You name it, Moussa Diaby can do it. He is one of the few wingers in world football who is a goal threat from every angle thanks to his top class ball striking on BOTH feet.
He's the perfect qualitative & stylistic profile for Arteta's Arsenal & alternative to Raphinha.
THREAD!
He's the perfect qualitative & stylistic profile for Arteta's Arsenal & alternative to Raphinha.
THREAD!
Moussa Diaby is a top, top player. There's no doubt about that. He is a top class ball striker and one of the few left-footed right wingers in the world who also strikes through the ball with his right foot as well as his left foot. This means he's a goal threat from everywhere.
There's few wingers in world football who are a goal threat from every possible angle on the pitch thanks to their ability to strike through the ball on either foot. Sadio Mané, Heung-min Son, and Serge Gnabry are the three standout names.
They're sharpshooters from everywhere.
They're sharpshooters from everywhere.
There's also guys like Bukayo Saka who can effectively beat his man on the side where his weakest foot is and subsequently create or score when using it but he has yet to develop the venom that the aforementioned names have. Moussa Diaby, however, has.
He has venom in both feet
He has venom in both feet
Another thing that's easily noticeable with Diaby is his speed. He's lightening quick so naturally has the ability to beat players using his speed by lulling the defender into a false sense of security by slowing down before exploding past them.
He's excellent in 1v1 situations.
He's excellent in 1v1 situations.
Thing is, it's not like Diaby is a kick and rush dribbler ala Adama Traore. He's left footed so when he receives on the right wing he largely collects the ball in a creative and flexible type posture ala Saka, Raphinha, and Mahrez. The guy is capable of dictating attacks too.
Profile wise, Diaby is direct but also looks to combine with those around him. He's like Mané in the sense that most of his on & off ball actions are direct but combines with short passing too. He also mixes up running in behind centrally & hanging wide to receive just like Mané.
That mix of directness and patience in possession is ideal as it suggests he is a transitional and penetrative threat with his directness but also a playmaking and patient, probing type of threat with his short passing game.
From the left, he becomes a little bit more direct.
From the left, he becomes a little bit more direct.
As Diaby is naturally left footed it's more comfortable for him to cut inside on to his left foot from the right wing and dictate attacks that way.
On the left he's not *as* comfortable cutting inside onto his weaker right foot so becomes more of a 'combine & cross' type winger.
On the left he's not *as* comfortable cutting inside onto his weaker right foot so becomes more of a 'combine & cross' type winger.
However, that's totally natural for a left-footed player on the left wing. Their profile naturally changes as they can't cut inside and dictate attacks or attack the goal as easily on their left foot.
The same happens to Raphinha, Saka, Bale or any left footer on the left wing.
The same happens to Raphinha, Saka, Bale or any left footer on the left wing.
That's why most elite level right wingers are left footed - because the angles in which they operate in are simply closer to goal. However, left footers are still very useful on the left wing if they have the ability to dribble in tight spaces.
Think of Bale against Inter Milan.
Think of Bale against Inter Milan.
Think of his diminutive dribbling style which enabled him to weave in & out of defenders & come towards the goal with his left foot. Think of his ability to cut across the ball to strike the ball as he carries the ball from deep & takes on his man on the outside.
Diaby can too.
Diaby can too.
Diaby can dribble infield from the left, particularly from central areas, or bob and weave his way in and out of defenders ala Saka from the left wing. He has incredibly quick feet in tight spaces, can operate and receive at all angles, & receive centrally with his back to goal
Not only does Diaby have the incredible ability to do that from the left wing, but as I said he also can receive centrally with his back to goal i.e. in between the lines. This guy is a threat from everywhere in the final third thanks to that.
Left wing, right wing, #10 area.
Left wing, right wing, #10 area.
He also rides tackles and has superb balance thanks to A) his fantastic close control dribbling, B) ability to fluidly turn in every direction, and C) low centre of gravity. Diaby is only 5'7 and this is largely why he's so comfortable operating at every possible angle.
So we're looking at a player who strikes through the ball on either foot, can dictate attacks by hanging wide, play on both wings to a top standard, attack the box to score goals, be an outlet with his pace/transitional qualities, receive between the lines, & dust his man in 1v1s
That's the description of a perfect winger. That's the description of Sadio Mané, one of the best wingers over the last decade. That's the description of Moussa Diaby.
Now, before we get carried away & discuss how he fits in at Arsenal, we must consider his psychological profile
Now, before we get carried away & discuss how he fits in at Arsenal, we must consider his psychological profile
Diaby may be similar to Mané in a number of ways and is essentially a left-footed version of him but what made Mané so good was his aggression, selflessness, relentless work rate, and will win to win. Arteta has placed massive emphasis on bringing good characters in to his team.
As such, a rigorous check of his character needs to be conducted. Nicolas Pépé is a player who profiled as potentially top class but we all know how that turned out, and that's because his mental profile wasn't in check. Arteta won't make the same mistake - they must assess that.
If Diaby has the necessary psychological qualities, he will be a world class footballer for the next decade, there's no doubt in my mind about that.
So, how does Diaby fit in at Arsenal? Well, just like Raphinha, he can dictate attacks from the right and be direct on the left.
So, how does Diaby fit in at Arsenal? Well, just like Raphinha, he can dictate attacks from the right and be direct on the left.
Diaby & Raphinha are quite similar in terms of profiles in the sense that they're both left footed, capable of playing on either wing, & have similar qualities. What made Raphinha a 'sure thing' was his PL experience, suitability, but also his mentality. He is aggressive as hell.
That isn't so sure with Diaby because he plays in the Bundesliga so in-depth analysis will be required to find out if he possesses the necessary mental qualities.
However, if he does, he has even *MORE* potential to succeed than Raphinha does because of his right-footed threat.
However, if he does, he has even *MORE* potential to succeed than Raphinha does because of his right-footed threat.
Raphinha is quite one-footed and doesn't possess the same level of ball striking that Diaby does on his weaker foot thus making his goal and creative threat weaker on both sides. This is a minor criticism of a top player in Raphinha, but it's still a difference between the pair.
Either way, at Arsenal, Diaby would fit in superbly, just like Raphinha would. Arteta creates isolations for his right winger to use 1v1 situations & dictate attacks along with creating overloads & combination-based creativity on the left wing.
Diaby excels in both environments.
Diaby excels in both environments.
Arsenal badly need strength in depth in wide areas to maintain team dynamics once a Saka or a Martinelli are unavailable, & Diaby is the perfect fit thanks to his special quality & suitability profile wise to play on either flank.
If his mental profile checks out, he's the man.
If his mental profile checks out, he's the man.
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