football | Wednesday, July 19, 2023 10:24 AM

David De Gea vs Andre Onana

Devang Prasad

Last week, Manchester United and David De Gea parted ways after 12 years at the club. The Spaniard had joined United from Atletico Madrid in 2011 for a fee of approximately £17m. Throughout his tenure, he achieved a remarkable club record of 190 clean sheets in 545 appearances. During his time at United, De Gea won several trophies, including the Premier League, FA Cup, Europa League, and two Carabao Cups. One of his greatest strengths has always been his lightning-quick reflexes and exceptional ability to make crucial saves. However, in recent years, he has been prone to making errors, and his struggles in playing with the ball at his feet ultimately led to his departure from the club.

United has now reached an agreement with Inter Milan for the acquisition of Cameroon international Andre Onana. One of Onana’s standout qualities is his proficiency in playing out from the back and his comfort with the ball at his feet. Furthermore, he previously worked under the guidance of Erik ten Hag at Ajax, which established a preexisting relationship and familiarity with each other’s playing styles.

By utilising data collected by the experts at OPTA, we have analysed and compared the statistics of both goalkeepers from the previous season. This analysis aims to shed light on the potential advantages that United could gain through their highly anticipated new signing.

In this article:

Onana could be United’s Sav-iour this season
Onana plays his way out of the back and into ten Hag’s new look United
Summary

Onana could be United’s Sav-iour this season

Onana is widely recognised for his exceptional ability and confidence when it comes to handling the ball at his feet, a crucial skill in the modern game. This was prominently displayed during the 2023 Champions League final against Manchester City, where he showcased his composure by evading the high press and enticing the opposition. Onana possesses an abundance of confidence, a trait necessary for such manoeuvres.

In addition to his ball-playing skills, Onana also stands out as an impressive shot-stopper, as evidenced by the data provided by OPTA. Comparing his statistics to those of De Gea, Onana boasts superior numbers in various categories. He has a higher saves per 90 ratio (2.9) and save percentage (76.9%). Furthermore, he excels in saves from outside the box per 90 (1.2) and save percentage from outside the box per 90 (91.1%). In contrast, De Gea’s corresponding stats are slightly lower, with scores of 2.7, 72.0%, 0.8, and 80.3%, respectively. These are some fascinating stats gathered on De Gea due to the fact his shot-stopping has always tended to be a facet of his game he is most renowned for until recent years.

David De Gea's superb reflexes as a keeper are displayed through the data that shows De Gea records a higher number of saves from inside the box per 90 (1.9) compared to Onana's 1.7. However, Onana surpasses him in other crucial areas. For instance, Onana achieves a higher save percentage in the box (69.0%), concedes fewer goals throughout the season excluding own goals (33.0), and has a lower expected goals on target conceded total (39.2). Additionally, Onana prevents more goals at 6.2, whereas De Gea scores at 68.8%, 58.0, 63.5, and 5.5 in the respective data statistics compiled.

These statistics provide intriguing insights into De Gea's shot-stopping abilities, which have been highly regarded throughout his career. However, Onana's performance in key areas demonstrates his proficiency as a goalkeeper, particularly in terms of save percentage, goals conceded, and goals prevented.

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Onana plays his way out of the back and into ten Hag’s new look United

It is well known that Erik ten Hag has been massively inspired by the school of Ajax and Johan Cruyff during his playing and coaching upbringing. The United gaffer also worked with Pep Guardiola for two years together in Munich. While Guardiola was the first-team manager, Ten Hag looked after the reserves. His influences have certainly impacted the way in which he demands his teams to play, and having a goalkeeper comfortable with the ball at their feet is of paramount importance.

Whilst De Gea scores at 27.6 for passes per 90, 19.0 for successful passes per 90, 69.0% passing accuracy percentage and 18.9 for passes made in their own half per 90, Onana betters him in stat with scores of 37, 28.7, 77.3 and 26.9.

It doesn’t get much better for the Spaniard based on last season with Onana’s passing accuracy in his own half at 93.1%, long passes per 90 at 15.3, successful long passes at 7.2, long passes accuracy at 47.0% all far superior to the numbers put up by De Gea. Meanwhile, Onana outperforms De Gea in possession lost per 90 with 8.6 possessions lost per 90 minutes compared to De Gea’s 8.8 and passes ending in the final third at 4.2 compared to De Gea’s 2.6.

Lastly, De Gea’s 6 errors leading to shots, including goals at 6 and errors leading to goals at 4 are more than the zero made by Onana last season.

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Summary

From the data gathered, it is easy to see why United and Erik ten Hag have decided to move on from the De Gea era. In his prime, the Spanish international was a superb shot-stopper who was rightfully the club’s player of the year on multiple occasions.

However, Onana will provide United with all the necessary features of a modern-day keeper with the ball at his feet. This, combined with his shot-stopping ability, means ten Hag can now pursue improving his side in other departments.

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