Arsenal: Emi Buendia & Odegaard statistical and tactical comparison

Emi Buendia Statistical Analysis for Arsenal

First impressions of Buendia are fairly straightforward: he scores goals and he makes assists. Boiling down the multitude of issues at Arsenal this season, they’ve lacked quite heavily in both those departments. The latter obviously a byproduct of the former.

In comparison to Odegaard, the 24-year-old is far more well-rounded. On the eye he’s a silky operator who near enough is given license to pick up the positions he feels he can be of most threat and then use the space in front to attack.

Aesthetically pleasing with his two-footedness, his ability to play inside or outside, in tight corridors or with open grass to cover mean he’s a relentless threat. Slotting into positions across the pitch, he’s someone you pay your ticket price to go see.

It’s impossible to look past his 15 goals and 16 assists in the Championship last season, a tally that helped him scoop the division’s Player of the Season award. His progressive passing is in the 77th percentile, xG from shot creation a wonderfully high 77th also, while his xG from ball progression is 68th percentile. Goal threat in both forms.

He takes more shots than Odegaard, has more key passes and gets into the box with greater frequency. The argument will always be that Buendia plays in the Championship (those stats are adjusted for Premier League standard), but even from two seasons ago his numbers stacked up in a dreadful Canaries side. He made 83 key passes that season (the fourth most in the division) and by April 2020 no player had completed 50+ tackles, 50+ chances created and 50+ take-ons completed.

It really was utterly astounding how he stayed at Carrow Road.

So, statistically, it’s plain to see the differences in the two. They excel in different departments, not to mention they both play in different positions: Odegaard is a No.10 who thrives in the right half space and Buendia is a right-winger who drifts infield and can attack centrally.

With two totally different playmakers in mind, what is the plan?

Continued…