Welcome to The DeBrief, a Sky Sports column in which Adam Bate uses a mix of data and opinion to think about some of the most important stories from the latest Premier League matches. This week:
Robertson's worrying decline at Liverpool
Tielemans is under pressure on Villa
Strand Larsen's hold-up play for wolves
Robertson's physical drop -off?
“What a mess,” proclaimed Jamie Carragher when the terrible mistake by Andy Robertson Fulham allowed to take the lead over Liverpool. “It is such a bad pass from a Robertson's quality player. He will not make the header and it touches him in on the way.”
For Robertson, his role in the 3-2 defeat against Fulham – Liverpool's first road in the Premier League this season was unfortunately timed. In its words, the club is connected to “every left back in the world” while talking about Milos Kerkez continues to exist.
The captain of Scotland has been robust in his defense of his form, referring to those “doubts for the first time in a long time” and suggests that there is always a need for a scapegoat. Recently spoken with Sky Sports, he acknowledged the criticism.
“There has been a lot about me this season, something that I have not fully experienced here in my time. In one way it is pleasant because I have had seven years under the radar, but this season there is probably more attention for me.”
Nobody would expect that a character like Robertson will do something different than pushing back. Huge respect for his contribution remains. As Carragher said in January: “Robertson is an absolute legend, he is now just hanging in every game.”
Some statistical evidence does suggest that his game is deteriorating. His top speed has fallen steadily and immersed in the last five seasons to a low point during the current campaign. The number is wearing Robertson's penalty box has also fallen.
On 31, maybe that is to be expected. It also reflects a shift in its role under Arne Slot, with less emphasis on his attacking output. That could have been well timed for him given his age. From a tactical point of view, the Liverpool change, the chosen champions, has not harmed.
But what is surprising is that Robertson looked so shaky with more focus on his defense. Even when Liverpool won matches, such as the 2-1 victory against Chelsea in October, his own performances attracted the wrong kind of attention.
“There is something not completely full of Robertson in this opening of about 15 minutes,” said Gary Neville, on co-commentary for Sky Sports. 'Usually he is straight in the face of his winger, but he is over [Noni] Madueke. He is five or 10 meters away from him. “
In the next Premier League match against Arsenal later that month, Bukayo Saka became better of him, turning and turned around. In December there was a broadcast against Fulham that was later withdrawn, but still hinted that everything was not good.
In January Kostas Tsimikas arrived to set up the equalizer in Nottingham Forest, which led to some who call the Greek left back to get his chance. Larger competition than TSIMIAS is waiting for Robertson soon. He is a club legend. But a legend who is now fighting for his place.
Tielemans continues under pressure
There are a number of passing statistics that, in combination, emphasize why Aston Villa -midfielder Youri Tielemans is such a special player. The first is that no midfielder fits have played under the pressure of a challenge within three meters from him.
That indicates the limited space in which he works. But what makes him so good is that, despite this pressure, Tielemans also played more of those passes than anyone else – 131 of them has circumvented four opponents.
No other midfielder has even played 100 of such passes, so it tells us that Tielemans does something different from the rest. It is a product of its scan power, an unusual level of consciousness that helps the villa side of Unai Emery to move the ball on the field.
Against Nottingham Forest On Saturday, Tielemans showed what can happen if a team gets away from him and offers him room instead. His oblique pass over the top to Morgan Rogers for the opening goal of the game in the 2-1 victory of Villa was too good for the sleeping Morato.
Surprisingly, this was his first assist of 2025 for Villa, but his shape was excellent and Villa started trusting him. Unbelievable, he not only started this season in the Premier League, but also the Champions League and the FA Cup.
“He has been consistent,” said Emery, speaking in the press conference. “We try to determine if he needs rest, but he did it for a few minutes at Preston and Brighton. He feels good and physically he plays 90 minutes more or less comfortable.”
Emery also spoke about how important Tielemans is because of his role in dictating “the pace on the field” and that will certainly be tested on the test about two legs against Paris Saint-Germain. He will be under pressure. But his figures suggest that he can deal with it.
Beach Larsen's hold-up play
Examples are fines and there are now only six players in the Premier League who have scored more goals this season than Wolves striker Jorgen Strand Larsen. One is teammate Matheus Cunha whose absence was risked by suspension Wolven.
Instead, Wolves raised 10 points of their four games without him, culminating Passwich's 2-1 victory on Portman Road who put an end to fears for relegation. Beach Larsen scored the winner. It was his fourth goal in three games.
His role in the Equalizer was actually even more impressive and timing smart his run to beat the offside trap. It was reminiscent of his deceased equalizer in Tottenham in December, but this time he held the ball and took Pablo Sarabia on the edge of the area.
The hold -up game of Strand Larsen is not flawless, but he has done 71 times this season -the most by a Premier League player. It is crucial that he looked less isolated under Vitor Pereira – and especially since the arrival of Marshall Munetsi as support.
“Now Munetsi plays close to him,” Pereira explained, “creating spaces, attacking spaces every time, supporting the first ball. What we felt earlier was that when Larsen received the first ball, the man close to him to support this ball was not there.
“Now they have a physical player who walks a lot and creates spaces with him every time. It means that when the cross comes, the markings go a lot of time with Munetsi and Larsen is free to finish, and this is teamwork.” No cunha then, but no problem for wolves.
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