Southampton gave Liverpool a run for their money in their Premier League thriller on Sunday (November 24). Even though the Reds picked up a well-fought 3-2 win in the end, the Saints produced a resilient performance and gave the league leaders a real run for their money.
An individual who really managed to stand out with his work on the pitch was the Southampton centre-forward Paul Onuachu.
The 6’7’ towering forward is among the tallest players in the Premier League, but don’t let his height fool you into thinking he’s a lanky centre-forward who is only effective inside the box.
Onuachu is deceptively fast for someone his size and showed that against Liverpool, dancing past their players in a few moments at the St. Mary’s Stadium.
The 30-year-old forward left the Liverpool players struggling to keep up in a brilliant moment at the end of the first half, as he impressively dribbled past many bodies before producing a no-look pass – all inside his own half.
The Nigerian striker has broken all the stereotypes that towering footballers are often associated with. There is this general feeling that if a striker is as tall (6’7’) as Onuachu, they’d be at their best in winning aerial duels or convert opportunities inside the box.
They are often generalized as overbearing individuals who should focus on using advantage of their size to win headers that shorter individuals can’t even reach.
But players like Onuachu are living proof that gigantic forwards can even be technically adept with the ball.
The way he can move forward with the ball or dribble past figures has helped the Nigerian forward gain more popularity, because fans are normally not accustomed to seeing such ridiculously tall footballers be able to sprint past bodies or dribble with ease.
Onuachu’s heroics against Liverpool wasn’t the first time he left prominent Premier League players scampering because of his surprise burst of pace and dribbling ability.
He even floored William Saliba in Southampton’s 3-1 loss to Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium earlier this season. Onuachu caught the France international off-guard by producing a stellar step over before bursting past him by showing impressive acceleration with the ball.
The Nigeria international has won plaudits from many admirers because of his unique playing style and how he’s turned himself into a surprise package with his quickness with the ball and tricky nature.
Even though Onuachu is yet to score a goal for Southampton, that doesn’t mean he’s all tricks and no goals.
He scored 17 goals in 25 matches for Trabzonspor last season, which included a brilliant goal in the Turkish Cup final against Besiktas, where he carried the ball from his own half, dribbled past multiple players before producing a stellar finish.
Before his move to Southampton, he also had 85 goals and 10 assists in 134 appearances for Belgian side KRC Genk.
Onuachu has also attracted comparisons to former England striker Peter Crouch for his elasticity despite his towering height.
Crouch also blasted the stereotype about tall strikers by scoring some acrobatic goals in his career. It can actually be argued that Onuachu is even quicker on the ball than the Englishman was during his career.
The best thing about Onuachu is how unapologetic he is with his entertaining playing style. He doesn’t fear backlash or criticism for a few odd mistakes, but loves to put on a show.
As long as the 6’7’ striker can continue weaving past defenders with ease and potentially add more goals to his product, he might soon turn into the most beloved giant in the Premier League.