furthermore, he has averaged 2.4 shots, 1 key pass and 1.9 dribbles per game this term. However, he hasn’t created any big chances for the team. In all honesty, he has let himself down at times with poor finishing and has missed as many as six big chances.
Let us turn our attention to one of the newcomers on the list – West Ham’s Felipe Anderson. The Brazilian, who joined for a fee of £35m, had a slow start to life in England following his mega-money summer move from Lazio. He gradually grew in confidence, leading the Hammers’ resurgence and helping his team bag four consecutive wins in recent weeks.
Well, something that must be noted here is that Anderson plies his trade with a mid-table Premier League club and his impact on the proceedings cannot be solely judged with the help of figures. Injuries to several of the key players have forced Anderson to play in a slightly deeper role than he would have liked. He has not only sparked that creativity from the wide areas but has also dropped deeper to win back possession for his team.
At times, the Brazilian has drifted to the central areas, allowing the full-backs to make overlapping runs. As a matter of fact, he has not only probed away at the opposition with his creative passing but has also added that cutting edge to West Ham’s attack in the absence of Marko Arnautovic and Andriy Yarmolenko.
Displaying his abundant tactical intelligence, Anderson has been the one who has worked those pockets of space in the final third for West Ham, drawing the defenders out from their place and creating space for the others to pull the strings. His efforts haven’t necessarily resulted in assists but that has a lot to do poor finishing. In all honesty, some of his passing has been truly exquisite and a treat to watch from the neutral point of view.
Anderson has averaged 42.9 passes per game with an accuracy percentage of 76.7, including 2.2 successful long balls per game, which is quite understandable as he has played deeper than Sadio Mane. He has averaged 1.7 key passes,1.1 cross and 1.5 shots per game in the Premier League, which are really good given that he has had a lot of problems to deal with.
However, something that should draw the attention is his defensive contribution. Anderson averages 2.4 tackles and 1.3 interceptions per game, which are incredible numbers for an inverted-winger. The Brazilian has scored some spectacular goals with curling efforts and has created a total of 4 big chances. On the contrary, he has just squandered 2 clear-cut opportunities.
Now, let us take a look at Leroy Sane’s numbers this season. The German didn’t start the first four games but he has proven his worth even since Pep Guardiola has restored him to the starting eleven.
Having accumulated 6 goals and 7 assists, the Manchester City ace is perhaps the closest to Eden Hazard in terms of goals and assists. He has been in great form this season, adding impetus to City’s attack from the left and creating chances from the wide areas. The youngster has tormented the opposition with his pace and guile and has been one of the cornerstones of his team’s success this season. He has linked up really well and has capitalised on the chances that have come his way.
Sane averages 29.3 passes per game with an accuracy percentage of 84.3, including 0.6 crosses and 0.2 long balls per game, which is quite understandable given that City mostly rely on short, quick and incisive passes in the final third. Furthermore, he averages 1.7 key passes, 1.8 shots and 2.1 dribbles per game. Sane has created 5 big chances and has missed 4 clear-cut chances and his defensive contribution hasn’t been great either.
Well, it is virtually impossible to decide who should come on the list next to Eden Hazard. Going by the numbers, Leroy Sane should be an easy pick but Felipe Anderson should get the nod ahead of Sane and Mane as the second best left-winger so far as he has starred in his debut season in the Premier League for an injury-stricken West Ham unit.