Arnold Bruggink enjoys Edson Álvarez’s development at Ajax. The midfielder opened the score against FC Groningen (3-0 win) on Saturday evening with a contrarian header. After sitting on the bench in the season opener against PSV for the Johan Cruijff Scale (0-4 defeat), Álvarez was drafted by Erik ten Hag in every official game. “His development in the team is nice to see,” Bruggink said on Sunday evening This was the Weekend.
Álvarez was praised by supporters for his performance against Groningen. He was involved in the most duels of all the players on the field, twenty of them, and won thirteen of them. He won all of his eight headers. Álvarez also had the most interceptions (three) of all players on the field, but lost the ball the most of all Ajax players: twenty times. “He plays in the service of the team, to let others play better. He is the first to interrupt an opponent’s switch. Erik ten Hag attaches great importance to that,” Bruggink says.
Edson Álvarez’s goal can be seen from minute 0:16.
“He has another advantage: he can take on headers, while Timber can stay in the back. Yesterday he won all eight headers. Timber can then stay in the back, which is ideal,” said the analyst, who was impressed by the goal of Álvarez in the fortieth minute. “I thought the goal was really beautiful. It’s difficult, because you have to go back and the cross is relatively slow. Then you really have to nod it. I think it’s nice to see. Apart from Antony, who plays fantastic, Álvarez is a player who is developing. I think people are starting to see that more and more.”
In conversation with Ajax Life Álvarez agrees that it was ‘quite a difficult header’. “The ball came half behind me, so I had to step back quickly,” he recalls. The midfielder looks more comfortable on the ball than last season. He notices that he has become stronger in possession. “I still have to get better at the ball, but I have improved myself in that. I know very well what needs to be improved and this is still one of the points.”