Albion preserved their stellar start to the 2023-24 Premier League campaign as they triumphantly fought back to beat AFC Bournemouth 3-1, writes Anujit Vijayakumar.

While Japanese sensation Kaoru Mitoma stole the headlines for his well-deserved brace, 19-year-old Carlos Baleba’s cameo provided a glimpse of what the midfielder could bring to Roberto De Zerbi’s side.

The Seagulls faithful have much to be excited about as the Cameroonian international’s efforts were vital to Mitoma’s second and Albion’s third of the afternoon.

While Roberto De Zerbi’s men displayed the mentality and resolve imprinted on them courtesy of the Italian himself, it was Baleba’s near 25-minute exhibition that caught the eye of the supporters.

A two-footed powerhouse, Baleba is agile, composed and positionally disciplined equipping him to be deployed in the heart of the midfield.

In possession, the 19-year old’s diverse skillset allows him to dictate the tempo of the game with his dribbling and passing utilised as the base, making him a valuable asset.

In addition, the Cameroonian’s proficiency on the half turn aligned with his ability to deceive players by manipulating the ball, makes him press resistant thereby generating room for him to carry the ball into space.

Baleba’s two footed dribbling capability enables him to attract opposition players to him, resulting in his team-mates being awarded ample space. The former Lille midfielder’s is close and ball control in tight spaces is remarkable for his age.

Baleba’s stint in France displayed that his passing characteristics are substantially good, with an emphasis being placed on his weight of pass, long passing and switch-hit ability, to find teammates on the flanks.

The 19-year old’s 2022-23 campaign highlighted his standing when defending. Baleba’s anticipation to sense danger and position himself accordingly assists his side when they are defending in transition.

The midfielder also showed controlled aggression and smartness to win the ball back forecasting threats centrally and out wide to time interceptions and tackles to nullify attacks. Baleba’s ball retention ability has been a standout factor when analysing him, given his dedicated and committed nature to winning the ball back in a decisive and clean manner.

Baleba has shown that he has the capacity and possesses the tools required to thrive in his very limited experience in professional football. Nonetheless, the Cameroonian still must make strides in certain aspects.

Baleba’s awareness and vigilance is adequate, given his restricted participation professionally. However, he will have to improve in this regard to adapt to the pace of English football. The midfielder also displays glances of unnecessary aggression in the defensive third and will need to contain this.

The midfielder’s shooting and progression needs to be improved to impact the game. His displays for Lille underlined his tendency to hold on to the ball for longer than required during instances and he will need to learn to move it quicker.

Despite the fact that he has room for improvement as all 19-year-olds do, Baleba’s potential is quite high, and if his development and progression is overseen correctly, he could prove to be an indispensable member of the Albion squad for years to come.