Madueke or Saka, Arsenal dilemma?

Well, Arsenal held at home by Man City in a curious game... curiouser and curiouser (is that a real word?) as it went on. Madueke and Saka sharing a half each. Same for Merino and Eze. Man City parking the bus to try and win with their 9th minute goal. How un- Man City like. What's got into Pep?

But lets take a closer look at two Arsenal players in particular.

Madueke arriving at Arsenal in the summer tranfser window was not well received by all of the fans, but he is potentially looking like a good buy. Saka has had his injuries over the past 12 months. I thought Madueke was a little hard done by getting replaced at half time, because on the face of it he played well and caused City some problems. But who performed statistically better for the 45 minutes of game time each had?

Lets take a look. Using the Aonorak FC Statistcal Ratings (ASR) system Saka came out well ahead. The ASR takes both of the players' full match stats, puts them into context in terms of how the game developed while each player was on the field and then spits out the rating.

I was surprised that Saka came out so far ahead. But the bottom line is (and I know Saka was only one of the 5 second half substitues used), when he came on Arsenal were 0-1. By the end of the game they were 1-1. Can't take anything away from Martinelli's equaliser, classy finish, but he only came on with 18 minutes to go (including added on time) and City had already been forced into a defensive posture.

The breakdown:

Noni Madueke: 48/100

Critical Context: Arsenal were losing 1-0 during his 45 minutes on the pitch. A 45.5% pass completion when the team needed ball retention and control was particularly costly. Failed to effectively provide the potent attacking threat needed when Arsenal were chasing the game at 0-1. Stats say he was below the standard required for this level against elite opposition

Bukayo Saka: 85/100

Game-Changing Context: Arsenal equalized during his 45 minutes. Tactical impact - his introduction coincided with Arsenal's revival. His 82.8% pass accuracy helped Arsenal gain control and build attacking momentum. 4 shot-creating actions in a half where Arsenal scored points at a direct contribution to the turnaround. Perfect take-ons and progressive play helped Arsenal shift the match dynamics. A substitute performance that directly influenced the match outcome. Performance level befitting a top player in a crucial game against elite opposition

Key Differentiators Summary:

Madueke: Arsenal conceded and fell behind 1-0 during his 45 minutes

Saka: Arsenal equalized 1-1 during his 45 minutes, transforming the match outcome

Madueke: 45.5% pass completion - constantly gave away possession when Arsenal needed control

Saka: 82.8% pass completion - provided stability and helped Arsenal gain territorial advantage

Madueke: 0 shot-creating actions when Arsenal desperately needed attacking spark while trailing

Saka: 4 shot-creating actions in the half Arsenal scored - directly contributed to the comeback via applied pressure

Madueke: Failed both take-on attempts, limited progressive play (169 yards passing)

Saka: Perfect 2/2 take-ons, nearly double the passing distance (450 yards), more progressive carries

Madueke: Performance necessitated substitution as Arsenal needed new momentum

Saka: Immediate game-changing impact as substitute, helping shift match dynamics

Madueke: Visually it looked like he did, but statistically he didn't effectively deal with Manchester City's intensity and press

Saka: Thrived under pressure, maintaining composure against elite opposition when stakes were at the highest

What do you think? Want more? Eze and Merino comparison? - what was Eze’s second half influence like apart from the killer assist?

Stats provided by FBref