The Rise of Antonee Robinson: A Journey to Becoming the Premier League’s Top Left-Back
When a left-back successfully contains Bukayo Saka and Mohamed Salah in back-to-back Premier League matches, it certainly attracts attention. Coupled with his performance against Liverpool, where he provided both assists in a thrilling 2-2 draw at Anfield, it raises intriguing questions.
Antonee Robinson’s journey to becoming a key player in Marco Silva’s starting lineup has been far from easy. After a series of loans at Everton, he was sold to Wigan Athletic without having made a league appearance for his boyhood club.
There was the discovered irregular heartbeat that derailed a January 2020 transfer to AC Milan (which, it should be noted, is no longer an issue for the now 27-year-old). He also faced relegation with Wigan that spring, despite a breakout season in the Championship. Up until that point, his performances with the United States men’s national team had been quite uneven.
Currently, however, the lad from Milton Keynes has emerged as arguably Fulham’s standout player as the club holds ninth place in the table after 16 matches. His form in 2024 has only strengthened his supporters’ claims and sparked yet another question: is Robinson the best left-back in the Premier League based on current performance?
The fact that we can genuinely pose this question is already a rarity for a United States international in the Premier League.
Even when their goal-scoring feats captured the hearts of London, former Fulham stars Clint Dempsey and Brian McBride were rarely compared to the likes of Wayne Rooney, Didier Drogba, and Dimitar Berbatov. Although John Harkes made history as the first American to score in a League Cup final in 1993, he was not among the top draws in the early Premier League.
The obvious reference is found deeper in defensive territory. It has been nearly a decade since the proud tradition of bald American goalkeepers concluded with Tim Howard’s move to MLS in 2016, wrapping up a two-decade saga that began with Brad Friedel joining Liverpool in 1997.
Friedel made the PFA Team of the Year in the 2002-03 season with Blackburn Rovers, an honor awarded to that season’s best goalkeeper. Howard secured the same recognition in 2003-04, his sole full season as Manchester United’s No 1. While Friedel remains a legend among supporters of Blackburn, Aston Villa, and Tottenham, and Howard is a cult hero at Everton, we must not forget Kasey Keller’s 201 Premier League appearances (primarily with Leicester and Tottenham) and Brad Guzan’s accolade as Aston Villa’s player of the season in 2012-13.
Nevertheless, it has been two full decades since Friedel and Howard made back-to-back appearances in the PFA Premier League Team of the Year (2002-03 and 2003-04 respectively). A goalkeeper is a specialist whose skill set is challenging to evaluate definitively through statistics or video, especially as the role’s expectations have evolved based on a team’s strategy in possession. Shifting the focus to a field position with considerable two-way responsibilities offers a refreshing change.
Let’s begin by examining the 14 players who have logged at least 750 Premier League minutes as left-backs or left wing-backs this season. At the top of the goal contributions leaderboard is Robinson, who has assisted six goals for his Fulham teammates without finding the back of the net himself. No other player in this category has surpassed three combined goals and assists.
In fact, only two players in the entire Premier League have more assists than Robinson. Fittingly enough, they are the two star wingers whose influence against Fulham was contained: Salah (11) and Saka (10). Not a bad benchmark to establish.
All six assists have originated from open play, underscoring his ability to deliver effective crosses against established defenses. The visualization above highlights a clear tendency for him to send in late crosses from the left flank.
These notable, tireless runs have become a trademark of his style. Robinson has always possessed exceptional athleticism and fitness levels, cultivated during his youth under the coaching of his father, Tony. His speed enables him to outpace and evade defenders.
This was clearly evident in his assists against Liverpool, both of which showcased Robinson’s typical approach.
In the first instance, Robinson had to cover significant ground to overlap Iwobi. Upon doing so, he raced past Trent Alexander-Arnold, capitalizing on the Liverpool defender’s poor positioning, and delivered a perfectly accurate cross to Andreas Pereira at the back post.
A similar pattern occurred with the second assist: after making the initial pass, he sprinted past Alexander-Arnold once more and continued his run. He then beat Jarell Quansah with sheer pace, collected Iwobi’s pass, and pulled the ball back for Rodrigo Muniz to score.
“Most of my assists have come from low crosses, which is a technique we practice frequently after training,” he explained The Athletic earlier this year. “It’s all about delivering it into dangerous areas along the six-yard line.”
Notably, when contrasted with the chances he generated last season, there has been a marked increase in those created near the byline in the left channel.
While the role of full-backs has evolved in recent years with the emergence of the inverted full-back, Robinson remains firmly rooted in traditional principles.
