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Before we begin analyzing the two it is very important to keep certain things in mind. It is important to keep note of the fact Mata is just 24 years of age, he is still in a phase where he has a lot to learn and can further enhance his skills, though it can be clearly said that he is much ahead of many midfielders of his age. Cazorla at 28 is at the peak of his career, this is the age at which midfielders start to truly blossom. He is through his developing phase and is on the pinnacle of his football career.
Adjusting to the Premier League is never easy and players spend a lot of time adjusting to the pace, as well as the physical nature of the game in England. Mata who joined Chelsea in the summer of 2011, has had more time to get familiar with the type of football played in the country. As for Cazorla, he has been in England for less than eight months and is still getting used to the football being played in the Premier League.
Both the players are very similar in their attributes, both have a lovely first touch coupled with wonderful dribbling skills, a terrific eye for passes and are very threatening on dead ball situations. Let us now compare the two players in the following aspects:
Passing
Chelsea’s Juan Mata has an 84.9% passing success rate in the Premier League, this is bettered by Cazorla who has a passing success rate of 87.3%. The Arsenal man is also much effective in the final third with 823 passes, he has also attempted a total of 43 through balls with a success rate of 41.86%. Mata on the other hand has made 610 passes in the final third and has attempted a total of 13 through balls, with a success rate of 53.85%. Whereas Mata does have a superior through ball success rate, Cazorla has made almost thrice as many through balls than the former Valencia man.
Despite being less involved in the final third than his counterpart, Mata still has a higher number of assists with nine in the league, whereas Cazorla has managed to assist six of Arsenal’s goals. This is an area where Mata has been more effective, he has also made 2.6 key passes per game slightly edging out over his opposite number who has 2.4 key passes per game. Both Mata and Cazorla have created 52 goals scoring chances for their teammates, the Arsenal man having a higher number of open play chances created and the Chelsea man being more threatening on set pieces. Compared to Cazorla’s nine, Juan Mata has created eleven clear cut goal scoring opportunities and creates a chance every 28.68 minutes as compared to Cazorla who creates a chance every 36 minutes.
Goals
Following the weekend matches, Cazorla has now taken a lead over his Spanish teammate in terms of goals scored. The former Villareal man now has 11 goals, compared to Mata’s ten. Mata has however been much more effective in terms of shots to goal ratio. He has recorded a total of 32 shots, which have ended in the net 10 times, with a shot per goal ratio of 3.2. Cazorla on the other hand has taken 56 shots, turning 11 of them into goals with a shot per goal ratio of 5.09. Cazorla has made more effective use of the clear cut chances handed to him and has converted 60% of the clear cut chances into goals, Mata on the other hand has managed to convert only 33% clear chances into goals.
Defensive contribution
This is where Cazorla has a clear advantage over Juan Mata, where both the players have been catalysts in their team’s attacking movements, Cazorla has also made it a point to perform his defensive duties. He is seen dropping deep from time to time to help break down opposition play. He has made 1.7 tackles per game, compared to Mata who averages one tackle every game. Cazorla on average has made 1.8 interceptions per game which is much better than Mata who has managed only 0.6 interceptions per game. Cazorla has made 0.3 clearances per game, in comparison Mata has managed to clear the ball 0.1 times on average per game.
Conclusion
Both the players have been instrumental for their respective sides, it can be easily said that Chelsea and Arsenal are more threatening with the presence of the Spanish duo. Both the players are currently representing clubs who have been struggling recently, they also represent teams who are competing for the same spot in the league table. What is more interesting is the fact, that both players are also in competition for the same spot in the Spanish national team. It is very difficult to separate the two and conclude who is the better player. Cazorla is a more complete midfielder of the duo, he is threatening when attacking and is responsible defensively. Mata on the other hand is more of a forward and one can expect more goals and assists from him than Cazorla. Nevertheless what is certain, is that both players are certainly among the top performers in the league this season.
