Welcome to reportsky sports column Adam Bate We use a mix of data and opinion to reflect on some of the key stories from the latest Premier League matches. This week:
- Emery’s exclusive insight into Rogers’ role
- Statistics highlight Moyes’ Beto conundrum
- Cunha keys elusive as Fernandes is rewarded
Rogers between the Villa lines
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Highlights from Aston Villa’s 2-1 win over Tottenham
Finding space against Tottenham’s midfield is not easy. Morgan Rogers had just enough of a superb touch before slotting the ball into the net to set the stage for Aston Villa’s come-from-behind win over Spurs on Sunday.
The goal was Rodgers’ first of the season for Villa after a difficult start. He was even mocked by his own support team after finally completing a pass against Bologna. But Unai Emery stuck with him because he knows what he can do.
One statistic highlights this more clearly than the other. Genius IQ data allows us to see how many times a player can receive the ball between the lines. Rodgers has made 78 Premier League appearances so far this season.
This is the most of any player, and almost double that of the third player on the list. It’s a rare ability that helped him provide an assist to Doniel Malen in Villa’s previous win over Burnley and explains why Emery backed him to change his form.
When I spoke to Emery about this on Friday and showed him the data, he said: sky sports: “He is a number 10. Whether he plays inside or moves from outside to inside, that is his best position. When we signed him we watched him and figured out how he could help us.
“We use him a lot because as a No. 10 he is a player who can connect and link play and then use his physicality to get into the opposition box. He can improve by being a bit more clinical, finding the last pass better and scoring more goals.
“Last year he also achieved fantastic numbers here, 14 goals and 13 assists. Of course, this year he started off poorly, but he is getting better and I am sure he will continue to improve this year, because we need it.”
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Rodgers spoke publicly with Sky Sports about his struggles at the start of the season.
What was the message when Rogers was struggling? “Keep going,” Emery says. “If you work hard and you’re not cool and you’re not great, if you keep doing your job and working for your team, you have the potential to become great again.”
Rodgers’ goal against Spurs was certainly excellent and his impressive ability to continually find space between the lines means he is a player who continues to get the ball in dangerous areas. Then it was only a matter of time before things went back to their original form.
Moyes faces Beto’s challenge at Everton
Beto’s Everton Premier League career shot map highlights his extravagance
Whether the same can be said about Beto is another matter, but Everton’s striker has a world-class ability to create high-quality chances for himself. He is elite when it comes to seizing opportunities. Unfortunately the finish is inconsistent.
There was another reminder of this in Everton’s 2-0 loss to Manchester City last Saturday. David Moyes, watching the game at the Etihad Stadium, must have wondered whether the result would have been different if the striker had been replaced.
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Highlights of the Premier League match between Manchester City and Everton
“We had two good chances,” Moyes said in his post-match press conference. Both came Beto’s way. “I think the second game in which Beto didn’t score was onside. If it had been a VAR decision it would have been a goal,” the Everton manager added.
“I don’t know how many opportunities we will get when we come to Manchester City, but obviously the level of the team we have at the moment means we won’t get those opportunities, so we have to take them.” But this has been a long-standing problem for Beto.
Since arriving in the Premier League in the summer of 2023, he ranks sixth among all players in expected goals per 90 minutes, excluding penalties. This puts him just behind £115m worth of Alexander Issac and just above Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah.
The problem is that Beto has underperformed his expected goals by a wide margin than anyone else in the top 10. This is a slightly worse finisher than Darwin Nunez. The challenge for Moyes and Everton is whether they can get into that position when others can finish better.
A comparison with Tierno Barry suggests Villarreal’s £27m signing suggests otherwise. He gets far fewer opportunities. In fact, there are few players who can provide as much of a threat as Beto. But with just one goal this season, Moyes’ patience may be wearing thin.
There was a big call for Amorim at Anfield.
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Highlights of the Premier League match between Liverpool and Manchester United
It was great to see Ruben Amorim having one of his best days in English football. Not only did he win back-to-back Premier League games for the first time, but he also gave Manchester United back-to-back wins over the reigning champions for the first time since 1907.
All decisions were made by the Portuguese. Amorim later said at a press conference, “Every little thing was perfect.” “If you win, you’re really smart. The coach is amazing. If you lose, there’s something wrong with the coach.”
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Ruben Amorim says the win over Liverpool at Anfield was his biggest win.
His decision to use Matteus Cunha as a central striker, who was more inconspicuous than Benjamin Cesco, was certainly vindicated. “I think if we put Ben in, it will be easier for these types of centre-backs to control our attackers.” Cunha tested Liverpool’s defense in a variety of ways.
Twice in the closing stages of the game the Brazilian could be seen looking at the bench and clenching his fists as he performed exceptionally well for his team. His ball carrying and enjoyment of space proved to be key when Liverpool attacked.
But so was Amad Diallo, so was Bryan Mbeumo, and so was every defender. especially Sky Sports’ Best player Harry Maguire. But also a word about Bruno Fernandes’ delivery, whose expert volley provided the assist for Maguire’s winner.
It was his first assist of the Premier League season, and Fernandez recorded 52 assists in the competition overall. This figure is now higher than United’s Eric Cantona. Fernandes has been deployed much deeper under Amorim but has still created more than anyone else this season.
Bruno Fernandes has created the most chances since joining the Premier League.
In fact, his 22 chances this season are five more than the next player. Since making his Premier League debut for Manchester United in 2020, Fernandes has created 128 more chances than his closest rival, former Manchester City favorite Kevin De Bruyne.
Manchester United’s number 560 may be one of the most satisfying numbers for both Fernandes and Maguire. The pair were frequently criticized during this difficult period in the club’s history. Both men deserved this memorable moment at Anfield. Amorim is the best as a United coach.
