West Bromwich Albion recently signed right-footed Brighton forward Jeremy Sarmiento on a one-year loan deal. He played 12 matches for Brighton last season and would likely be a first-team regular for them in the coming season if not for persistent injury problems. He featured in all of Ecuador’s matches at the 2022 Qatar World Cup.
He’s 5”10 and his mesomorph body type allows him to increase or decrease body mass easily. This could make the physical issues he has, such as struggling with contact from behind, easier to solve. He possesses lightning pace and has the agility to shift inside quickly. He’s able to ride challenges well, which contributes to his excellence in tight spaces. He can move his body quickly and uses body feints and fast feet to wrongfoot the opposition.
In the last two seasons, he has suffered a knee, metatarsal, and two hamstring injuries which will be a major worry for West Brom who have had issues signing players with injury problems recently. His most recent injury saw him miss 14 matches and may play on his mind when approaching duels.
Sarmiento is an intense presser when there is a realistic chance of winning the ball back. He looks to approach players from a blind spot and knick the ball before they can react. He tracks back and looks to make tackles when the ball is on his side of the pitch but can be slow to react to switches of play due to his tendency to walk once play moves past him high up the pitch.
He’s often too aggressive and gives cheap fouls away. He doesn’t seem to be able to slow down and plays at maximum intensity when play is near him. He isn’t a patient defender which could be a problem in matches where West Brom spend a lot of time defending their own box. His tendency to jump into tackles could cost them goals and needs to be coached out of his game.
Sarmiento looked comfortable when asked to defend one on one in wide areas which is important, as West Brom manager, Carlos Corberan asks his wingers to drop into the last line of defence and form a back five at times. As well as this he has attempted to manipulate opposition passing angles with his body whilst pressing under Brighton manager, Roberto De Zerbi which shows a willingness to learn.
From the left wing, he likes to receive the ball wide and cut inside to shoot or pass to a teammate in the box. On the opposite flank, he prefers to receive in the half-space where he can go on the outside of the defender and cross or commit defenders by dribbling inside.
The 21-year-old forward is willing to run in behind defences and is good at finding space to move into. Despite this, he can struggle in congested areas where he is asked to escape a defender with movement. He often runs directly behind a defender where I feel, he should be running wide to receive a through ball. This is less of a problem in deep left positions where he runs inside the opposing fullback.
He never gives up on a ball. Whether that be chasing an overhit through ball or chasing a defender after losing the ball himself. He’s a fullback’s worst nightmare as he constantly tries to make something happen. He tires defenders with his constant running with and without the ball which makes him a dangerous option off the bench.
