Takehiro Tomiyasu: Player profile
Takehiro Tomiyasu joined Arsenal from Bologna for around 20 million pounds in the summer transfer window. Let us take a look at, what the Japanese youngster can add to the Arsenal backline.
Takehiro Tomiyasu is Versatile
Tomiyasu is a versatile defender. In his time at Bologna, the defender has appeared all across the defensive line. He has appeared at the right-back slot in 13 appearances last season and 16 times at the center of his team’s defense. Meanwhile, he has played left-back in two games.
Two-footedness
The 22-year-old is quite comfortable with both his feet.
The Japanese defender has attempted 1376 passes with his feet. Of which, he has played 909 passes with his strong right foot. Meanwhile, he has attempted 467 passes with his left foot.
He is good under pressure
The defender is good at passing under pressure, as his stats suggest he has completed 5 passes-per-game when coming under pressure. He is a decent ball carrier too. The player has attempted just less than a dribble every game while completing over 60% of his attempts.
Playing for an average Bologna side that finished twelfth in Serie A last campaign, Takehiro attempted and completed more passes in the team’s defense. He also was the most targeted defender for his teammates to play a pass.
The Japanese defender has had more touches in the midfield third, than in the defensive third and in the final third suggesting, his ability to circulate the ball in the middle of the park.
Arsenal’s defensive woes
Arsenal has a much better squad than Bologna and holds the ball much more in a game than the Italian side. However the North-London giants have been shipping in goals at an alarming rate, in recent games. The Gunners lost their final fixture before the international break, 5-0 to defending champions Manchester City. Although, Arsenal dropping down to 10 men, helped the blues cause.
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Arsenal is shipping most of their goals in transition, meaning the gunners are much more vulnerable when the opponents win the ball in the middle third or if Arsenal loses the ball in the opposition’s final third.
They lack solidity in the midfield to stop the counter-attacks. Although, injuries have depleted the squad’s strength in that part of the field.
What does Tomiyashu add to the team?
Tomiyashu is a confident ball-playing defender. He can bring the ball out himself although he chooses not to and prefers safe passes in the defensive third of the field.
The Japanese youngster has played more progressive passes than any of his Arsenal counterparts in defense. Meanwhile, his key passes numbers are also high along with the new signing, Ben White.
He played the whole of the 2020-21 season without committing a mistake that led to an opponent’s shot. Despite, the fact he played for a team that conceded 65 goals in the league last year.
The player has also stopped transitions from opposition once in every game he had played. That number can certainly increase with the hyper-possession style of Arteta. As previously mentioned, the primary reason for Arsenal’s woes in defending is a failure in controlling opponents’ transition play.
Tomiyashu’s assured presence can enable Arteta to play the system he prefers to play at Arsenal. Arteta always wanted his team to play in a hyper attacking 4-3-3, fielding two attacking 8’s close to the striker. Tomiyashu’s arrival can allow Arteta to do just that. The Japanese defender is assured on the ball and circulates passes in short distances very well.
Most of his attempted passes last season were over a short distance.
On the left-hand side of the defense, Kieran Tierney is also very assured on the ball.
Are inverted full-backs a possibility?
We might see a shift in tactics from Arteta resembling, 17/18 Manchester City. The team Arteta helped to a league title that season as the assistant manager. Manchester city used, Kyle Walker and Fabian Delph ( make-shift left-back ) as inverted full-backs that season very effectively.
The use of inverted full-backs can solidify Arsenal’s central region during transitions. The use of Takehiro Tomiyasu as an inverted full-back can improve Arsenal’s defensive situation.
All stats are taken from fbref.com and whoscored.com
