PSG have been dominant in Ligue 1 since their takeover. The team has signed some world-class players, including the likes of Lionel Messi, Neymar, and Kylian Mbappe. Not only these players but also some of the best young talents have been recruited by PSG. Their youth system has also strengthened and produced a few names who are destined to achieve greatness in football. One such player is 17-year-old midfield talent Warren Zaire-Emery.

The player was promoted to the first team in 2022 and is now a regular on the side. Luis Enrique is happy with the progress of the player and has given him a lot of chances. Zaire-Emery has also stepped up to the occasion at such a young age and delivered some great performances. Let’s take a look at the development of the player in his second season with the senior team.

Commanding the midfield 

PSG have played in six competitive games this season, and Warren Zaire-Emery has started in every match. His recent appearance came in PSG’s 2-0 dominating win at home to Borussia Dortmund.

The player can play as a defensive midfielder and also as a centre-mid. He likes to drift a bit towards the right side and has also shown the confidence to get into the opposition penalty box. The 17-year-old has taken 11 touches inside the box, with three coming in the recent encounter.

Warren Zaire-Emery looks very confident when he has the ball at his feet. The player has an accuracy rate of 92%. Zaire-Emery has been positive with his passing and has attempted a few passes into the final third and the opposition penalty box. He has 90% accuracy when it comes to passes to the final third. PSG likes to keep the ball and find a loophole in the opposition’s defence.

These are the passes attempted by the player to penetrate the opposition penalty box. The youngster has attempted eight passes into the opposition penalty box, and six have found a teammate. Most of these passes are directed from the right side. This shows that Zaire-Emery is building a connection with Ousmane Dembele, who plays on the right wing.

A midfielder also needs to defend the goal for his team. The 17-year-old has been decent when it comes to defence. He wins ground battles but struggles in the air. Zaire-Emery has contested 11 aerial duels and only has one success to his name. He has also given a penalty in this campaign. The player is young and still developing, and the manager will expect a talent like Zaire-Emery to improve his defensive skills.

Warren Zaire-Emery is surely one of the upcoming talents in world football. He is playing under an experienced manager, and this will be a massive boost to his career. At 17, he is a regular at PSG and will hope to play the full quota of games this season.

Visuals via TFA data viz engine

PSG was one of the busiest teams in the summer transfer window of 2023. They sold the likes of Neymar and Lionel Messi to change the setup of the team. Several other players were also sold to open the door for more transfer business to take place. The French champions were looking to boost their midfield and attack. One of the players who came in to make an impact was Spanish playmaker Marco Asensio.

Marco Asensio struggled to cement a regular spot in the team at Real Madrid. He was looking to leave the club and finally did so in 2023. The player has been impressive in the first few matches, and here is a look at some of the stats that show the reason behind this success.

Leading PSG’s line

PSG signed Goncalo Ramos and Randal Kolo Muani to strengthen their attack. However, Ramos has not been impressive in the first few matches, and Kolo Muani is out injured. Luis Enrique has been using Marco Asensio for the number 9 role in the team.

Asensio has performed decently in this role. He is quite accustomed to this role on the team. His touch map shows that the player likes to stretch the opposition’s defence by making runs. This allows players like Kylian Mbappe to take more central positions on occasion.

After a goalless draw in the first match against Lorient, the Spaniard was sitting on the bench for the next match. The manager recalled him for PSG’s encounter against Lens. They were last season’s runners-up but ended up on the losing side. PSG defeated Lens 3-1 in the encounter, and Asensio scored his first goal for the French club.

His second came in an impressive 4-1 win away at Lyon. The player has taken six shots in the league and managed to hit the target three times. His scoring positions have been a bit similar. Paris and Luis Enrique will expect more such goals from their Spanish playmaker.

Creative side

Marco Asensio has played with the likes of Toni Kross and Luka Modric at Real Madrid. His passing and creativity are what make him a top player in the world. The 27-year-old has a high accuracy rate of 89% in the current campaign. These include six passes to the opposition’s penalty box, and that too with a 100% accuracy rate. Asensio is a key figure in the attack and can also hold the ball in the attacking third.

His only assist of the season came against Lyon. The player has tried to link with his teammates, and one chance has been converted. Asensio will look to create more links with Mbappe and improve his assist tally.

Marco Asensio is a three-time UEFA Champions League winner and has the mentality to win silverware. PSG will be happy with his performances and hope that he adds more goals and assists to his game.

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PSG made a lot of changes to their squad in 2023. The departure of two great players, Lionel Messi and Neymar, opened the door for a few other signings. One of their biggest additions was Manuel Ugarte in midfield. The Uruguayan midfielder is just 22 years old and joins from Portuguese club Sporting CP.

The Ligue 1 champions are in search of a Champions League title. They have made some noticeable signings in recent years, and this time Ugarte comes in as one of the biggest. PSG have made a bad start to the league season. They were held in the first two matches and then finally registered a win in their last outing. Ugarte plays in the heart of the midfield, and here are some stats that show why PSG invested heavily in the player.

Manuel Ugarte is a defensive midfielder who plays in the heart of the midfield three. He featured in the first three matches of the season. PSG’s attacking play allows such players more time with the ball at their feet. By looking at the heatmap, we can observe that Ugarte has stayed inside the opposition’s half on most occasions and operated slightly higher than his usual position.

Recoveries in attacking zones

Ball distribution and creative skills

When it comes to progression with the ball, Ugarte covers a lot of ground. He is present everywhere on the field. In the last campaign, he made 37 progressive runs combined in the Portuguese League, Champions League, and Europa League. Most of these runs carried the ball into the opposition’s half to create a chance for teammates.

PSG have a completely new midfield this time. Some of these players were a part of this team but were not playing regularly. This season, Ugarte has started with Warren Zaire-Emery, Fabian Ruiz, and Vitinha. They will look to create a strong midfield partnership and strengthen the team.

Visuals via TFA data viz engine