Manchester United midfielder Casemiro has been criticized for his performance this season, but Opta’s data offers a broader perspective.
Despite being dribbled past 52 times, Casemiro is not the most bypassed player in the Premier League; that dubious honor goes to Brentford’s Mathias Jensen, with 69 instances.
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Top players like Liverpool’s Alexis Mac Allister and Manchester United’s Bruno Fernandes have also been outmaneuvered more frequently, with 62 and 57 times, respectively. Comparatively, Liverpool’s Trent Alexander-Arnold and Tottenham’s Pedro Porro each have been dribbled past 53 times.
Here’s a breakdown of the top ten:
- Mathias Jensen (Brentford): 69 times in 30 starts
- Alexis Mac Allister (Liverpool): 62 times in 31 starts
- Bruno Fernandes (Manchester United): 57 times in 33 starts
- Antonee Robinson (Fulham): 56 times in 35 starts
- Pedro Porro (Tottenham): 54 times in 32 starts
- Christian Norgaard (Brentford): 53 times in 29 starts
- Trent Alexander-Arnold (Liverpool): 53 times in 26 starts
- Joao Gomes (Wolves): 53 times in 32 starts
- Casemiro (Manchester United): 52 times in 22 starts
- Joao Palhinha (Fulham): 47 times in 31 starts
Casemiro’s fewer starts — 22 compared to others — highlight his limited opportunities to defend these statistics. Despite this season’s struggles, the data shows his challenges may stem more from adapting to manager Erik ten Hag’s tactics rather than a decline in his abilities.
Remembering Zagallo
Sambafoot Series launched a new documentary about the football legend Zagallo. Known as ‘Velho Lobo‘ and as superstitious as it gets, Zagallo helped shape what Brazilian football is nowadays — as a player and as a coach.
Binge the first four episodes available on Sambafoot’s Youtube channel. Stay tuned for upcoming releases as we keep telling this legend’s life story.
