Dazzling Davies: Bayern star emerging as shock candidate for Europe's best left-back

Alphonso Davies made a name for himself as a tricky winger, able to beat an opponent with ease. His final MLS season for Vancouver Whitecaps saw him light up the league as he scored eight and assisted nine to help return a WhoScored rating of 7.54. That return was enough to feature in the top 10 best rated players in the league in 2018, while his six man of the match awards ranked highly. 

129 successful dribbles was more than any other player in MLS and having shot to prominence at the age of 15 when he became the second youngster player in the history of the division behind Football Manager legend Freddy Adu, interest in the player was high. At 17, he secured his move to Bayern Munich. "As a kid, you dream about this moment and I'm happy it came through. Now it's time to continue working, I have to give everything to make the most of this opportunity," Davies said of his move to the Bundesliga powerhouse. 

Having joined for an initial fee of $13m, a figure that could eventually rise to $22m, that price looks a bargain with each passing week. While he made just a handful of cameo appearances in the second half of the 2018/19 Bundesliga season, injuries to core defensive personnel forced Davies into regular game time, perhaps sooner than the Bayern hierarchy will have liked. 

Davies, at his age, is a player who needs nurturing and to learn the ropes of the game before eventually establishing himself as a key player for such an illustrious side. And yet, Sunday's 0-0 draw with RB Leipzig marked his 13th league start of the season. Not only that, but every league and Champions League start Davies has made this term have come at left-back. 

Playing in a new league in something of a high-pressure environment at such a young age, and to do so out of position, may have negatively impacted a weak-minded individual. Davies, though, has taken everything in his stride. "If his development continues like this, he certainly has the potential to become one of the best in the world in his position," Bayern Munich reserve coach Sebastian Hoeness said of the Canada international recently. 

That said, there is an argument to be made that he should already be considered one of the best left-backs in world football. Of course, he has fierce competition for the tag, notably from Liverpool ace Andy Robertson, while Everton's Lucas Digne would feel he has every right to stake a claim for the mantle, but it's Davies, with a WhoScored rating of 7.53, who occupies the left-back spot in the European team of the season so far. Excluding his four sub appearances, that rises to 7.72. 

A return of 52 successful dribbles is the third best of all defenders in Europe's top five leagues this season, a metric led by Borussia Dortmund's Achraf Hakimi (54), so it's not as though Davies is struggling to keep up with those ahead of him in this particular statistic. And for a Bayern side that has developed a statistically calculated WhoScored style of play of 'attacking down the left', it's a key trait that allows FC Hollywood to tear teams to shreds down the left. 

While Bayern were unable to extend their lead atop the Bundesliga on Sunday, Davies gave key examples of this weapon in his arsenal against RB Leipzig as he enjoyed plenty of success in the opening 20 minutes, before Julian Nagelsmann tinkered his tactics to help combat the threat the Canadian presented. With a little more composure and had his teammates been able to keep up with the left-back, then it's likely Davies would've added to his three league assists this season, though for a player as rapid as the teenager, that is easier said than done. 

It's clear proof, though, that Davies' experiences as a winger in MLS has helped mould his immense ability with the ball at his feet as he is able to ghost past opponents having mustered a solid dribble success rate of 65%. There is room for improvement, but Davies affords Bayern an additional attacking threat down their left, which is of particular importance given the wingers that have been deployed on the left flank this season favour an approach that sees them cut infield rather than get to the byline. 

As such, this opens up space for Davies to overlap and get into these advanced areas to aid Bayern's nigh-on unstoppable attack, with Sunday's goalless stalemate marking the first time they have failed to score in a Bundesliga match this season, and just the second time in the last 48 games they have failed to score in a league outing, the other, incidentally, in that run also a 0-0 draw with RB Leipzig. 

Off the ball, meanwhile, Davies has proven that his defensive qualities are very much up to scratch. Having chipped in with 2.9 tackles and 1.3 interceptions per 90 in the Bundesliga this season, he is an adept individual at winning the ball for the good of the team, while is reading of the game allows for the player to instigate attacks on his on accord, with both returns reinforcing statistically calculated WhoScored strengths of 'tackling' and 'defensive contribution'.  

For a team of Bayern's stature, they are rarely tested by opponents having had the most possession (63.1%), shipped the joint-fewest goals (23) and conceded the fewest shots per game (9.5) in the Bundesliga this season, but Davies has the concentration aspect to his game nailed down, a quality that belies his tender years, and ensures the Bavarian powerhouse are more than capable of maintaining their dominance over their German counterparts. 

Given how injuries in the Bayern defence effectively forced him to redevelop his game, Davies has taken to a positional change like a duck to water and it's now only fair he be mentioned in discussions surrounding football's best left-back.