The classic touchline winger, the one who gets the ball, isolates a full-back and takes him on, is quietly going extinct. The data tells the story before your eyes do.
Across Europe's top five leagues, dribbles in the final third have dropped sharply over the last few seasons. Managers stopped seeing a one-on-one as a thrill and started seeing it as a risk. The reason is the rest-defence. Modern teams build their attack with a fixed shape behind the ball, usually a three-two or two-three. Lose possession out wide and that shape is exposed to a fast counter straight through the middle. One beaten dribble can become one goal against.
So the role changed. Instead of hugging the touchline, the modern wide player drifts into the half-space to make an overload, and the touchline is left to an overlapping or inverted full-back. Width without the gamble. Guardiola, Arteta and Alonso have all codified versions of this. Flair dribblers get benched for players who keep the ball and keep the shape.
Here is the honest tension. It is more efficient, and it is a little less fun. Control wins matches. But nobody ever bought a shirt because of a beautifully safe sideways pass. Whether that trade is worth it is the real argument, and it is not settled.