Gavi – The maestro beneath the mayhem – Back Page Football
With the increasing intensity within games in recent times, it can be easy to brand a player who embraces such game state wholly into a one-trick pony, relegating other attributes they have based on how often such player performs a specific action or how they fare under certain conditions. It’s fine. I only ask you to look deeper.
Chaos? I say control. Well, perhaps not entirely. Fans generally have reduced Gavi’s overall play to being a mere disruptor, an instrument of disarray only useful in uneasy situations to help win back possession of the ball or impose himself on the game, thus casting a veil upon how technically gifted Gavi is.
To paint a picture, let’s recap Gavi’s first goal for Barcelona. Gavi receives the pass just above the centre circle with his back to goal, but just before receiving, he gives his marker a quick look and then traps the ball with the inside of his left foot, lets it run beneath him and then a quick burst away. Tongue in his cheek, fighting off the tugs from his marker, he quickly produces a feint to get away from another defender to create a space for a shot. He has a look at the goalkeeper Edgar Badia and then puts the chance to bed with a low drive to the left corner from the 18-yard line. Now, which part of that makes you think he is just a disruptor? He is a victim of his tenacity, diving headfirst into challenges on multiple occasions and coming out victorious.
His style of play involves high-intensity running, persistence in duels, unparalleled bravery, yet such technical poise under pressure as illustrated in his goal earlier. His resilience is a crucial part of his persona, making his presence felt through grit and passion to always be on the front foot in games. An underrated part of his game is the surprise element he possesses. He always pulls off something the opponent is not expecting to get away from a tight situation, whether it be a fancy ‘croqueta’, a clever touch to lay the ball to a teammate or a cheeky spin away from pressure.
There is rarely a game which Gavi features that passes him by, owing to his high work rate. His incessant pressing makes him a menace on the pitch. This also translates into his ability to adapt to multiple positions on the pitch as a central midfielder, inverted winger and even in a double pivot – such versatility is a crucial quality in the best players. As an inverted winger, he gets to showcase his ability in the half spaces using neat touches and spins to make space for himself and others while also making constant runs behind the defence line in those half spaces and also being a constant box threat, taking up positions like a mezzala or a box-to-box midfielder. He also dazzles being a strong ball carrier, powering through with the ball through tight situations to get into a better position for chance creation.
Recently, Gavi, in a much deeper position, has had the chance to express his technicality and importance in possession. Being more involved in the buildup, he is crucial as Barcelona aim to progress the ball up the field. He provides more than quick switches of play to the opposite flank. His dynamism is brought to the fore during his partnership with the second man in the pivot as they constantly take up different positions on the pitch in different phases of play – a testament to his adaptability in one of the most demanding positions in football these days.
He is a menace despite his tiny frame, but a menace with the mentality and determination of a bloodhound. Gavi has shown great vigour in his comeback from a cruciate ligament injury he suffered during international duties for the Spanish national team. His post-injury performances have been impressive for a player returning from an injury of that magnitude. He has quickly shaken off every doubt about his sharpness and ability to replicate his pre-injury self with reassuring displays in his recent appearances.
While most would say that Gavi’s approach to games limits him, I would argue it is one of the things that defines how impressive and multidimensional he is. It is how he stamps his authority on the game — not just participating, but orchestrating. He injects control where chaos brews, although embodying it, shows his worth across every ebb and surge of play, and with every sly movement, he carves out space where there was none. A maestro cloaked in the madness, pulling strings with swagger.
