Left-footed central defenders have never been more appreciated.
A year-on-year increase in the number of teams who choose to play out short from the back, places extra demands on centre-backs to be comfortable in possession.
Finding press-resistant defenders who can make progressive passes out from the back has become a priority for many clubs and head coaches.
While this does not preclude a right-footer playing on the left, a lot of managers are specifically on the lookout for left-footers to provide balance and assurance in those situations.
As shown below there has been a steady and consistent rise in the number of passes executed inside a players’ own half of the pitch.
| Season | % of total passes in own half |
|---|---|
| 2022/2023 | 47.9% |
| 2021/2022 | 46.5% |
| 2020/2021 | 46.7% |
| 2019/2020 | 45.1% |
| 2018/2019 | 42.9% |
| 2017/2018 | 41.7% |
| 2016/2017 | 40.6% |
| 2015/2016 | 39.8% |
| 2014/2015 | 40.5% |
| 2013/2014 | 40.9% |
When you also factor in a rise in the use of attacking full backs, current central defenders (in a back four or three) are also being asked to shuffle across and defend wide areas on a more frequent basis.
For these reasons it is easy to understand why ball-playing centre backs who are very much at ease in the left back domain are so in-demand.
Here, Adrian Clarke takes a closer look at some of the success stories in this increasingly key position.
Benoit Badiashile (Chelsea)
Chelsea made several high-profile additions to their squad in January, but arguably their most impactful signing was 21-year-old Benoit Badiashile from Monaco.
The tall left-footer has made a seamless transition into Premier League football, barely putting a foot wrong in his seven starts.
He can perform well in a centre back pairing, but Graham Potter recently switched to a 3-4-3 shape with Badiashile on the left of a three.
In that position he adds terrific balance and is an outstanding passer who is unflustered by the opposition press.
Last time out in a 2-2 draw with Everton the defender found influential left wing back Ben Chilwell with 28 passes.
The angle of those curled left-footed passes allows a player like Chilwell to receive the ball on the run, without having to break stride or take a touch.
Left foot to left foot distribution down that side of the field speeds up transitions from defence to attack. The same applies with right-footers down the other side.
Badiashile to Chilwell v Everton
Chelsea’s defensive record has also improved markedly since Badiashile broke into the starting XI.
From his seven starts the Blues have conceded an average of 0.57 goals per game, compared to 1.2 goals per game in the other 20 contests.
Gabriel Magalhaes (Arsenal)
Gabriel has been outstanding for Premier League leaders Arsenal throughout 2022/23.
Due to Oleksandr Zinchenko’s hybrid role that sees him flit between left back and central midfield, the Brazilian needs to cover a lot of ground himself down the Gunners' left.
It is a task he has performed with relish.
Gabriel is nimble enough to defend with comfort out wide as an auxiliary left-back, and on the ball he has the confidence to knock forward passes into midfield.
This type of player would be an asset to any possession-heavy team.
It is why Manchester City, Manchester United and Chelsea have all strengthened their squads with left-footed central defenders in recent years.
Gabriel pass map v AFC Bournemouth
Gabriel’s distribution in the recent 3-2 victory against Bournemouth came from positions you would usually associate with a left sided midfielder.
Pushing the Cherries back, Mikel Arteta needed his centre-backs to join the build-up phase high up field.
As you can see, Gabriel knocked a stream of passes to his left, and the occasionally crossfield switch.
Being left-footed was a definite advantage that kept the ball moving at speed.
With no like-for-like player in their squad, Arsenal recruited Poland international Jakub Kiwior in January to be a stylistically similar back-up to Gabriel.
He is a player equally confident at left-back as he is in the centre.
Lisandro Martinez (Man Utd)
Erik ten Hag is another coach who wants his sides to assert control through quality possession.
While that tactical blueprint is at the development stage for United right now, it was no surprise one of his first new recruits at Old Trafford was a left-footed central defender.
World Cup winner Lisandro Martinez has the skillset to perform this role perfectly.
His ability to slide into the left-back space allows Luke Shaw to take up a more advanced position, safe in the knowledge he has strong cover behind him.
And the Argentinian has a superb passing range that helps him pick out Shaw or the wide man in front with him longer balls.
No outfield player at United makes more long passes than Martinez, who will clip quality balls out wide from central areas, at an angle that allows the ball to curl towards the opposition goal.
A right-footed pass from the positions we see (below) in his passes to Alejandro Garnacho at home to Leeds United in February, would likely force the winger to take a touch before he could move forward with the ball.
This is a big plus point that left-footers like Martinez bring to the table in that specific position.
Martinez to Garnacho v Leeds
Assessing United’s form this season, and in particular their much-improved defensive record, it is clear that Martinez has been a terrific addition.
Nathan Ake (Man City)
Netherlands international Nathan Ake has been one of the Premier League’s best defenders in 2022-23.
Rotating between centre-back and left-back his displays have been eye-catching, on and off the ball.
The 28-year-old’s ability to cover those two positions allows Pep Guardiola to deploy a more attacking left back on occasion.
We saw Bernardo Silva slot into that role against Arsenal and Nottingham Forest, and City’s head coach had the confidence to experiment with that ploy because of Ake.
The heat map below shows you how wide the central defender was when City had possession.
Ake heat map v Arsenal
From those wider areas the Dutchman makes more forward passes than anybody else at Manchester City.
This progressiveness has not impacted his pass accuracy either, which stands at an impressive 90.1 per cent.
Man City forward passing
| Player | Forward pass |
|---|---|
| Nathan Ake | 554 |
| Rodri | 484 |
| Ruben Dias | 462 |
| Manuel Akanji | 439 |
| Kyle Walker | 332 |
While Guardiola is content to use full-backs on the opposite side to their stronger foot (Rico Lewis and Joao Cancelo) he now sees it as a non-negotiable to have a left-footed central defender on board.
When those full-backs tuck into central midfield or push on down the flank, he loves to have a centre-back in place to move the ball through the thirds with confident passes which quicken up the team’s attacks.
Now that Ake has proven himself to be a consistently reliable defender, his ability on the ball makes him one of the most regular selections.
No Man City defender has started more Premier League matches than Ake's 21 this season.
Max Wober (Leeds United)
Leeds United also recruited a new left-sided central defender in January.
Austrian international Max Wober has since formed a strong partnership with Robin Koch at Elland Road.
He can play at left-back too, but new Leeds head coach Javi Gracia prefers Wober centrally.
This allows the adventurous Junior Firpo to push on into areas of the pitch that suit his qualities, without weakening the side down that wing.
Leeds have conceded 11 goals in Wober’s nine starts at an average of 1.22 per game. Before his arrival they were leaking goals at a rate of 1.83, so he has made a difference.
Gracia’s team do not boss a lot of possession, so Wober’s influence on the ball is fairly negligible, but he does balance out their back four very nicely indeed.
Final word
With the likes of Mikel Arteta, Pep Guardiola and Graham Potter leading the way it is hard to see anything but a continued rise in popularity for rotational and fluid positioning.
Full-backs will continue to invert into central midfield, and consequently central defenders are sure to be asked to fill those holes in and out of possession.
With so many managers asking their teams to play out with short goal-kicks, collective pressing is also unlikely to decline.
Therefore, defenders who can comfortably pass their way out from the back will also continue to be in high demand.
The days of an all right-footed centre-back pairing are certainly not over, but from a tactical perspective, priorities among coaches are beginning to shift.
Teams who want a lot of the ball now see the overwhelming benefits of bringing a left-footed central defender into the side.