Albion Analytics: How important is Adam Lallana?

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The midfielder signed a new one-year deal on Monday.

Liam Tharme

Albion Analytics

2023-03-14T12:00:00Z

Adam Lallana has two Premier League goals so far this campaign.

Premier League and Champions League winner Adam Lallana committed his future to the Albion on Monday by signing a contract extension until the summer of 2024.

“I can see how we are playing, the chances we are creating, possession, the stamp we are putting on games and the respect we are given from opponents,” said Lallana.

Having Lallana on the pitch helps to do that. Since his arrival in July 2020, in Premier League games where Lallana has appeared (compared to without him), Brighton have more possession (55.2% vs 50.6%), Albion win more (32.9% vs 30.6%) and lose less (30% vs 38.8%), take more points (1.4 vs 1.2) and score more goals (1.3 vs 1.1). Over a full season, those numbers add up and can be the difference between positions.

Changes in data provider mean such data is no longer available, but as of last season, Lallana was Brighton’s most two-footed passer and one of the most balanced in the Premier League. In his past six seasons in the competition, when such data is available, his pass accuracy has been above 80% and it has been at least 82% in his three seasons at Brighton — it peaked last season at 86.9%.

His ball retention is essential in Roberto De Zerbi’s control and dictate 4-2-3-1, where Lallana — who can play a variety of midfield roles — is often the No.10 that is looking to receive between the lines and service the wingers, but also offer intensity and energy out-of-possession to press opposition midfielders and force high turnovers.

"We have stats which say the most important player for the team and the result is Adam Lallana - number of passes completed, not losing balls - all the stats that are useful in terms of understanding the performance of a player," said De Zerbi earlier this season.

Of Brighton players still at the club, over the past three seasons only Lewis Dunk (89.5%) and Moises Caicedo (87.4%) have completed a higher proportion of their Premier League passes than Lallana (85.7%), who notably plays higher risk passes in more advanced positions than them. He ranks sixth in that time period for touches in the opposition box (111) and only Yves Bissouma (64.9% completion from 134 take-ons) was a more successful dribbler than Lallana (60.3% from 58 dribbles), among Brighton players with at least 50 dribbles since the start of 2020-21.

He is one of 11 different Albion players to be involved in over 150 shot-ending sequences over the past three league seasons, evidence of the depth in attack. Of the 179 shot-ending sequences Lallana has been involved in, 49 times he has taken the shot (scoring 3 goals from 3.89 expected goals), 47 times he has directly created the chance (5 big chances created, 3 assists from 4.85 expected assists), which means 83 times he has been involved in the build-up — the variety of ways he contributes to the attack is unmeasurably important.

Take his role in the build-up to the winner at former club Southampton in 2020-21, where Lallana ignites the attack by receiving deep, playing on the half-turn and breaking the midfield line into Danny Welbeck, who ends up with the assist.

SofaScore’s algorithm rates Lallana’s best game as the 3-2 win away to Wolves in November. The 34-cap former England international scored the opening goal and set up Kaoru Mitoma for the equaliser. He played 64 minutes before his substitution, completing all bar one of his 18 passes, with 11 of his 20 touches in the final third.