Adrian Clarke looks at key tactical points and players who can be decisive in Matchweek 6.
Player analysis: Tyler Dibling (Southampton)
With his socks rolled down, gliding past defenders with effortless skill and balance, it is easy to see why Southampton’s rising star Dibling has already drawn comparisons with Jack Grealish.
Dibling is fearless in the way he runs at opponents and uses his ball control rather than pace to go past them. Aged only 18, he is one of the Premier League’s most exciting young talents.
Unlike Manchester City's Grealish, Dibling is left-footed and performs his best work cutting in from the right-wing spot.
He has been one of Southampton’s standout players so far this season, and south coast rivals AFC Bournemouth will have to formulate a plan to stop him in Monday night’s match at the Vitality Stadium.
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Star quality
Dibling opened his Premier League account with a well-taken goal against Ipswich Town.
He allowed Adam Lallana’s pass to run across body, controlled the ball with his right foot to take out defender Jacob Greaves, and then calmly slotted home with a left-footed finish.
Incidentally, Dibling was only six months old when Lallana made his Southampton debut back in August 2006.
Dibling's goal against Ipswich
A goal made in Southampton ✨ pic.twitter.com/UVdaVmPFmc
— Southampton FC (@SouthamptonFC) September 21, 2024
That strike against Ipswich was one of several eye-catching contributions we have seen from the Southampton youngster so far in 2024/25.
In Matchweek 4 he troubled Manchester United's Diogo Dalot by running from inside his own half before drawing a foul that resulted in a penalty.
Another long-distance dribble in the same match saw him cut inside before curling a superb shot towards the far-post that was brilliantly saved by Andre Onana.
Prior to his full top-flight debut against Man Utd, Dibling almost scored a couple of goals after coming off the bench in the 3-1 loss at Brentford – both from lengthy ball carries that placed the Bees defenders on the back foot.
Committing defenders
There is no question Dibling is ready to make a big impact, despite making only two starts and playing just 205 minutes of Premier League action.
His close control and technical ability make it hard for opponents to slow him down.
He is the most targeted player in the division right now and has been fouled 5.27 times per 90 minutes.
Dibling also ranks third among the Premier League’s best dribblers.
Top PL dribblers in 2024/25
| Most fouled/90 | Most attempted dribbles/90 | Most completed dribbles/90 | |||
| Tyler Dibling | 5.27 | Jeremy Doku | 7.53 | Mohammed Kudus | 4.22 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bruno Guimaraes | 4.43 | Illiman Ndiaye | 7.38 | Jeremy Doku | 4.21 |
| Jordan Ayew | 4.39 | Tyler Dibling | 7.02 | Tyler Dibling | 3.95 |
*Min two starts **Rotate to view in full on mobile device
Dibling has demonstrated his confidence by making 19 progressive ball carries already, with four of those leading to shots, and three ending with a key pass.
Although the 60-yard run that earned his side a penalty against United does not feature on the chalkboard below, the image does show where Dibling likes to run with the ball.
Potential in the midfield
Dibling is playing brilliantly on the right, but he also has the attributes needed to be an impactful No 10 in the long-term.
His dribbling style is also similar to that of Fulham’s Emile Smith Rowe, in that he moves the ball in a similar way to the ex-Arsenal man.
The touch map below indicates where Dibling has been most involved on the field so far this season.
Dibling’s perfect through ball for Cameron Archer against Ipswich is a sign of what he is capable of as a playmaker.
He showed intelligence and invention to clip a curling pass into space for the striker to have a 1v1 with the goalkeeper.
He is someone who can dribble, pass and shoot with real quality.
Bournemouth defenders will have the tough task of dealing with Dibling, who will be keen to pick up where he left off against Ipswich.