Pep Guardiola is in search of his third consecutive English Premier League title with Manchester City. The Spanish manager has transformed the star-studded side into one of the biggest teams in Europe. Pep likes to invest money and bring in players who can add more value to the squad. He is always in the transfer market looking for defenders who are consistent and comfortable passing the ball. One of the players who has recently emerged as a defensive target for the team is AC Milan’s French star, Theo Hernandez. The former Real Madrid full-back has made a name for himself at the club level as well as at the international level. The 25-year-old played an instrumental part in AC Milan’s first Scudetto win in over a decade. Theo’s consistency at the club level earned him a call for the FIFA 2022 World Cup. Manchester City are monitoring the player, and here are some of the stats that show what Theo Hernandez can offer Pep’s side in search of their maiden European title.
Theo Hernandez has been a regular for AC Milan. This season, the left-back has made 13 appearances in Serie A and five in the UEFA Champions League. Theo Hernandez has two goals and four assists combined in both championships. The above pizza chart shows the overall stats of the player in comparison to other left-backs in Serie A. The defensive side shows that Hernandez has a high defensive and aerial duel win percentage when compared to the other left-backs. The 25-year-old is ranked a bit low in the possession department, but his attacking contributions have covered up the areas where the player is struggling.
High Defensive Line
Theo Hernandez likes to run up and down on the left flank. The left-back likes to play a high defensive line, as shown in the above visual. The above viz shows the defensive territory along with the defensive actions, interceptions, and fouls made. Theo has a win percentage of 70.2% for defensive duels, 51.3% for aerial duels, and 50% for loose ball duels. He intercepts the ball 2.73 times per 90 minutes and gives away 0.75 fouls per 90 minutes. One of the most interesting things that can be observed is that the defender hasn’t given a free kick in the defensive third. His interception rate is also high inside the defensive third.
A high defensive line allows the player to make some high recoveries. A team like Manchester City likes to keep hold of the ball. They often lose the ball in the attacking areas and recover it in these dangerous areas. Theo has the ability to recover the ball high up on the pitch. He averages 7.75 recoveries per 90 minutes, and 29.7% of such recoveries have been made in the attacking half. These include 17 recoveries in the final third of the opposition. This shows that the full-back can apply pressure and recover the ball for his team.
Valuable addition to the attack
Pep Guardiola likes his fullbacks to move forward and offer their support to the attack. Theo Hernandez is the kind of player who likes to offer himself to the attack. With two goals and four assists this season, the left-back has already proven his worth. This season, he has 19 shot assists (1.02 per 90 minutes) to his name, and three chances have been converted. The first viz shows that Theo has delivered some crosses as well as some corners into the penalty box. He has also stretched the defence and attempted some cutback crosses. These crosses have led to an assist. The second viz shows the shot assists from Serie A 2021/22. His average was a bit high at 1.2 shot assists per 90, but the areas and directions of the passes have been a bit similar. With Erling Haaland in the box, these passes could result in a goal on more occasions.
Joao Cancelo has featured as a left-back for Manchester City. The Portuguese has been on top of his game and is unlikely to be dropped if Theo joins the club. The Frenchman would replace Kyle Walker in the starting 11. Joao Cancelo is a natural right back and would fit into that position. The above viz shows that Theo has a better record than Walker this season. Walker has appeared in seven English Premier League matches. The Englishman has been a better passer of the ball but has a comparatively low rank when compared to the other stats. Theo’s attacking ability could make him the team’s first choice.
Manchester City will be monitoring the situation of the player and might even bid for him in the transfer window. Theo Hernandez could offer a lot in the attack and become a valuable asset at the Etihad.
Visuals via TFA data viz engine