Formed by Hammers supporters Jack Elderton and Callum Goodall to offer their fellow fans in-depth but accessible analysis of their team and its players, Analytics United provide content for the Club's official website, app, Official Programme and social media channels.
Today, Analytics United use performance analysis and data to examine the contribution Kyle Walker-Peters could make to West Ham United...
West Ham have announced the signing of Kyle Walker-Peters from Southampton following the expiry of his contract at the end of the 2024/25 Premier League season. The positionally-flexible defender joins after a challenging season on the south coast where he played under three different managers, all of which were unable to turn around the Saints’ fortunes and mount a genuine challenge to stay in the top flight.
Despite Southampton’s malaise, Walker-Peters stood out as an individual in red and white once more. Playing in five different positions across the season - at left-wing-back, right-wing-back, right-back, left-back and left-centre-back - Walker-Peters acquitted himself well as a positive contributor with the ball and an energetic presence without it.
Primarily featuring as a wing-back on either side over the last two seasons in both the EFL Championship and the Premier League, Walker-Peters has been able to focus on displaying his standout talents with the ball given the more attacking role. The defender was one of the best carriers in his position in the Premier League last season, progressing just under 135 yards per 90 (top 3%) across 3.52 progressive carries (top 5%). Knowing the impact that Hammer of the Year Aaron Wan-Bissaka was able to have as a press-breaking dribbling wing-back last season, recruiting another player with similar talents, capable of providing cover on both sides of the pitch, is welcome.
Walker-Peters also converts his carrying into useful actions in the final third. His previously progressive carries became box-breaking dribbles as he drove into the penalty area 0.74 times per 90 last season (top 12%), completed 1.17 take-ons per 90 (top 11%) and translated one of those take-ons into a shot once in every three games (top 5%). These metrics are hugely impressive given Southampton’s performance in attack last season. The Saints managed just 0.81 non-penalty expected goals per match (19th) with just 20.9% of their touches coming in the attacking third (also 19th).
One quality that Graham Potter has often prioritised in his sides is a high level of security on the ball. James Ward-Prowse barely featured on loan at Nottingham Forest in the first half of the season after Julen Lopetegui decided he didn’t fit into his starting midfield unit, but Potter used him in almost every minute after his return. It’s easy to see why when considering Ward-Prowse’s 95.4% completion of short passes, ranking inside the top 3% of midfielders in the Premier League. Walker-Peters brings similar qualities out wide with an even more impressive 88.2% pass completion across all passes last season and a 93.2% success rate when passing short. This doesn’t inhibit Walker-Peters’ ability to move the ball forwards, as can often be the case when players are exceedingly accurate, as he completes 4.29 progressive passes per 90, outranking all of West Ham’s full-back options last season.
As one of the slighter defenders in the league, Walker-Peters must manage space rather than defending with the aggression that someone like El Hadji Malick Diouf might. He does this well and was beaten at a lower rate than most other full-backs in the division, only 0.59 times per 90 (top 24%), and managed similar outcomes aerially, losing just 0.65 heading duels per match (top 14%). This space protection then dovetails well with his 0.46 shots blocked per 90 (top 27%), indicating his ability to block shots should wingers move into positions to take shots.
If there could be one criticism of West Ham in the wide areas last season, it would’ve been a lack of consistent end product and balance. This has already been somewhat addressed with the arrival of El Hadji Malick Diouf, one of the most skilled under-21 attacking wing-backs in world football, and Walker-Peters is more than capable of helping in this department as well. Given the conditions, producing 0.15 through passes and 0.22 goal-creating actions per 90 at Southampton last season is a significant achievement. Ranking in the upper echelons for these penetrative metrics at a struggling side is no mean feat and the blowout stats he produced on this side of things in the Championship show just what he can do when playing in a more dominant side. Back then, in 2023/24, Walker-Peters managed a stunning 0.17 xA (top 5%), 2.8 shot-creating actions (top 8%) and 0.35 goal-creating actions per 90 (also top 8%).
If West Ham can take the step forward as a collective unit in dominating games with the ball more regularly then we could see similar production from Walker-Peters in the Premier League. The 28-year-old’s ability to play across multiple positions and comfortability on both feet not only protects Potter’s side if Wan-Bissaka and Diouf depart for AFCON, but also enables the kind of tactical tinkering we saw more often from Potter at Brighton. With tonnes of Premier League experience and two England caps, Walker-Peters is a fantastic addition to the West Ham squad, bringing fierce competition to the wing-back department for the coming season.
*The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of Analytics United and do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of West Ham United.
