Arsenal star is the Premier League’s best in tight spaces | OneFootball

Bukayo Saka is the Premier League’s best player at creating value from carries in tight spaces, according to analysis by Hudl Statsbomb.

Photo by Justin Setterfield/Getty Images

Hudl Statsbomb have released analysis into the value each player creates from dribbles and carries in the Premier League in 2024/25, with Bukayo Saka featuring right near the top of the list.

Only Savio and Jeremy Doku of Manchester City create more “On-Ball Value” from dribbles and carries per 90 minutes, but neither of them can match Saka in tight spaces.

When ranked in terms of the value produced from carries starting in less than three yards of space, no one comes out better than Saka. Doku and Liverpool’s Luis Diaz are the next closest, with Savio much further down in 10th on the list.

Photo by Alex Pantling/Getty Images

What this suggests is that targeting someone like Savio with tight pressing significantly reduces how effective he can be, dropping him nine places in the rankings. The same approach should have much less of an impact on someone like Saka.

Other players who drop off quite significantly include Tottenham Hotspur’s Son Heung-Min, Manchester United’s Amad Diallo, and Arsenal’s Gabriel Martinelli.

The trio all feature among the top 20 for value created by dribbles and carries, but move down the rankings when the focus is on carries in tight spaces.

Photo by Angel Martinez/Getty Images

Perhaps that’s something Arsenal could look to address tactically, finding ways to create more space for Martinelli, as he’s clearly not as well suited to operating in tight spaces as Saka on the other side.

Longer term, the Gunners could also look to the transfer market, with the expectation that they’ll try to sign a wide forward this summer.

But in Saka, Arsenal clearly have a player who can excel regardless of how you try to stop him.