Arouca are currently placed sixth in Liga Portugal 2022-23 and are having a successful campaign thus far. One of the players who has been a key contributor to the team is Morlaye Sylla. He is a versatile midfielder who can play in an advanced role but can also play defensively if necessary. The 24-year-old joined Arouca last summer from his home country of Guinea and has performed consistently in recent weeks. Sylla has a few goal contributions under his name that have helped his team secure some important results and retain a favourable position in the Liga Portugal standings. Below are some stats from the current season in order to access Morlaye Sylla’s contributions towards his team.
Morlaye Sylla has appeared 21 times in Liga Portugal this season, starting in 11 matches. He usually operates as the right attacking midfielder for Arouca. The above viz shows the percentile rank of the player’s stats compared to other attacking midfielders in Liga Portugal. It can be observed that Sylla has performed excellently in the possession department, with a high rank for passes per 90, accurate passes, and dangerous passes. The player also contributes well in defence, as highlighted by his top percentile rank for aerial duels won, positioning, and, defensive duels per 90. Meanwhile, Sylla has also proven important in attack with a few goal contributions this season.
Attacking contributions
Playing as an attacking midfielder, Morlaye Sylla has created a decent amount of scoring opportunities for his teammates. So far this season, he has provided four assists for Arouca in Liga Portugal, for a total xA value of 3.93. From the viz above, it can be observed that his shot assists have come in the form of crosses, progressive passes, and cutbacks. On average, the Guinean midfielder generates 1.57 shot assists per match and has also created six big chances thus far.
In addition to his ability to create chances for others, Sylla himself gets into scoring positions at times. The midfielder has scored one goal for Arouca in the league so far and has an xG value of 0.71. From the player’s shot map above, we can observe 20 attempted shots, with most of them coming from outside the penalty area through long-range efforts. The goal he scored came from quite a distance, highlighting his ability to shoot accurately from range. Currently, the Guinean takes 1.37 shots per match with 20% accuracy.
Morlaye Sylla possesses the ability to circulate possession and progress the ball forward. The above viz illustrates the midfielder’s ability to find progressive passes to the attacking areas. Most of his progressive passes are directed down the right flank, and quite a few have penetrated the penalty box as well. Currently, Sylla averages 37.1 passes per match with an accuracy of 82.5%. Among these passes, 5.61 are to the final third and 2.19 are to the penalty box on average. The midfielder also has a decent crossing ability and delivers 1.37 crosses per match (35% accuracy).
Defensive gameplay
The above viz represents the overall high regains made by Morlaye Sylla for Arouca in Liga Portugal 2022-23. It can be seen that the player makes a lot of movement into the final third to put pressure on the opposition. The midfielder has made 25 counter-pressing recoveries in the opposition half. Additionally, he has made 23 high regains and 11 dangerous recoveries that have led to shots. Overall, Sylla makes 7.12 recoveries per game, with 49% occurring in the opposing half.
The viz above shows Morlaye Sylla’s average defensive territory from the current season. He positions himself near the half-line and tries to contribute defensively in the middle of the park, as evidenced by the numerous defensive actions he performs. Sylla has given up a few fouls in the middle third and averages 1.51 fouls per match. On average, he contests 6.57 defensive duels and 1.57 aerial duels, with win rates of 52.1% and 56.5%, respectively. He puts pressure on the opposition’s midfield region and final third and also drops down into the defensive third to make defensive contributions. Overall, Sylla makes 3.9 interceptions per match, including a few inside his own box.
Since joining in the summer, Morlaye Sylla has become an important player for Arouca. He is a versatile midfielder with box-to-box qualities. He makes important contributions while moving forward in the attacking phase and also helps his team out of possession with a strong set of defensive attributes. Arouca will expect the same levels of performance from their Guinean players for the rest of the season as they look to make it a successful campaign by securing a high finish.
Visuals via TFA data viz engine
