Man Utd's left-sided problem, Salah's rising creativity

Welcome to The Radar, a Sky Sports column in which Nick Wright uses a blend of data and opinion to shed light on need-to-know stories from up and down the Premier League. This week:

🚨 The Man Utd weak spot that needs fixing
📈 Salah still getting better aged 32
❓ Calafiori not your average full-back
🔍 A player with a point to prove

Man Utd’s left-sided frailty

Erik ten Hag insisted the decision to substitute Marcus Rashford at half-time of Manchester United’s 3-3 draw with Porto, despite having scored one goal and set up another, was down to rotation. But he also acknowledged the defensive issues on his flank.

“Over the left side, we definitely didn’t defend well tonight,” he said. Rashford was part of it, failing to track Joao Mario before Porto’s first goal. Their second came from a similar spot and the problem persisted for their third, which also originated from United’s left.

It has been an issue all season, exacerbated by the continued absence of specialist left-backs Luke Shaw and Tyrell Malacia.

Twente’s equaliser in United’s Europa League opener came from right-back Bart van Rooij charging up their left flank with alarming ease. Seven of the eight Premier League goals United have conceded have come from either crosses or shots in the left-back position.

Rashford’s weak attempt to stop Twente’s Van Rooij was another example of his role in the problem but it is a collective issue.

He was not on the pitch for Porto’s third. At the time of Tottenham’s second goal at Old Trafford on Sunday, scored by Dejan Kulusevski following another break down United’s left, it was Alejandro Garnacho, not Rashford, operating as the winger on that side.

Garnacho does not even come into shot watching the passage of play back, such was the sluggishness of his tracking back. Amazingly, the same is true of makeshift left-back Diogo Dalot, who was even further upfield. Aston Villa will aim to become the latest side to exploit the weak spot when they host United on Super Sunday.

Sunday 6th October 1:00pm


Kick off 2:00pm

Salah’s rising creativity

Mohamed Salah showed off his full repertoire in Liverpool’s Champions League win over Bologna on Wednesday. His goal was brilliantly executed as he cut inside and found the far corner. So too was the pinpoint cross to set up Alexis Mac Allister’s opener.

There were moments of frustration too. But the assist was one of three chances created by Salah, the most of any Liverpool player. Having created a combined total of eight against Wolves and Bournemouth, it was his third start in a row as their top creator.

His tally of four assists in the Premier League this season is second only to Arsenal’s Bukayo Saka. Continue at a similar rate of productivity and Salah will comfortably beat his previous highest total of 13 assists during the 2021/22 campaign.

This increased emphasis on creativity has been apparent since last season and demonstrates that, even at the age of 32, the Egypt international’s capacity for improvement remains.

Salah has always been a creative force, of course. But his level has increased markedly in the last 14 months. He is creating roughly 30 per cent more chances than he was, and many of better quality too. Amazingly, Salah is creating nearly 80 per cent more big chances.

Most impressive of all is that he has managed to add this level of creativity to his game without reducing his own goal threat in any significant way. His average of 0.65 goals per 90 minutes across the last two seasons is nearly identical to his previous rate of 0.68.

It was all there against Bologna; a goal, an assist, and another demonstration of a player seemingly getting better with age.

Liverpool may fear a downturn as they ponder his future. He turns 33 soon after his current contract expires in May. But right now letting him go looks far riskier than forking out on a new deal.

Calafiori’s maverick style

Riccardo Calafiori has packed a lot into his first two months at Arsenal. A stunning goal against Manchester City. A narrowly averted red card against Leicester. A tearful reaction to an injury scare in the same game. “He was a bit emotional,” smiled Mikel Arteta.

The 22-year-old, a £42m signing from Bologna, wears his heart on the sleeve and plays as if his life depends on it. He can appear overeager at times. There are certainly rough edges to be smoothed out. But it is already clear that he has a huge amount to offer.

Taking in his latest appearance from the press box at the Emirates Stadium was an enjoyable experience. Calafiori started the game at left-back and finished it at right-back following Jurrien Timber’s half-time withdrawal. But he was pretty much everywhere in between.

Calafiori, a natural centre-back, effectively operated as a central midfielder during Arsenal’s first-half build-up. At one point, he popped up at No 10 to lay on a chance for Bukayo Saka.

“He has the capacity to occupy different spaces really comfortably. That’s why we signed him,” said Arteta, his comments calling to mind the words of Ben White, another centre-back-turned-full-back, during an interview at Arsenal’s training ground last season.

“Playing full-back the way he wants is, I think, completely different to any other manager,” White told Sky Sports about adapting to the role under Arteta. “To play full-back for him, you’ve got to be a centre mid, a centre-back, a winger, a No 10.”

It is to his credit that White has been able to adjust accordingly, becoming a key player for the Spaniard in the process. “It’s been about developing the whole of my game,” he added.

But the marauding Calafiori takes it to another level. “He is really brave,” added Arteta in his press conference on Tuesday night. “He doesn’t care, in any situation he wants the ball, he wants to make things happen with it and he is happy to play in different roles.”

That bravery is apparent off the ball as well as on it. “He goes for the tackles,” a grinning David Raya told Sky Sports when asked for his first impressions of the Italy international back in August. “He just goes for it. He would put his head in a washing machine.”

The challenge for Arteta is to hone his rawness without losing the maverick spirit that sets him apart, a process which is likely to continue against Southampton on Saturday given Arsenal’s injury list at full-back. Recent evidence suggests it will be fun to watch.

Player Radar: Who else to keep an eye on

Chelsea have a cohort of wingers to choose from but Nottingham Forest’s Callum Hudson-Odoi might have a point to prove against his boyhood club on Sunday. The 23-year-old, let go by Chelsea last year, has been excellent under Nuno Espirito Santo.

Live Radar: What’s on Sky this weekend?

Everton host Newcastle in the Saturday Night Football, live on Sky Sports Premier League and Main Event for a 5.30pm kick-off.

Man Utd head to Aston Villa on Super Sunday in need of a positive result to ease the pressure on Erik ten Hag, with coverage starting at 1pm ahead of the 2pm kick-off. The later game sees Brighton host Tottenham, kicking off at 4.30pm.

Read last week’s Radar

Dominic Solanke delivered his third goal in as many games after last week’s column examining his positive start at Tottenham. Youri Tielemans’ growing importance to Aston Villa was also covered, along with Omari Hutchinson’s off-the-ball work for Ipswich.