Chelsea plays Tottenham Hotspur tonight in a big London derby. It’s an important match. Chelsea has had a tough time lately, winning only two out of their last seven games in the Premier League. Some of their important players like Christopher Nkunku and Ben Chilwell got injured, and this hurt their chances in the early part of the season. But the manager Mauricio Pochettino has promised the fans to keep faith.
On the other hand, Tottenham has been doing really well since Ange Postecoglu became their manager. They haven’t lost a game in the league. Two of their star players, Heung-min Son and James Maddison, have been scoring lots of goals and assists. They want to keep doing well in this match.
But Chelsea has a strong defense. They don’t let in too many goals, just a few teams are better at stopping goals. One of their important defenders this season is Axel Disasi, who has played a lot of games for them.
So, it’s a big game between Chelsea and Tottenham, and both teams have their strengths and weaknesses. Let’s see what happens in the match tonight.
Quantifying Axel Disasi’s Season: A Statistical Analysis
Axel Disasi joined Chelsea in the summer for £38.8 million and quickly became a part of Mauricio Pochettino’s plans. He played in nine out of ten Premier League games, showing his skill in carrying the ball out from defense and making precise passes. He aided Chelsea’s possession-oriented play with a 92% pass completion and a 50% success rate in dribbling.
In their upcoming match against Tottenham, Chelsea may need to change their approach and focus on counter-attacks due to Tottenham’s strong offense. This means Disasi will have a key role in defense. However, when it comes to defensive statistics, he hasn’t performed very well this season. He ranks in the bottom 8% for interceptions, bottom 10% for blocks, and bottom 1% for tackles in comparison to other players in his position in the Premier League, according to FBref.
As a result, Pochettino might decide to replace Disasi with his former teammate from Monaco, Benoit Badiashile, for this important match.
Breaking Down Benoit Badiashile’s Chelsea Career Through Data
Benoit Badiashile made a strong comeback from injury by scoring a crucial goal against Blackburn Rovers, which secured Chelsea’s spot in the Carabao Cup quarter-finals. This goal held a lot of significance not only for the team but also for Badiashile himself. Injuries had posed a significant challenge, and he had been unable to play since May.
His former coach, Nelson Caldeira, praised Badiashile as a “complete defender” for his cool-headedness, skill with the ball, and outstanding tackling abilities. These qualities had left a lasting mark at Chelsea. However, in the upcoming match against Tottenham, Chelsea might have to focus more on defending rather than ball-playing. This is where Badiashile’s exceptional physical attributes could be an advantage. Last season, he demonstrated through the statistics that he outperformed his teammate Disasi in the Premier League as a stronger defender.
To deal with the threat of players like Son and Maddison from Tottenham, Chelsea will need a well-organized defense. Considering the statistics, the 6-foot-4 Badiashile has proven to be the better all-around defender compared to Disasi. He might be the better choice to counter the host’s attacking strength.
