Nathaniel Brown got his chance on the left side in Stavanger. He wasn’t able to capitalize on it—Alphonso Davies then made a clear statement.
Nathaniel Brown had recently been improving his standing with FC Bayern step by step. The summer signing impressed with his versatility, even scoring as a right back in the 2-2 draw against FC Augsburg, making it clear that he can be much more than just an option at a single position for Vincent Kompany.
But it was precisely on his usual left side that he now suffered a setback.
In the 3-3 draw against Viking Stavanger, Brown started the match. This gave the 23-year-old exactly the opportunity he’s been waiting for in his competition with Alphonso Davies. But the German international was unable to capitalize on it.
Brown didn’t look good, especially on the 0–2 goal. Peter Christiansen broke away at the decisive moment, and Brown couldn’t keep up. The left back also had little success on offense. As a result, Luis Diaz, playing ahead of him, was left hanging in the air for long stretches as well.
Kompany reacted at halftime and brought Davies on for Brown.
Davies is showing Brown what he’s still missing right now
The difference was evident after the break. Davies immediately looked more confident on the left side, brought more dynamism to the game, and got involved in the attack much more consistently.
That is precisely where Brown’s problem lies at the moment. His potential and versatility are beyond question. Recently, the new signing had even opened up additional opportunities for himself by playing on the right side of defense. On the left, however, he must continue to measure up against Davies.
And there, the Canadian currently has the edge.
After a difficult stretch and injury problems, Davies had recently regained his form. Kompany regularly relied on the 25-year-old in important matches. As a result, Brown often had to switch to other positions or settle for a role coming off the bench.
The match in Stavanger could have been the opportunity to tighten the competition again. Instead, Davies got his chance after just 45 minutes—and made much better use of it.
For Brown, however, nothing has been decided yet. He is only 23 years old, has enormous potential for growth, and has already shown that he can support Kompany in multiple positions. It is precisely this flexibility that remains a major advantage.
But if Brown wants to permanently displace Davies as the left back, he’ll need to deliver performances at a higher level than he did in Stavanger.
For now, the match in Norway has therefore confirmed rather than changed what had already been hinted at recently: On the left side, Davies remains the first choice—and Brown must continue to apply pressure.