"Aaron Wan-Bissaka is ridiculously good at one-v-one defending. Probably the best in the world bar none. So many wingers run out of ideas when playing directly against him."
That was James Maddison's tweet during Manchester United's FA Cup semi-final meeting with Brighton two weeks ago. Like many, he was clearly in awe of the way right-back Aaron Wan Bissaka locked down Kaoru Mitoma - a winger that has been a revelation for the high-flying South Coast outfit this season.
Attackers almost always have a tough time against Wan-Bissaka. He really is formidable one-v-one and an expert in duels. And in some ways, it is a stark contrast to his persona.
Wan-Bissaka has always come across as an understated personality, and someone who maybe doesn't appear all that often in interviews. But it no doubt works to his advantage that he keeps his head down and gets on with the job at hand without ever kicking up a fuss.
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It is credit to Wan-Bissaka's quiet hard work and determination behind the scenes that he now has a fairly regular spot in the United side. For a long while before the World Cup, amid various niggles, he seemed an outcast under Erik ten Hag. But he has fought back into the fold as a result of his character, and a departure is no longer inevitable.
Wan-Bissaka is a plus point to take from a fairly barren run for United at present. They have won only once in regular time across their last five matches and twice in their last seven, and last-gasp defeat to Brighton on Thursday means their top four place isn't quite as secure as it once was, albeit they could build back a seven-point buffer ahead of Liverpool if they win their two games in hand.
The same negatives are recurring in lots of games: lacking control and failing to finish chances included. It is likely these drawbacks can't be addressed in any capacity until the summer, and limitations will naturally persist with the current profiles of player and quality of depth in certain areas.
This said, Ten Hag has put his squad, in part due to his coaching, in a significantly better position than it was this time last year, when there was talk among fans about wanting to write off the entire squad. It is positive that there is now much less to address than it once seemed there may be, and that is to the credit of the likes of Wan-Bissaka for stepping up.
The right-back has elevated his game and is looking better than ever. He has always been excellent from a defensive standpoint, but even that stronger aspect of his game looks more refined than it was previously.
Developed awareness is possibly the greatest defensive improvement he has made; his defensive ability is now coming to the fore because he is positioning himself well to cut out danger in the first instance, rather than being a result of having to make up for his own positional errors or mistakes otherwise.
Wan-Bissaka's approach was once to stand off his opponents and commit late, but there is a sense that, aligned with Ten Hag's ethos, more proactivity has been added to his defending.
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Reading of the game is another noteworthy strength of Wan-Bissaka's recent displays, and part of what has allowed him to twice quell the threat of Mitoma in as many weeks.
Mitoma is renowned for his dribbling ability having even written a dissertation on the skill, but Wan-Bissaka has proven able to stand his ground despite the dynamism of the Japanese winger. No matter Mitoma's persistence, Wan-Bissaka remained alert in both meetings, and his tenacity and persistence was enough to keep his man at bay.
Mitoma twice dived to try and con the referee into giving a penalty at the Amex Stadium on Thursday - a possible sign of frustration and a last resort to try and breach Wan-Bissaka's defences.
Wan-Bissaka's intelligence is something that may have been undervalued across his United career too. He knew exactly where to position his body as to prevent Mitoma from cutting inside onto his strong foot, at worst so he was in range to produce one of his trademark slide tackles.
The technique Wan-Bissaka displays when he does commit to a slide tackle is exceptional - some of the best in the world and a massive part of what makes him such an adept one-v-one defender. His flexibility verges on astounding, with an ability to perform almost improbable tackles on the stretch with perfect timing.
And his timing is something that has improved, with one phase where he would maybe concede a few too many fouls. But he is now reliable in duels to the extent he won every duel contested against Brighton in the semi-final at Wembley across over 100 minutes of football.
He is aggressive and gutsy in a manner that starkly contrasts his on-field demeanour, with no fear when it comes to putting his body on the line to make a tackle or block.
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There is a viable argument that Wan-Bissaka is still held back by his relative lack of technical ability, and it is true that limitations still remain from a technical standpoint.
His ball progression - something necessary from Ten Hag's players given his will for a high possession approach - isn't yet up to the desired level, and he isn't creative in the way Diogo Dalot, and particularly Luke Shaw when he is on the opposite flank, can be. This can hold United back in possession and in the respect of being able to control the flow of games.
There are still occasions where it feels he isn't quite on the same wavelength as teammates in possession, such as early on against Brighton on Thursday, when Wan-Bissaka was caught unaware when Victor Lindelof played an admittedly slack pass. That set the tone for a first half which saw the sides exchange chances before United ultimately became the inferior force and Brighton dominated after the break.
For these reasons, Wan-Bissaka could be considered not to be a long-term option. However, he is starting to show signs of growing in terms of tactical and technical proficiency.
He has started to invert and make the right runs at the right time more often than not. He even linked play inside the opposing penalty area at one stage in the defeat to Brighton - a sign of developments in terms of some technicalities within his game.
Additionally, he has always been a good ball carrier courtesy of nimbleness when dribbling, with an ability to beat opponents as ungainly as he is sometimes perceived to look.
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It is certain that signing a right-back is now much lower down United's list that it seemed at one stage this season - in part thanks to Dalot's renaissance over the last year but majorly courtesy of the strides Wan-Bissaka has made to get himself back into the fold.
The pair are both quite different players: Dalot more technical and more well-rounded despite not necessarily excelling defensively, and Wan-Bissaka an excellent defender showing signs of growing on the technical side.
Ten Hag would probably ideally like a merger of his two options, but signing a right-back is no longer a pressing issue given he can essentially cover all bases with the duo at his disposal. Both have qualities that suit different games and can thrive in different scenarios.
As he has proven again this season, Wan-Bissaka is just about the perfect option when it comes to defending against tricky wingers. And maybe there are some signs he is starting to develop beyond that too. He is certainly no longer the outcast he once was this season.
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