Bournemouth have always looked like a confident side in the English Premier League. The Cherries got promoted in the 2022-23 season and this will be their third consecutive season in the top flight. One of the reasons behind their great run in the league was their English striker. Dominic Solanke joined the club in 2018 and has been a part of their journey. He enjoyed his best season in the Premier League and attracted a lot of interest. Bournemouth were unable to keep hold of him and Solanke was sold to Tottenham Hotspur.
This left the Cherries in a more tricky situation. Solanke was their main source of scoring goals. His departure left a big gap in the attack. Bournemouth didn’t wait for long and made their move. The Cherries broke their spending record to buy Evanilson from Porto. Evanilson was spearheading the attack for the Portuguese giants. He decided to pick up a new challenge and came to England. But the question is, can he replace Dominic Solanke? Let’s find out.
Brazilian touch
The 24-year-old Brazilian enjoyed one of the best seasons in a Porto shirt. He led the attack alongside Wenderson Galeno. Porto came third in the league. Evanilson is a great threat in front of the goal. He has the pace to get past the opposition defence. The player has a high percentile rank for positioning and taking touches inside the opposition penalty box. His passing stats were also up to the mark.
This plot assesses the striker’s ability to challenge and win aerial duels, which is essential for hold-up play and scoring from headers. The player won nearly 50% of his aerial duels, making him a threat to any opposition defence.
Evanilson scored 13 goals in 27 league games last season. His positioning is the reason behind a good xG rate per shot.
The above plot measures the striker’s shot-taking frequency and accuracy, key factors in a prolific goal scorer. Evanilson averaged around 2.4 shots per 90 minutes and had an accuracy rate of around 47%.
This plot demonstrates the striker’s goal-scoring efficiency by comparing their expected goals to actual goals scored per 90 minutes. His xG rate was on the higher side and that is mainly because Evanilson got into good attacking positions.
Champions League experience
Bournemouth’s new forward will bring some UEFA Champions League experience with him. The forward scored four goals in the last campaign. His shot-taking zones were different from the shots taken in the league.
Evanilson created a good partnership with his Brazilian mate in Porto. He linked up plays and added three assists to his name. Some passes came in the form of low crosses. These often break the opposition’s defence and create a lot of threats around the six-yard box.
One thing is for sure, Bournemouth are going to win plenty of free-kicks. Evanilson attracts defenders and causes a lot of trouble in and outside the penalty box. His recovery rate is also decent and can turn most of them into dangerous ones.
It won’t be easy to replace a striker like Solanke. The Englishman is also strong in the air and takes much better positions than Evanilson. However, the Brazilian has more pace and this can allow the other teammates to take attacking positions.
Evanilson will aim to make an impact and justify his price tag. He is a great talent and has a bright future ahead.
Visuals via TFA data viz engine