May 10 – Tottenham Hotspur striker Son Heung Min is the top defensive attacker in world football according to a ranking by the CIES Football Observatory, using data from its partners Wyscout and SkillCorner.
The study ranks attackers from 30 leagues around the world according to the amount of defensive work performed, measured using an index taking into account the distance covered at high speed (>25 km/h) in the defensive phase and the number of times pressure is exerted on opponents without physical or ball contact.
Tottenham are the only team in world football to feature two attackers inside the top ten, with Richarlison coming sixth in the ranking. The duo are also the only players from the big five European leagues to feature in the top ten bracket.
The ranking bears out Spurs’ manager Ange Postecoglou’s pressing philosophy since joining the club last summer, with his strike force occupying two of the four Premier League entries into the top fifty of the list beside Luton’s Elijah Adebayo and Newcastle’s Antony Gordon.
Scoring high may well not be a good thing, though, as many elite sides don’t even feature once on the list.
Notable absentees include treble winners Manchester City, invincible Bayer Leverkusen and all four semi finalists of the UCL: PSG, Real Madrid, Borussia Dortmund and FC Bayern.
Spurs have collected zero points in their last four games, conceding 13 goals in the process.
To see the full ranking, click here.
Contact the writer of this story, Harry Ewing, at moc.l1734897406labto1734897406ofdlr1734897406owedi1734897406sni@g1734897406niwe.1734897406yrrah1734897406