Max Dowman’s ball-carrying for Arsenal, Rio Ngumoha’s dribbling and Guglielmo Vicario’s problem feature in The Debrief | Football News

Welcome to The Debrief, a Sky Sports column in which Adam Bate uses a blend of data and opinion to reflect on some of the key stories from the latest Premier League matches. This week:

• Max Dowman’s progressive carries for Arsenal
• Rio Ngumoha’s successful dribbles for Liverpool
• Guglielmo Vicario’s expected-goals worry for Spurs

Dowman’s ball-carrying is key

Inside the stadium on Saturday evening, it felt like a season-defining moment. On the face of it, the second goal in Arsenal’s 2-0 win over Everton was superfluous, coming as it did with the final kick of the game. Tell that to the fans. Tell it to young Max Dowman.

The 16-year-old became the Premier League’s youngest goalscorer when he ran from his own half with Jordan Pickford stranded. Everton had been pushing for an equaliser and nerves were jangling so the release of emotion was cathartic for Arsenal.

But even beyond the emotions of a momentum-shifting day, particularly in light of Manchester City dropping points later in the evening, Dowman’s involvement was more than symbolic. His presence on the pitch helped provide the impetus for the first goal.

Mikel Arteta was rewarded for his positive change, withdrawing Martin Zubimendi and dropping Eberechi Eze into a deeper role. Dowman lifted the crowd but he changed the game as well as the mood with his more purposeful running at the Everton defence.

As one Arsenal supporter nearby screamed as the home side tried to force the winner, ‘Give it to Max!’ It summed up the feeling inside the stadium and there is a statistic that backs up just why the schoolboy is able to generate such sentiment among the crowd.

Dowman had a total of seven progressive carries in his brief cameo after coming on in the 74th minute. That was more than any other Arsenal attacking player in the entire match. Others were a little too slow in moving the ball forward and it was a problem.

Everton were allowed to get back into position behind the ball and it proved difficult to break down. Dowman changed that with his positivity. In doing so, he may just have changed everything for Arteta and Arsenal. A season-defining moment, indeed.

Ngumoha dribbling offers solution

Fellow teenager Rio Ngumoha provided a magical moment of his own when he netted that 100th-minute winner for Liverpool at Newcastle earlier this season when only 16 years old. His performance on his first Premier League start was eye-catching too.

Arne Slot has made Ngumoha wait to be involved from the beginning but an encouraging effort in the FA Cup win over Wolves earned him a place in the team with Liverpool factoring in a big Champions League tie against Galatasaray coming up in midweek.

Ngumoha, now 17, more than justified his inclusion. In fact, his total of seven successful dribbles was a high for the Premier League weekend. You need to go back over eight years to find the last time that a Liverpool player managed more than that in a game.

Indeed, Iliman Ndiaye and Jeremy Doku are the only players from any team to have had more successful dribbles in a Premier League game this season. Interestingly, neither man has had a 100 per cent success rate while doing so. Ngumoha has a special gift.

“You can’t stop that lad in a one-on-one,” said Jamie Carragher on Sky Sports. “He looks so sharp.” It was not just the dribbling. A threaded ball to Florian Wirtz cut Spurs apart in the second half. “Absolutely brilliant from Ngumoha again,” enthused Carragher.

As Carragher pointed out, Ngumoha provides some of the penetration that Liverpool have lacked this season. They can appear too passive at times, happy to recycle possession rather than really hurt teams. It cost them after he was substituted.

Slot is expected to revert to a more familiar line-up against Galatasaray but surely it is only a matter of time before he trusts his teenage sensation with more minutes. “Ngumoha is pushing not to just start but start important games,” said Carragher.

Vicario still a problem for Spurs

Ultimately, Guglielmo Vicario played his part in helping Tottenham to secure what could well prove to be a precious point at Anfield. A smart stop to deny Cody Gakpo and a save with his feet to keep out Mohamed Salah prevented Liverpool doubling their lead.

But it is understandable if Spurs supporters are unable to overlook the moment that left their side behind in the first place. Vicario’s lame attempt to keep out Dominik Szoboszlai’s first-half free-kick highlighted an issue that has haunted their season.

“Liverpool have a free-kick specialist but Tottenham don’t have a goalkeeping specialist,” said Carragher on co-commentary. “You have to save that. Awful.” It is the 11th goal that Vicario has conceded from outside the penalty box so far this season.

That is four more than any other goalkeeper in the Premier League and helps to explain why Vicario’s ‘goals prevented’ numbers are so alarming. This compares the goals let in to the number expected to be let in given the location of the shots on target faced.

Vicario ranks bottom on this metric, costing Spurs two goals more than even the next ‘keeper on the list and 10 goals more than the man at the other end of the spectrum. Even an average Premier League goalkeeper would have this Tottenham team out of trouble.

On the evidence of the past week, Spurs do not have that goalkeeper. Being in Spain to see Antonin Kinsky struggle so badly was quite the experience and Igor Tudor was understandably criticised for his handling of that situation against Atletico Madrid.

Some might try to argue that Vicario’s confidence was dented by being axed for that match. It would be a generous interpretation. The statistics appear to show this is why Tudor opted to drop him in the first place. Spurs still have a goalkeeper problem.