Thanks for pulling that out.
1/3, PPA, PrgP all look to be marginally down, which paints a picture of how effectively we are entering the final third and the penalty area.
I'd be interested to see how quickly we are entering the final third i.e. how many passes does it take from Raya to enter the final third? Also, how many line breaking passes are being made that take out several opposition players? As that's a better metric than progressive passes. These two factors impacts the oppositions defensive shape and consequently our ability to exploit it. Fewer passes to enter the final third or more line breaking passes means more space to exploit versus more passes to enter the final third and fewer line breaking passes leading to a set defence. My sense is we're taking longer to reach the final third and playing fewer line breaking passes, so we're facing a set defence. This is leading to more crossing, more sterile possession, and a drop in xAG.
Also, what route are we favouring to enter the final third, is it through the centre, the flank, a mixture, etc.? Are we entering the penalty area after creating an overload down the flank (greater chance of a shot/goal), or are we entering the penalty area with two men doubling up?
