Slavia won 5-0 at Jablonec over the weekend, and two names caught the eye: Teenager Mubarak Suleiman and 22-year-old Emmanuel Ayaosi.
Both played a part in the demolition, both received high Flashscore ratings and, on closer inspection, both rank among the most dangerous players in the Chance Liga. Will Jindrich Trpisovsky back them again on Wednesday against Arsenal?
The North Bohemians had barely experienced what it was like to shut out an English team in Europe before – a 0-0 draw with Brighton – just a few days later, they were on the receiving end of a hiding from the Czech champions. The Nigerian contingent, dubbed the ‘Nigeria wingers’ by coach Trpisovsky, played a major role.
Suleiman played 83 minutes at Strelnice, producing his best performance of the current Chance Liga season. He had five shots and seven touches in the opposition penalty area, more than any other player on the pitch.
He scored twice, added an assist and created one big chance. His rating of 9.5 is the third-highest rating recorded by a midfielder or forward this season.
Both of his goals were, judging by the numbers, primarily the work of a clinical finisher. The first had an xG of 0.23, which he raised to 0.93 xGOT with his finish; the second had an xG of 0.26 and 0.96 xGOT. The chances were already fairly good, but Suleiman turned them into almost certain goals.
His total xG for the evening reached 0.69, compared with a season average of 0.27. He also had three shots on target, whereas his season average is 0.63. He contributed to the build-up as well as finishing, completing 10 accurate passes in the attacking third.
Over the long term, he ranks among the league’s best players. His average rating of 7.7 puts him second among 127 players in similar positions with at least 400 minutes played.
The other standout performer in Slavia’s shirt was Ayaosi, who played 76 minutes. His rating of 8.4 was a season high and well above his average of 7.36. It was the 28th-best performance by a midfielder or forward in the competition this season. He scored against Jablonec, added an assist and created a big chance.
His xA of 0.47 was the second-highest in the entire match, while his season average of 0.20 is already a very good figure (see the graph below). He completed 10 accurate passes in the attacking third, played two key passes and completed all three of his dribbles.
It is also notable that he reached the ball in the penalty area just once, compared with a season average of 5.25 touches.
Season data shows Ayaosi is among the players who threaten opponents’ penalty areas most in the league. His 63 touches in the opposition penalty area rank first, his 26 successful dribbles rank second, and his total of 2.42 expected assists rank sixth. His season rating of 7.36 is good enough for seventh place.
It appears that the main difference between him and Suleiman lies in their roles. His younger teammate is primarily a finisher, while Ayaosi is a creator and dribbler. That combination makes Slavia a difficult side to handle in attack.
Both players also come with warning signs. Ayaosi gives the ball away fairly often, with 51 turnovers, and has already made two errors leading to an opponent’s shot. That is the second-worst figure among the players in his comparison.
Suleiman, meanwhile, will have to prove that his form is not a flash in the pan. He has scored three goals this year from an xG of 2.17, meaning he is slightly outperforming expectations. It is still too small a sample to draw major conclusions, however.
The question is whether Suleiman can confirm his status as an elite finisher in matches where he has less space in the penalty area.
If he can, Slavia will have an attacking duo capable of opening up entirely new horizons for the club. Perhaps in European competition too.