Joe Willock

Willock does his most dangerous work away from the ball, drifting unnoticed towards the edge of the penalty area while defenders remain focused on tracking the striker standing in front of them. By the time anyone reacts to him arriving, the pass has usually already been played into space. That timing is why so many of his goals look like the defence simply switched off for one single moment near the box.

That instinct makes him unusually productive for a central midfielder. It also means his overall passing and defensive work can look modest by comparison with others in his position. Whether he should be judged as a goal scoring bonus in midfield or as a complete central player who happens to score is a debate that follows him constantly.