According to Independent, Crystal Palace winger Wilfried Zaha is still keen to leave Selhurst Park and move to Spurs despite missing out on a move to Arsenal. The Gunners are reportedly on the verge of sealing the deal for Nicolas Pepe. As a result, Zaha has now set his sights elsewhere, with Everton and Tottenham Hotspur among the potential suitors.
The Lilywhites, however, are not willing to make a move for the Ivorian this summer but would he have been an upgrade over Lucas Moura? Let’s take a look at how the two players stack up against each other not only individually but also from a tactical and statistical perspective.
Style of play
Zaha and Lucas are quite similar when it comes to their style of play. Both like to take on defenders on the flanks and create a spark going forward. Their pace and acceleration also allow them to provide a genuine threat on the counter.
That being said, Zaha is much more versatile as he can feature in a central role in addition to playing as a winger. He operated as a centre forward for most of the 2018/19 campaign. As for Lucas Moura, he has also been deployed in a central role, of late. But, that is largely due to Harry Kane’s injury during the second half of last season.
Both are quite aggressive as well and often like press the opposition defenders – a trait that makes them a potent component, especially for a counter-attacking team.
Statistical comparison
Zaha was statistically the second-best dribbler in the league last season, with his tally of 114 completed dribbles only bettered by the mercurial Eden Hazard. That means the Ivorian completed 3.4 dribbles per game. Lucas, in contrast, could complete only two dribbles per 90 minutes.
Besides, Zaha is significantly better at creating chances. He averaged 1.6 key passes per 90 minutes last season compared to Lucas’ 1.1. He has also attempted more shots per 90 mins (2.2) than Lucas (1.9). The Brazilian lacked incision as well, with one-third of his key passes coming from outside the box.
Stat courtesy: Whoscored
Tactical comparison
Both the players will more or less provide the same in terms of attacking contribution. Zaha’s experience in the Premier League, however, could be useful to the Lilywhite setup that will revolve around young players in the coming season. Besides, the 26-year-old can also do a better job of replacing Kane in the false nine slot, thanks to his previous exposure of playing that role.
Hence, it can be concluded that Zaha’s addition to the club won’t make much of a difference for Mauricio Pochettino. It could, however, enhance the club’s strength in depth.
