Bradley Barcola in action for Liverpool
Bradley Barcola in action for Liverpool
Liverpool spent a lot of money to bring Bradley Barcola to Anfield, but the French winger is by no means simply a luxury.
Signed for a guaranteed £106million, there are plenty of expectations on the former PSG man, and so far he has, at a minimum, kept pace with those.
His traits in the final third are clear, with his pace, dribbling ability and eye for goal making him a dangerous option against any team.
However, Barcola is also showing that he is willing to put in the hard work when his side does not have the ball.
And for Liverpool fans, that is often the key sign of a player that will endear himself to the supporters.
With one defensive stat, surprisingly putting him among the highest of his peers.
The defensive aspect of Bradley Barcola's game is key for Liverpool
Having forwards that will track back and win possession gives Liverpool another edge to their game, particularly when they are looking to press high and recover the ball quickly.
And Barcola has been providing that for the Reds since joining in the summer.
According to Data.MB, Barcola is not only an elite attacking weapon for the Anfield side, but he is producing exceptional numbers in one defensive area.
This season so far, Barcola is averaging 3.9 interceptions per 90, ranking him fourth among all Premier League wingers.
That ability to win the ball back, alongside his speed and acceleration, can make him one of the most dangerous wingers in the English top flight.
His speed has already been shown, with his 35.9 kilometres per hour the second quickest clocked this campaign.
Liverpool and rival Premier League fans will be awaiting him to produce more goal contributions, but those interception numbers are an underrated aspect of his game.
And that work rate will make it hard for Iraola to drop him.
How has Barcola been creatively for Liverpool?
Barcola has been excelling with his creativity at Liverpool so far, with three assists in the Premier League.
However, he could be doing a lot more, and that is a good sign.
Barcola is averaging just 1.39 chances created per game, placing him in the 49th percentile.
The fact that he has already recorded three assists despite creating relatively few opportunities suggests there is another level to his game still to come this season.