By Nick Wright
Copyright skysports
Welcome to The Radar, a Sky Sports column in which Nick Wright uses a blend of data and opinion to shed light on need-to-know stories from up and down the Premier League. This week:
🔺 Mosquera filling Saliba’s boots at Arsenal💨 Doku bringing a new threat for Man City🔍 A player to keep an eye on this weekend
Mosquera’s instant impact
Arsenal host Manchester City on Super Sunday having kept four clean sheets in five games this season despite an injury to probably their best defender. No William Saliba? No problem. At least not anymore. Cristhian Mosquera is filling in impressively.
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At only £13m from Valencia, the 21-year-old already looks like one of the best value signings of the summer transfer window. That is certainly the feeling at Arsenal, where he is seen as having the potential to become one of Europe’s top defenders.
Mikel Arteta is grateful to have him. “Thank God we had Mosquera,” said the Arsenal manager after introducing him for the injured Saliba in the early stages against Liverpool last month.
His appearance in the narrow loss at Anfield was only his second for the club and his first in his natural berth at centre-back, having shown his versatility by coming on at right-back in their 5-0 win over Leeds. But his assured display set the tone for what has followed.
On his Champions League debut against Athletic Club on Tuesday, in another hostile opposition arena, Mosquera produced his best performance yet, showcasing, again, the physical, technical and tactical qualities that marked him out to his new club.
Saliba may return to contention against Manchester City. Had his injury occurred last season, Arsenal may well have patched him up and thrown him back in already, risking a further setback. But Mosquera’s impact has eliminated the temptation to rush him.
He has proved an able deputy, easing their dependence on the French international, helped by an immense level of experience for his age. Mosquera played more minutes than any other player under 21 in Europe’s top leagues in the last two seasons. It shows.
His instant impact is no surprise to his former colleagues. “He is a very professional guy with a great attitude towards learning,” a source who worked with him at Valencia tells Sky Sports. “He is resilient, he works hard, and he has his feet on the ground.”
That humility has been noted at Arsenal. “He is so willing to learn,” said Arteta. Mosquera is still getting to grips with English but the club’s Spanish-speaking contingent are helping him settle. He is seen as a polite and friendly addition to the group.
His signing was a collaborative effort but it was driven by sporting director Andrea Berta, who knew him from his time in Spain with Atletico Madrid. Mosquera’s contractual situation, entering the final year of his deal, helped Arsenal negotiate the modest fee.
Saliba’s injury has thrust him into the spotlight earlier than anticipated but, alongside Gabriel Magalhaes, he has played a big role in limiting Arsenal’s opponents to only seven shots on target and 1.24 expected goals against across their last four games.
Mosquera ranks second among Arsenal players for tackles and clearances in all competitions. A ground duel success rate of 71 per cent puts him behind only Gabriel. Even his aerial game, identified as an area for improvement on his arrival, has stood out.
His defensive solidity has helped ensure Dominik Szoboszlai’s stunning free-kick at Anfield remains the only goal Arsenal have conceded so far this season. Crucially, the young centre-back has been as impressive in possession as he has out of it.
Mosquera showcased improving distribution at Valencia but few could have anticipated such a high level of composure and quality on the ball this early in his Arsenal career. At 93.2 per cent, his passing accuracy rate is only fractionally below Saliba’s.
His efficiency is all the more impressive given how frequently he is playing the ball forward. Against Athletic Club, he had an invaluable role in building attacks, playing more than twice as many passes to Martin Zubimendi as any other Arsenal player.
At other times, he could be seen inviting pressure then threading the ball through the lines to Declan Rice and Mikel Merino in the No 8 positions, or the dangerous Noni Madueke on the right.
There is a willingness to play the difficult passes as well as the simple ones, in other words, and Mosquera’s precision can be seen in the fact that he boasts a higher forward passing success rate than any other Arsenal player this season at 82.1 per cent.
He has shown the ability to carry the ball out of defence too.
It could be seen against Athletic Club, with one notable example coming in the second half, when he stopped a cross from Adama Boiro in his own box, then accelerated upfield and found Jurrien Timber in a gap between two defenders to start a counter.
It has been a feature of his early domestic appearances as well. According to Opta, Mosquera ranks 17th among all Premier League players for carries per 90 minutes this term, and third, behind only Martin Odegaard and Ethan Nwaneri, among team-mates.
Arsenal will need him to continue in the same vein, on and off the ball, if he is called upon against Erling Haaland and Manchester City on Sunday. But he has already proved his quality and, having only turned 21 in June, the hope is that this is just the start.
His arrival has given Arsenal a short-term solution to an injury that might previously have derailed them. And in the longer-term, even though the club are hopeful of tying Saliba to a new contract, they have found a potential successor should he one day depart.
It is not bad going at only £13m.
Doku’s central threat
One of the players Arsenal’s defenders will be tasked with stopping on Sunday is Jeremy Doku. The winger is in outstanding form having scored a brilliant goal in Manchester City’s win over Napoli and provided two assists against Manchester United.
Doku’s one-on-one threat has been a feature of Manchester City’s play ever since his arrival in 2023 but it has been interesting to see him attacking opponents from different areas this season, popping up centrally instead of being confined to the left flank.
The explosive dribble which led to Phil Foden’s opener against Manchester United came after collecting the ball in the right half-space. He then set up the second, for Erling Haaland, from the left half-space. His superb solo goal on Thursday night came after dancing through Napoli’s defence from the edge of the D.
Arsenal’s full-backs have succeeded in nullifying Doku in previous encounters. He has not scored or assisted in three appearances against them. But recent evidence suggests that, this time, the responsibility will need to be shared by those in central areas.
Player Radar: Who else to keep an eye on
Newcastle boss Eddie Howe might privately regret his decision to bench new signing Nick Woltemade in their Champions League loss to Barcelona on Thursday. Expect the towering striker to come back into the side against Bournemouth, live on Sky Sports on Sunday, having scored on his debut against Wolves.
Live Radar: What’s on Sky this weekend?
Saturday brings a double header as Manchester United host Chelsea in a huge game for Ruben Amorim in the 5.30pm kick-off before Fulham’s meeting with Brentford at 8pm. Both games are live on Sky Sports Premier League and Main Event from 5pm.
On Super Sunday, Bournemouth vs Newcastle and Sunderland vs Aston Villa are both available to watch on Sky Sports at 2pm, with Arsenal then hosting Manchester City in the 4.30pm kick-off. Sunday’s coverage starts at 1pm on Sky Sports Premier League.
Read last week’s Radar column
Enzo Fernandez’s Frank Lampard-like attacking runs for Chelsea were the focus of the last column. Mohammed Kudus’ Spurs impact and Everton’s Jack Grealish-inspired style shift also featured.
Sky Sports showing 215 live Premier League games this season
Starting this season, Sky Sports’ Premier League coverage is increasing from 128 matches to at least 215 games exclusively live.
And 80 per cent of all televised Premier League games this season will be shown live on Sky Sports.
