Is Swansea's Sigurdsson the Premier League's most underrated creator?
Since Paul Clement took over as manager of Swansea City, the club has benefitted tremendously. They have won 15 points from the eight games he has taken charge of, with the nine points dropped coming at Arsenal, Manchester City and Chelsea’s expense. New signings Martin Olsson and Tom Carroll have slotted in seamlessly, while early indications suggest Luciano Narsingh will make for an astute capture following his arrival from PSV.
With a clear gameplan in place, the Swans are all the better for Clement’s arrival, especially with the club destined for relegation under Bob Bradley and lacking direction with Francesco Guidolin at the helm. Now, with the team set up in a 4-3-3 formation, Swansea are tough to break down, yet a return to their old system has also benefitted their better players. A midfield three of Carroll, Jack Cork and Leroy Fer plays to the trio’s strengths, while a natural winger in the front three also lets Swansea stretch the opposition.
The switch could well have minimised Gylfi Sigurdsson’s time on the pitch, with the Icelander a better performer when deployed in the middle, but on the left, he is thriving. It’s not an alien position for Sigurdsson, who started three games on the left wing prior to Clement’s appointment, but having featured in the role for seven of eight league games under the 44-year-old, Swansea are all the better for his deployment out wide. Here, Sigurdsson is granted a license to cut infield and use the space between the lines to maximise his creative qualities.
With Carroll allowed to push forward and Olsson overlapping from defence, the space Sigurdsson leaves when he does cut inside is then occupied to ensure Swansea aren’t overrun down their left. As such, this lessens the attacker's defensive duties and allows him to readily exert his talents in the final third. The south Wales side are the ones reaping the benefits from Clement’s demands and a willingness to allow Sigurdsson the chance to flex his creative muscles. No player has registered more assists than Sigurdsson (10) in Europe’s top five leagues this season, five of which have come with Clement at the helm, with each of those coming when he has started on the left wing.
What’s more is that only Kevin De Bruyne (14) has created more clear-cut goalscoring opportunities than Sigurdsson (9) in the Premier League this season, with his fine performances earning him a WhoScored rating of 7.28, better than any other Swansea player this term. While many focus on the exploits of the likes of De Bruyne, Christian Eriksen and Eden Hazard, to name three, Sigurdsson’s consistent attacking outings have unfairly gone without the same merit. Indeed, he’s been directly involved in more league goals (18) than any other midfielder this season, that return 6th of all Premier League players. It's all the more impressive when you consider Swansea have been battling relegation for most of the season.
Goals have come at a premium for Swansea and his output has been integral. They have only scored 35 times in the Premier League and Sigurdsson has been directly involved in 51.4% of those goals. Yet perhaps his strongest asset is his quality from set-piece situations. Only former West Ham ace Dimitri Payet (39) has played more key passes from dead balls than Sigurdsson (35) in England’s top tier this term, reinforcing a statistically calculated WhoScored strength of ‘taking set-pieces’. Considering the attacking personnel at Clement’s disposal, particularly from corners and free kicks, this is useful weapon in the club’s arsenal.
Indeed, the Sigurdsson to Llorente assist-to-goalscorer combination is the joint-best in the Premier League this season, two of which have been from set-piece situations. Sigurdsson has also provided two of Alfie Mawson's three league goals this term, both of which have also come from dead ball scenarios. What’s more, only West Brom (16) and West Ham (13) have scored more goals from set-piece situations than Swansea (12) in the Premier League this term, five of which have been courtesy of Sigurdsson, the joint-most in England’s top tier.
Considering Swansea are averaging just 43.9% possession under Clement, they need to be accurate when it comes to set-pieces situations, which Sigurdsson evidently excels in, having played more accurate corners into the box (40) than any other Premier League performer this season. With Sigurdsson (38) second to Zlatan Ibrahimovic (43) for shots on target, and his shot accuracy (45.8%) the fourth best of the 24 players to have 50 or more shots in the Premier League this season, he’s not afraid to test the opposition goalkeeper where possible.
He hardly disappointed prior to Clement’s appointment, but a change in system has seen Sigurdsson step his game up that bit more since the turn of the year. While he has not single handedly dragged Swansea away from the Premier League drop zone, his form has played a key role in their rise away from danger. A trip to Hull this weekend, while tough on paper, presents the club with the perfect opportunity to take a significant step towards safety. Only Crystal Palace (16) have conceded more goals from set-piece situations than Hull (14) in the Premier League this season and you can be sure that Sigurdsson has the means to exploit this weakness to the Tigers’ game and ensure the Swans secure a necessary three points at a relegation rivals’ expense.
