Tottenham discover secret weapon as Ange Postecoglou unlocks player 'better than Mohamed Salah'
It has been revealed which Tottenham Hotspur player has been more reliable in front of goal than Mohamed Salah when trailing in the Premier League this season. The 31-year-old forward has enjoyed a spectacular start to the campaign, firing Liverpool to the top of the English top flight.
Salah has featured 20 times in the Premier League this term, scoring 14 goals and providing eight assists. His impressive performances have proven integral to the Reds' title bid, with Manchester City, who have a game in hand, just five points adrift of first place.
However, while the Egypt international has prided himself as one of the most prolific players in the country, statistics have shown that his performance levels drop when Liverpool's back is against the wall – unlike a certain Spurs player, who has thrived when chasing a lead.
As pointed out by Aurel Nazmiu – a senior data scientist at TwentyFirst Group – on X, formerly known as Twitter, Bukayo Saka, Pedro Porro and Pablo Sarabia have been some of the most dangerous players in the Premier League this season when their side is chasing a lead.
Meanwhile, as shown in the graph above, Salah, Gabriel Jesus and Callum Wilson have tended to become less threatening in the final third when their side is losing. While the Liverpool winger remains a dangerous outlet, Porro has generated far more 'expected threat' (xT) when his team have needed an equaliser.
Expected threat is the change in the probability of scoring in different sectors of the pitch resulting from passes, ball-carrying and any other means of moving possession across the field. It highlights the quality of players who don't always find themselves directly contributing towards goals and rather their impact in possession
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