Brighton and Hove Albion’s Japanese winger Kaoru Mitoma is making a name for himself in what many regard as ‘the best league in the world’.
His destructive 1v1 ability has made him so difficult to defend, terrorizing Premier League right-backs since his Albion debut in August against second-placed Newcastle United.
Liam Tharme, Football Tactics Writer for The Athletic and Brighton supporter, has highlighted his directness as his most standout quality. “His [Mitoma] directness is impressive. Aside from Tariq Lamptey, Brighton have lacked a winger that wants to go 1v1 against a full-back for the last few years. The last I can remember is Jose Izquierdo.”
Of course, Brighton have other attacking players, but none with the unique ability of Mitoma. Leandro Trossard is a better player closer to the goal, with seven goals this season meaning he is on course for his best Premier League scoring campaign. Solly March plays on the right and is a little bit more like Mitoma, boasting a 67% dribble success per 90 minutes. Jeremy Sarmiento is good with the ball at his feet but is only 20 and learning from the likes of Mitoma, Trossard, March and the experienced Adam Lallana is extremely beneficial to him.
The 25-year-old has only just established himself as a Premier League regular for Brighton, following a string of impressive performances from the bench and for his national team. Tharme also says his body type and intelligence is helping him perform on the biggest stage regularly.
“His pace and acceleration make him stand out from Brighton’s attacking options. He’s incredibly lean, athletic, and balanced. I was at their win at Arsenal in the Carabao Cup and close to the front so I could appreciate the details close up – he’s amazing at constantly changing pace, slowing and speeding up, using body feints to destabilise and trick a defender” he added.
Mitoma loves to hug the touchline and combine well with left-back Pervis Estupinan. The partnership between those two on the left flank has been important for Brighton boss Roberto De Zerbi, who has won three of his last four Premier League games.
It wouldn’t be surprising to start hearing noise from the media about Mitoma potentially being snapped up by a so-called ‘bigger club’. Brighton are used to this, having sold Yves Bissouma to Tottenham for £25m, Neal Maupay to Everton for £15m, Dan Burn to Newcastle for £13m and Ben White to Arsenal for £50m in the last two years.
There is interest from clubs in Europe for their midfield duo Alexis Mac Allister and Moises Caicedo, as well as Leandro Trossard. But Tharme thinks Mitoma could be around for longer than some may think – “He could end up at one of those clubs for his 1v1 ability, but some may want a more rounded player.”
What is certain, is that Brighton fans can enjoy him for now, as he makes his mark in the Premier League.
JG Writes 