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The Super Eagles star put Real Madrid to the sword on Easter weekend, and is thriving within Quique Setien's system at Villarreal
“I’ve practised a lot for that goal,” he said in the post-match interview, and you could tell from the size of his grin and the gleam in his eye just how much Samuel Chukwueze enjoyed tearing Real Madrid and Nacho Fernandez limb from limb.
Two goals, an unmistakable involvement in another as Villarreal completed the double over the reigning Spanish and European champions. By any measure, a performance worthy of a Man of the Match gong by the 23-year-old who seems to have been stuck in a holding pattern for three years, waiting to arrive.
As it happens, the appointment of Quique Setien looks to have finally rung him in. The former Barcelona boss was appointed in early October, taking over from Unai Emery, and one of his first orders of business was installing Chukwueze, mostly a bit-part player under the previous regime, in the starting line-up. Since the Cantabrian’s first outing in the dugout against Athletic Club, Chukwueze has started every single league game – a vote of confidence if ever there was one.
It would be tempting to surmise then that all the Nigeria international needed all along was continuity and a shot of belief. Chukwueze is into double figures for both goals and assists for the first time in his career, and looks to be playing with a bit more freedom away from Emery’s control freakery. However, there is a little more nuance to it than that, most notably in the actions required of him both with and without the ball.
Whereas in Emery 4-4-2/4-2-3-1, Chukwueze was expected to drop and aid ball progression in addition to providing width, under Setien he plays more on the last line, with the licence to threaten opposing defences with his runs. In Setien’s 4-3-3, the full-backs have a greater responsibility when it comes to occupying the width in the middle third, and this allows the wide forwards to not only attack the half-spaces more frequently, but also take up more central positions as Chukwueze did for his first of the evening.
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22:01 - 08.04.2023
Chukwueze leads Villarreal to famous victory over Real Madrid
Super Eagles star Samuel Chukwueze's man-of-the-match performance powers Villarreal to victory as they complete a league double over Real Madrid.
It is a small recalibration, but the effect of it has been huge. By recognising his profile and concentrating his involvement in the final third, Setien has managed to mask some of Chukwueze’s weaknesses, especially around his decision-making and passing, while accentuating his strengths: movement, explosive speed and dribbling quality (only Vinicius Jr and Javi Galan have completed more dribbles in LaLiga this season) in one-on-one situations.
Understanding this goes some way toward answering the ubiquitous question of why his performances for Villarreal since Setien’s arrival have not translated to the international arena. Simply put, Nigeria boss Jose Peseiro is yet to reach the same realisation Setien has, and insists on using Chukwueze as a winger rather than as a forward. (There is a difference: a winger is more of a midfielder and therefore acts deeper.) While the 2015 under-17 world champion is a strong dribbler, that ability is best deployed by isolating the player against a direct opponent, especially in this particular instance where link-up play is far from the player’s strong suit.
At the risk of a tenuous comparison, it would be like playing a 4-4-2 and using Mohamed Salah on the right, versus his role in a 4-3-3. It would be a complete waste, and we even have evidence of the inefficacy of this approach from earlier in this campaign when Liverpool used the Egypt international wider and deeper than previously, to their detriment.
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It is no coincidence that his best performances for Nigeria came in mid to late 2019 under erstwhile boss Gernot Rohr, when he was instructed to attack the box, taking advantage of Victor Osimhen’s movement to make runs in behind. He is no Salah, and he may or may not ever be, but in Chukwueze’s case it is much the same: the closer he is to goal and the higher up he can play, the more his qualities shine.
Setien has figured that out, and Villarreal are the better for it. Surely, Peseiro is paying attention…?
The rise of Samuel Chukwueze continues with another dazzling Villarreal display
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