Silva has structured his team to emphasize the importance of crosses, and they have launched the most open-play crosses in the league this season (272), completing the highest number (61) of any side.
Robinson averages six open-play crosses for every 100 touches, the highest rate among all full-backs and wing-backs in the league. Evaluating a full-back’s involvement through touches rather than per 90 minutes enables a fair comparison of players with vastly different roles in various systems.
It’s no wonder he has become a crucial component of Fulham’s attacking play. Only Leicester (45.8 percent) has created a larger share of their chances down the left than Fulham (40.9 percent).
His 11.3 percent share of all Fulham touches leads his teammates, with left centre-back Calvin Bassey (10.2%) and left-sided midfielder Alex Iwobi coming next (8.6%). Only two other left-backs in the league exceed 10 percent of their team’s touches: Newcastle’s Lewis Hall (11.3%) and Manchester City’s Josko Gvardiol (10.6%).
Robinson isn’t merely accumulating touches in less impactful areas. His involvement higher up the pitch has increased compared to last season, with nearly a five percent rise in his attacking-half touches compared to 2023-24.
Silva believes the most significant growth in Robinson’s game during their time together has been in his defensive capabilities.
“He’s been improving in our defensive process, learning some defensive setups, and he’s open-minded to growth,” Silva shared with reporters after the Liverpool match earlier this month.
“Furthermore, playing against Salah presented numerous one-vs-one scenarios, and he approached them with confidence, determination, and aggression—despite receiving a yellow card within the first 25 or 30 minutes; even so, he remained assertive in a constructive manner.”
Among the 30 full-backs who have played over 750 minutes, Robinson ranks first with 4.81 interceptions and blocked passes per 1,000 opponent touches, slightly ahead of Destiny Udogie (4.79) and Fulham teammate Kenny Tete (4.78).
‘True’ tackles are defined as the total tackles won divided by total tackles, lost challenges, and fouls made while attempting a tackle. Robinson’s 7.22 ‘true’ tackles per 1,000 opponent touches ranks him ninth, with a 64.1 percent win rate showing both his eagerness and effectiveness in closing down dribblers.
By the time the 2025-26 season begins, Robinson will have turned 28. Given the current trend of elite clubs investing in unproven young talent, the window of opportunity for moving to a big club is narrowing.
The defender signed a five-year contract last summer, allowing Fulham to demand a hefty fee for one of their key players. His impressive form has attracted the attention of potential suitors, and even his manager, Marco Silva, acknowledges it, firmly believing he possesses the best left-back in the league.
“You are asking a Fulham manager, but of course, I’m going to say yes,” Silva replied to reporters during his post-match press conference after the Liverpool match.
“I don’t want to elaborate too much on him because I am aware that in January, speculation about Robinson will arise again. I want to avoid going down that path. He remains focused in the way he plays; that is critical for us. Whether he is the best or not is beyond my scope to decide; my players are always the best.”
Antonee Robinson has 50 caps for the USMNT (Omar Vega/Getty Images)
In recent seasons, Manchester City and Arsenal have often preferred operating with an inverted left-back or utilizing a center-back in that position.
Chelsea’s recruitment strategy has leaned away from signing players over the age of 25, and Marc Cucurella’s resurgence has alleviated their need for a left-back. Tottenham addressed this area by signing Destiny Udogie.
Left-back has been a persistent issue for Manchester United due to the injuries affecting Luke Shaw and Tyrell Malacia. The appointment of Ruben Amorim and his 3-4-3 system does not necessitate a left-back, and the specific type of left wing-back that the Portuguese manager seeks remains uncertain.
Perhaps the clearest need arises from his most recent ‘Big Six’ challenger.
Liverpool’s left-back situation is increasingly uncertain due to Andy Robertson’s inconsistent performances this season. While it’s premature to write off the Scotland international, the 30-year-old has been involved in several notable errors throughout the campaign. His competition, Kostas Tsimikas, has yet to fully convince those at Anfield, though Arne Slot has used him more frequently than his predecessor, Jurgen Klopp.
Robertson started against Tottenham on Sunday but struggled against Dejan Kulusevski in Liverpool’s 6-3 victory. Just two and a half hours before that match commenced, Robinson completed another full 90 minutes in a scoreless draw against Southampton, marking Fulham’s third clean sheet of the season. While Liverpool’s approach to targeting players before they hit their peak might complicate matters for Robinson, any player viewed by a club as an evident upgrade is always strongly considered.
Only time will reveal if Robinson will play a more pivotal role in a title chase in the forthcoming weeks and months. His current form has at least made such an opportunity seem plausible from an on-field standpoint. That is the reality of being recognized as the Premier League’s best all-around left-back.
