In response to the somewhat underwhelming careers of Andrey Arshavin and Alan Dzagoev, many Russian fans are looking to the next generation with cautious optimism. Aleksandr Golovins stock has risen in recent years and hes seen as the nations great hope.
However, the next star emerging from CSKA’s youth ranks may have even more potential. This analysis will take a look at their intelligent young striker, Fyodor Chalov.
Story so far
Having joined CSKA Moscow at the age of eight, Chalov made his senior debut for the club in 2016. His chance came following impressive performances in the Uefa Youth League, where he scored four goals in one game against Monaco.
Still just 20, he has scored an impressive 21 goals in his 32 starts as a professional. He has also represented his country at every level from under-16 to under-21, with a full international bow expected during the next round of fixtures in March.
He remains a relative unknown to most football fans, but goals against Arsenal and Real Madrid have helped to attract interest from a host of big clubs.
Understanding of Space
One of the most impressive aspects of Chalov’s game is his ability to create and exploit space. His movement to receive is excellent but equally notable are his decoy runs to create openings for teammates. Overall, he’s quite an unselfish player, making his goal record all the more outstanding.
In the first image below, he makes a diagonal run to drag his marker away from space. This creates a channel for his teammate to continue progressing with the ball.
Following his teammates dribble to the edge of the box, Real Madrids defenders all move towards the man on the ball. Chalov again recognises where the space is and moves into it on the blind-side. His intelligent manipulation of space results in him becoming the free man in this attack.
He receives possession and takes a touch out of his feet before lining up a shot. The Madrid backline scrambles, shifting back across in an attempt to block his effort on goal. He fakes to shoot, opening up a new channel through which he calmly finds the top left corner.
The above sequence highlights his ability to recognise, create, and exploit space. He consistently shows the intelligence to react to changes in the positional landscape of both the opposition and his teammates. These quick thinking and problem-solving abilities are a central part of his game.
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