Albion Analytics: Genius Georginio

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Liam Tharme

Albion Analytics

2025-03-01T06:00+00:00

Georginio Rutter has setup Danny Welbeck to score on three occasions so far this campaign. 📷 by Paul Hazlewood.

Georginio Rutter arrived from Leeds United in the summer after starting 44 of their 46 league games last season, assisting 16 goals - the second-most in the division.

In only six months, the France under-21 international has quickly become a fan favourite and is one of the league’s in-form players. Since the turn of the year, only five players can better Rutter’s eight goal involvements (six goals, two assists) across the Premier League, FA Cup and League Cup.

Most recently, he set up Danny Welbeck for the winner in Brighton’s 2-1 victory at home to Bournemouth, to make the first time Brighton had won four consecutive games across all competitions since April 2017. It was the third time this campaign that Rutter has provided for Welbeck to score, and the seventh chance Rutter has created for him — the best combination for Brighton this term.

The Frenchman joined Albion from Leeds United in the summer. 📷 by Paul Hazlewood.

The assist capped a trademark all-round Rutter performance: 44 touches, ten of 19 passes completed, four shots, five dribbles, two chances created, four of five tackles completed and three fouls won. He played high to support Joao Pedro against the press — a super-strength of Bournemouth’s game — contesting the most aerial duels of any Albion player (eight, winning three) and receiving four progressive passes.

In fact, Rutter against Bournemouth was only the third instance of a Brighton player (in the past six Premier League seasons) recording five-plus dribbles, four-plus tackles and four-plus shots. He joins Jose Izquierdo (vs Leicester City, November 2018) and Solly March (vs Manchester United, September 2020) on that list.

“He has proved to us that he can really work hard and that he’s a player that can make the difference,” Hurzeler said after Brighton’s 4-0 away win against Southampton. That was another of the 13 games this season where Rutter has created a chance (26 appearances), and the ninth time he has attempted at least three shots, scoring Brighton’s third of the game. On seven occasions, Rutter has attempted four dribbles. Without playing full matches (he has only started and completed three full 90s) he is having an impact.

Georginio has been directly involved in eight Premier League goals so far this season (five goals, three assists). 📷 by Paul Hazlewood.

Hurzeler has said that Rutter “needed a little bit of time to adapt to the Premier League, to adapt to the intensity.” Adapt he has, playing a variety of positions and roles across the forward line, while his eight goals have included three left-foot finishes (his dominant foot), two right-foot goals and three headers.

There are easy comparisons to be drawn between Rutter and former Albion winger Anthony Knockaert (as left-footed French right-wingers) but the reality is there are few players in Rutter’s mould. The Rennes academy graduate has more through balls (11) than crosses (9) this season, a trend following on from his time at Leeds. Over one quarter of his passes (25.8%) are defined as ‘progressive’, which means they either enter the penalty area or go at least ten vertical yards closer to goal. He is third in the league for the share of passes which are progressive, which is why Rutter’s pass accuracy is noticeably low — 66.7%, he’s misplacing one of every three passes, because so many are Hollywood balls.

Likewise, he is one of Albion’s top players for carrying. Only Kaoru Mitoma (50) and Yankuba Minteh (38) have dribbled the ball into the box more than Rutter (26) in the league this season, while only Minteh has more take-ons leading to a shot than Rutter’s nine. He makes the top three for fouls won too (40, behind Joel Veltman’s 42 and Carlos Baleba’s 41).

The Frenchman has proved popular with the Albion fans. 📷 by Paul Hazlewood.

In fact, Rutter ranks inside the top 10% of attacking midfielders/wingers in Europe’s top-five leagues this campaign for through balls, aerials won, fouls drawn and tackles, and is also above the positional average for shots, non-penalty xG, goals and interceptions (all per-match).

As far as output goes, No 9 Joao Pedro (13 involvements; 7 goals, 6 assists) is the only Brighton player with more goals and assists combined (12 for Rutter; 8 goals, 4 assists). Along with Mitoma (8 goals, 3 assists) and Minteh (5 goals, 4 assists), that quarter have 28 goals and 17 assists. Hurzeler has his formidable four, plenty of strength in depth, and Rutter is central to that.

“Now he is in impressive form,” Hurzeler said of Rutter after Southampton. “He understands the game more and more, understands his value, how he can use his body against his opponent, and therefore I’m quite happy that he’s in our team."