It’s been six months since Khvicha Kvaratskhelia last scored for Napoli, but a detailed look shows why the Georgian winger is still a potent threat despite an unlucky period, Apollo Heyes argues.
The 22-year-old was awarded the Serie A Most Valuable Player title for his debut season in Serie A, playing an explosive role for the Partenopei as they ended a 33-year wait for the Scudetto. His instant emergence and deadly partnership with Victor Osimhen quickly launched him into the limelight.
In his debut season for Napoli, Kvaratskhelia scored 14 goals and provided 14 assists in 43 appearances across all competitions, winning three penalties in the league.
His direct goal contributions were consistent in the first 27 matches of the Serie A season but dried up after this, only winning a penalty in a 1-0 win over Fiorentina. It was clear that his form began to drop, but his star status in the squad was in no doubt regardless.
Things have seemingly been equally frustrating for Kvaratskhelia this campaign, producing just one assist in his first four appearances under Rudi Garcia. Whilst this may initially look concerning to Napoli fans, it’s far too early to start worrying about the Georgian talent.
When looking at the underlying numbers, Kvaratskhelia’s early work this season is incredibly reflective of his impressive debut campaign – for example, he produced a npxG+xAG (non-penalty expected goals plus expected assisted goals) of 0.51 per 90 minutes last term in Serie A, and 0.65 per 90 this season.
Other stats tell a similar story – 4.96 progressive carries per 90 last season, 6.00 per 90 this campaign; 3.25 progressive passes per 90 compared to 5.00 per 90 now; 4.86 shot-creating actions per 90 last season to 6.39 per 90 this term. One limitation of this is the sample size, with the 22-year-old playing 2518 minutes compared to 183 this season.
Another interesting comparison is based on two games against Lazio, a 2-1 loss earlier this month and a 2-1 win 12 months ago.
In the win, Kvaratskhelia scored once, attempted three dribbles and took 45 touches. In the loss, he failed to score, attempted three dribbles and took 48 touches. His heatmaps for the two games also look incredibly similar, showing him mostly based in the same positions on the pitch.
These elements all combine to suggest one thing – that technically Kvaratskhelia is at the same level of last season in terms of performance, even if not in result.
Whilst he’s currently struggling to put goal contributions on the board, his foundational play is the same, suggesting that it’s only a matter of time before he starts finding himself on the scoresheet once again.
Words: @ApolloHeyes