We have chosen this position because it is one of the most challenging for players. Many midfielders are tasked with duties at both ends of the pitch.
It is a recent topic, but the level of a team is often shaped by the level of its key midfield players. It is not surprising, therefore, that Real Madrid and Manchester City are far more vulnerable now that they can no longer rely on their two main midfielders: Toni Kroos and Rodri Hernández.
We have seen how Real Madrid, even after adding a world star in Mbappé, are struggling to control the tempo of games and stop matches becoming a back-and-forth battle without the German.
Deprived of Rodri, Manchester City struggle twice over: they generate more xG but arrive less frequently in the box, they also defend worse and receive more danger and, importantly for Guardiola, they are increasingly more vertical and less controlled and precise.
We would say that these two players are the on-field coaches. Although the profiles in this list are not exactly the same as those two players, we have selected some midfielders who for one reason or another have an effect on the performance of their teams.
In terms of overall positive impact we can talk about two Spanish LaLiga players: Mikel Jaureguizar and Damián Rodríguez.
In the Basque's case we notice how him playing impacts Athletic. On average the data indicates that Los Leones create higher xG numbers when Jaureguizar is on the pitch, shoot more often and advance into the the opposition box with greater regularity. In the defensive aspect we note an increase in intensity. Jaureguizar is a highly energetic player, enabling Athletic to force turnovers and, on average, limiting opponents to two fewer passes per defensive action. When Jaureguizar is absent, Athletic allows opponents a PPDA of 17.63 passes.
In terms of style metrics, Jaureguizar's Athletic is a more vertical team. In contrast, Celta Vigo are a more cerebral team with Damián Rodríguez on the pitch. The midfielder from Ponteareas provides Celta with a significant degree of press resistance, facilitating precision in their attacking plays.
However, their defensive numbers are not good. With Damián on the pitch Celta concedes 2.03 non-penalty goals per game. If Celta were looking for someone to partner Damián in Claudio Giráldez's double pivot, data suggest he should be accompanied by someone far stronger defensively.
There are two further examples within the Premier League, albeit of players with more specific characteristics. Pape Sarr and Enzo Fernández often find themselves playing in the same position, but with clearly differentiated roles.
Postecoglou has always spoken highly of the Senegalese, but Sarr had barely played in the 2024/25 season. The Greek-Australian coach called him up for the games against Manchester City in the Carabao Cup and Aston Villa in the league. Sarr worked perfectly as a '6' against City and as a pressing '8' against Villa. He ended the week with one goal scored and playing a key role in Solanke's brace against Villa.
His inclusion in the Spurs starting eleven is not based on the attacking posibilities he brings to the team, but rather on the defensive security he provides. He provides support on wide areas, closes down the space in front of the box, and has long legs to impose himself in transitional moments. With Sarr, Tottenham are less vertical and more in control of games.
At the age of 22, there is still scope for improvement in terms of his contribution to the team, particularly in regards to his passing variety. However, his energy and dynamism are of paramount importance to Tottenham, as evidenced by his performance metrics over the past two years.
The latest case study is that of Enzo Fernández, the Argentinian who has recently been demoted from the starting eleven of Maresca, who has stated that he prefers the physicality offered by Caicedo and Lavia.
In the context of Chelsea Football Club during the interwar period, Enzo Fernández's statistics should be viewed with a degree of skepticism. He is undoubtedly a player with significant potential, but his performance has not always reflected this. His ability to execute long passes to find teammates and filter passes enables Chelsea to advance more frequently and adopt a more vertical playing style with ease. However, these passes are more challenging to execute and result in lower pass success rates.
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