Tottenham Hotspur will be without their leader Son Heung-min as the South Korean is heading to represent his nation in the AFC Asian Cup. This will be a worrying sign for Ange Postecoglou as Son could be out for around a period of one month. Spurs are already short in numbers after injuries to some of the first-team players. They might sign a few replacements in the winter but need the other players to step up their game.
Ange Postecoglou’s side has grown from strength to strength and delivered results. One player who has been a standout this season is their Spanish full-back Pedro Porro. His arrival at Tottenham Hotspur has seen a positive change. The player is a creative force and delivered some big performances. As Son is set to leave for the upcoming tournament, here is a look at what this full-back could add to this Spurs side.
Attack-minded full-back
Spurs and Porro like to stay on the front foot. Postecoglou’s side plays a high line and his full-backs are often found in the attacking half. The above viz shows the percentile rank of the player in comparison with other right-backs in Tier 1 of league football. Porro is highly rated for his positioning on the field and also has a high percentile rank in the attacking and possession department.
In the current season, the player averages nearly a progressive run per 90 minutes. The 24-year-old likes to run down the flank and has a 55.7% dribble success rate. Whenever Porro takes on a defender on the edge of the box, he has managed to beat them on most occasions.
This visual evaluates a full-back’s ability to break opposition plays and regain possession. Effective full-backs will appear in the top right quadrant. Pedro Porro makes 8.8 recoveries per 90 minutes and 27% of these were made in the attacking half. In the English Premier League, Porro is one of the best in the business.
The full-back has been involved in making eight dangerous recoveries and 23 counter-pressing recoveries in the current season. Most of these were made in the final third of the opposition. This shows how threatening this full-back has been in the current season.
Attacking threat
Pedro Porro has taken over the set-piece responsibility for Tottenham Hotspur this season. He is delivering quality balls into the opposition’s penalty box and has six assists to his name in 18 English Premier League appearances.
The full-back averages 46 passes per 90 minutes and has a 78.8% accuracy rate. These include 3.4 passes to the opposition penalty box and lacks a bit of accuracy (47%) in delivering these passes. Most of the time Porro has found a runner inside the opposition box and that has led to goals. His crossing accuracy is a bit low but most passes have landed on the edge of the six-yard box.
Overall, Pedro Porro has carried his side in some matches and his attacking threat makes him a top-quality defender. Ange will hope that he delivers more and helps his side during this tough period.
Visuals via TFA data viz engine
