Under the microscope: How has the Australian fared since his return to Scottish football?

One of the key players of the Scottish Premiership 2022/23 to go under the radar is former Premier League midfielder Aaron Mooy, who is currently playing for Celtic since joining in the summer. The Australia international secured his return to Scottish football almost a decade later after representing the colours of St. Mirren from 2010 to 2012. Since joining his new Scottish team, Aaron Mooy has taken up the role of an influential player in the squad. He has strengthened the Bhoys’ midfield, and his goal contributions have played an important role in helping the club retain the top spot in the Scottish Premiership. Aaron Mooy also represented his country in the 2022 FIFA World Cup, playing in all four matches as Australia made it to the knockout stages. Below are some stats that capture the midfielder’s performances from the current season in Scotland.

Aaron Mooy has featured 23 times in the Scottish Premiership this season, starting in ten matches. He is a versatile midfielder who can operate in a defensive and advanced role. The above viz shows the percentile rank of the player’s stats compared to other central midfielders in the Scottish Premiership. It can be observed that Mooy is performing excellently in the attacking and possession departments. Notably, he has a top percentile rank for goal contribution, penalty area touches, pass attempts, and progressive and received passes. He also contributes when the team is out of possession, as highlighted by his high rank in defensive indicators like defensive duels and aerial duels won.

Attacking gameplay

With four league goals so far this season, Aaron Mooy has proven worthwhile for Celtic in the Scottish Premiership despite seeing limited game time. Overall, he scores at the rate of 0.33 goals per match while averaging 0.3 xG per 90 minutes. From the player’s shot map above, we can observe 16 attempted shots, with most of them coming from inside the penalty area. All of his goals have also come inside the box. Currently, the Australian takes 1.48 shots per match with a 33.3% accuracy rate.

In addition to contributing by scoring important goals, the 32-year-old can create scoring chances for others. So far this season, he has provided six assists for Celtic in the Scottish Premiership, for a total xA value of 2.37. From the viz above, it can be observed that his shot assists have come in the form of crosses, progressive passes, and layoffs. On average, the Aussie generates 1.81 shot assists per match and has also created four big chances thus far.

Forward passing ability and defensive contribution

Aaron Mooy takes command of the centre of the park and possesses the ability to circulate possession and progress the ball forward. The above viz illustrates the midfielder’s ability to find progressive passes to the attacking areas. Most of his progressive passes are directed down the right flank, and quite a few have penetrated the penalty box as well. Currently, Mooy averages 66.2 passes per match with an accuracy of 87.6%. Among these passes, 9.55 are to the final third and 3.54 are to the penalty box on average.

The viz above shows Aaron Mooy’s average defensive territory from the current season. He positions himself near the half-line and tries to impose himself as a combative figure in the middle of the park, as evidenced by the numerous defensive actions he performs in the middle third. Mooy has given up a few tactical fouls in the opposition’s half and averages 1.07 fouls per match. On average, he contests 15.81 duels per 90, with a 46% win rate. He makes 2.14 interceptions per match and puts pressure on the opposition’s midfield region and the final third. The midfielder also makes 6.67 recoveries per game, with 48.1% occurring in the opposing half.

Since joining in the summer, Aaron Mooy has become an important midfield asset for Celtic. He is a versatile and experienced midfielder with the attributes of a box-to-box player. He makes important contributions while moving forward in the attacking phase and also helps his team out of possession with a strong set of defensive attributes. Celtic will expect the same consistency from their Australian star for the rest of the campaign as they look to secure back-to-back titles.