Aston Villa
Speed matters as the Premier League’s fastest players go head to head
The Premier League is all about pace.
In fact, one of the league’s main attractions is the frenzied pace and nature of any given top-flight game. That’s why clubs look for pacey players to go at speed past ageing defenders - and not many are faster than England duo Gabriel Agbonlahor and Aaron Lennon.
The Aston Villa forward has been in terrific form and earned a first England call-up accordingly while Tottenham’s attacking midfielder has found his best form again and has been the inspiration behind the Juande Ramos revolution at White Hart Lane with Spurs reaching the Carling Cup final and Lennon expected to star at Wembley against Chelsea.
Yet which of the pair can claim to be the quickest? Nike are working on the new
Mercurial Vapor IV boot and created a test to find out just how fast the fastest players in the Premier League really are.
Working with top coaches they set up a challenge to test who was the fastest to the ball and who was the fastest with the ball. This way we wanted to get a better test of a player’s real ‘football speed’ rather than a simple sprinting contest. So they organised for two of England’s fastest players to take part in the timed challenge. The results certainly prove interesting, not just settling the debate on which player is fastest, but also giving us an insight into their speed and technique.
Aaron Lennon’s fast but he has to take two touches round one pole, while Gabby is a bit closer control but is more upright and doesn’t lean into corners so much. And as you can see by the mud kicking up, it had been a wet day at the pitch when they took the test, which slowed both players down - but which can claim to be the king of the England squad?
Watch the videos exclusive to Footballing World below to find out and then in the comments section list any other players you would like to see run the test - and we’ll get on to Nike about them taking on the ‘football speed’ challenge.
The boots both players wore are called Mercurial Vapor 4, and the website, which includes the Mercurial Speed Test (for anyone up and down the country to take part in, to see how they compare to Aaron & Gabby), is at whoisthefastest.com.
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Super Aaron Lennon
How close was that? And no suprises for me, Gabby will beat almost anyone in a spring test but with the ball I picked Lennon before hand.
As most Villa fans know however, is that Gabby is most effective when he’s got the ball to chase, a contest he would no doubt beat Lennon in.
Ashley Young would have been more suited to this test than Agbonlahor.
The difference between them in getting to the ball is only 0.04 seconds, nothing in it really. The difference when they have the ball is 0.2 seconds, still not THAT much, but a far bigger difference.
Those times are not correct. Agbonlahor was marginally quicker in the first half without the ball and Lennon was less marginally quicker with the ball and was slightly faster over all. Not surprising really, Agbonlahor is larger and a more natural sprinter and AL has much better touch and control.
…unless you watch the video and not just the static screen. ahem.
arron lennon is the fasted player over 40 yards i have seen in football and one of the faster players over more distance agbonlahare speed is olney anygood when he is chasing the ball lennons pace is explosive different players but together in the england team it would be turbo and gone in a flash so lets enjoy there talents
No contest Lennon is the governer.
Lmao, if gabby leaned into the corners like lennon he would of left him for dust.
Any how Gabby is best at counter attacking sprinting with the ball putting it past the defender and running onto it.
Not running around players.
Do a sprint with the ball and gabby will piss all over him.
gabby dnt look like he is runnin as fast as he can he wud of dusted him if he was, both brilliant talents gunna be big asset for englands future
Agbonlahor?? Put Lennon up against Theo Wallcot or Henry and there you’ll have yourself a contest worthy of peoples attention!!!
-E
Lennon was the quickest. Stop being such morons who said wasnt the time shows it, it doesnt lie.Also in games you can just see who’s fastest.
MY AARON LENNON, MY AARON LENNON, YOU MAKE ME HAPPY WHEN SKYS ARE GREY YOU’R BETTER VALUE THAN THEO WALCOTT AND BY THE WAY SOL CAMPBELL IS GAY!
So the proof is right there infront of you, but you stupid Brummie bastards still can’t get your nut round it?
LENNON WINS
It’s there infront of your bleeding eyes.
My god, even in type the Brummie accent is boring!!! Just like Villa, probably Englands most boring “big” club
gabby is by far the quickest
An interesting test - for me, Aaron Lennon looks the quickest due to his role as a winger rather than striker, so he is constantly going at opposition players while Agbonlahor does more chasing of long balls.
I would like to see Thierry Henry doing the test alongside a challenger!
i think lennon and gabby should feel lucky walcott didnt do it! hes far quicker than them both oh and buy the way,gerrards faster than gabby. in one game gerrard and gabby who came on as a sub started running in a sprint from the half way to the edge of the box without the ball and gerrard got to the ball, gabby has accelleration, clichys quicker than both of them too, lennon has faster accell than clichy but not top speed FACT
very lucky walcott didnt take part in this challenge as he wuld have outpaced them both, clichy is also a faster player then both of them dont get me wrong both gabby and lennon are quality players and there touch and control are great, but if it was to test sheer speed then walcott or clichy will win it hands down they shuld do a challenge to see who is faster walcott or clichy then your in business!
Walcott = Smoke show. None of those kids could go with walcotts pace and we all know it. Theo has sheer pace, some of which can only be seen in Olympic standard sprinting, in spite of that, well done Lennon, that was quick, the future looks bright for England football.
Agbonlahors job is not to dribble with the ball, its to get in behind the back line, in doing that he is the quickest player in the prem. lennon is quicker with the ball, walcott is quick but no where near gabbys pace, and to the numpty who said villa are boring, we’re 4th highest goalscorers in the prem, oh how i struggle to stay awake watching us !! fool
[…] nike course in 13.90 seconds agbonlahor went round in 14.06 seconds. heres the link for the videos Speed matters as the Premier League’s fastest players go head to head—Footballing World __________________ Carling Cup Champions 07/08 Tottenham 2 v 1 […]
Sings to the spuds fans
*Have you ever won the European Cup?*
Ricky you are a prick! Spurs have won the european cup you nob
When did Spurs win the European Cup then, Einstein?
i would like to see lenon’s test compared with Theo Walcott who i want to take the test becaue i actually think he is faster than lenon.
Even though i support arsenal, i hafta admit that spurs were the FIRST british team to win a European Cup.
but Walcott+Clichy, sheer dust.
Even Sagna could record a good time. QUOTE!
Arsenal BY FAR the fastest team in prem.
Get each team’s first 11 all to do the test and find each team’s average. Arsenal Victory(we dnt get many these days.)
For the record lads Spurs have never won The European Cup (Champions League), however they did win The UEFA cup twice in 1972 and 1984 and also won The European Cup Winners Cup in 1963.
Aston Villa won The European Cup in 1982, The European Super Cup 1982/3 and The Intertoto Cup in 2001.