When Manchester City spent £41 million on Nathan Ake in 2020, Pep knew what kind of player he was bringing to the club. The former Chelsea defender is now a five-time Premier League winner and has also won the UEFA Champions League in the 2022–23 season. The Dutch defender struggled to get regular action at Stamford Bridge and was sold to Bournemouth in 2017.
Nathan Ake is now a first-choice defender for Pep Guardiola. His versatility to play as a centre-back and left-back is what makes him the favourite to start in every match. Pep likes players who are good with the ball and can play in two different positions comfortably. Let’s take a look at some of the stats of the 28-year-old and see how his versatility fits perfectly into Pep’s plans.
Versatile left-footed centre-back
Manchester City are without a natural left-back. Sergio Gomez is in the team for the role, but he is young and is more of an attacking player. The English champions signed Josko Gvardiol in the summer for a record fee for a defender. He is similar to Ake, but the Dutchman hasn’t given the Croatian any chance to settle in at the new club.
Nathan Ake played 38 games for Manchester City in their treble-winning season. He scored twice combined in the English Premier League, UEFA Champions League, and FA Cup. Ake was mostly used as a left-back, and his heatmap also indicates that he stayed wide on the pitch.
This season, the 28-year-old defender has appeared in four games for Pep’s men. He has played as a left-sided centre-back and left-back in these four appearances. Ake scored his first goal of the season against Fulham in a 5-1 win.
Defensive strength
Pep Guardiola is fond of defenders who can play the ball and start the plays from the back. Ake is not only good with his feet, but the player is also excellent with his defensive abilities.
Last season, the Dutchman won 70% of his defensive duels and 58.3% of his loose ball duels. He is also strong aerially and is a threat on set pieces. Ake won 63.4% of his aerial duels in 2022–23. At a rate of 3.9 interceptions per 90 minutes, the above viz shows that Ake made some crucial ones inside the opposition’s penalty box.
In the current season, Nathan Ake has been impressive in winning his defensive duels. The Dutchman has a 73.7% win rate. His aerial duels and loose ball duels win rate is decent.
One area where Manchester City defenders need to stay on their toes is inside the opposition half. They often get a chance to recover the ball for their team in attacking areas and these recoveries often lead to a goal-scoring chance.
Nathan Ake averaged 9.06 recoveries per 90 minutes in 2022-23 and 31.3% were made in the attacking half.
Building play from the left
With an average of 72.32 passes per 90 minutes, Ake was one of the players who had the ball at his feet for Manchester City during their matches. His accuracy rate was impressive at 92.2%, and he attempted a few passes through the opposition’s defence to create chances for his team.
This season, Ake’s accuracy has gone up to 95%. The above viz shows that Ake has tried to make progress with the ball from the centre on a couple of occasions.
Manchester City are the only team in the Premier League with a 100% record in the 2023–24 season. Players like Nathan Ake have played a huge role in this early-season success. The Dutchman will look to maintain this consistency and win more championships with the club.
Visuals via TFA data viz engine
