Jhon Arias was signed to help Wolves score and create goals, but data is now showing he is quite good at another aspect of football.
The winger just had his best game for the Old Gold against Tottenham, and it came as a big surprise he was left out of the recent Colombian squad.
That will be good news for Wolves, as Vitor Pereira can do more work with him on the training ground.
Arias has told Pereira he prefers to play outside on the wing, and the recent formation change should help facilitate that.
However, the start to the season has also highlighted an ability Arias has that you would not expect.
Jhon Arias surprisingly good defensively for Wolves
Wolves are often on the back foot, and that has seemed to showcase a talent that Jhon Arias has.
After three games into the season, Arias was fifth for tackles completed.
Now, the Colombian is among the top-ranked when it comes to successful defensive actions among attacking midfielders and wingers in the Premier League.
He is averaging just above eight per 90.
Interestingly, the graph in the post above plots Arias among central midfielders, perhaps showing he has not been deployed effectively this season.
However, Vitor Pereira has admitted he is starting to understand his new players better, stating via Wolves’ official website, “If we go to play together, and I don’t know you and you don’t know me, I don’t know if you are fast or if you are slow, I don’t know if you want the ball to feet or in the space, and I don’t know if you prefer to play outside or inside.”
“If I don’t have this connection with you, because I haven’t worked with you before, it’s difficult. But now they are in a moment where they can start to express themselves.”
- READ MORE: What Jhon Arias is currently thinking at Wolves amid surprise Flamengo transfer speculation
Wolves need to get Jhon Arias into better attacking positions
While the data is positive for Jhon Arias, it also shows that he is not getting involved in attacking play as much as you would like.
He is exerting a lot of energy into defending when that would be better used for offensive situations.
Vitor Pereira must find a way to reduce the defensive load of the 28-year-old and better profile him in the final third.
There is a quality player there, and it is just a matter of time and finding solutions before he starts to show it for the Old Gold on a more consistent basis.