While some players are good with the ball at their feet, others are dominant in the air. Since the skillful wingers and creative midfielders often grab the headlines, it’s time to appreciate the other side of the game.
Let’s check out the players who have won the most aerial duels in the Premier League this season. If you follow English football, you probably won’t be surprised by some of the names in the top five.
Chris Wood has won the most aerial duels in the Premier League this season by some distance. The Kiwi target man has won 233 aerial duels in 27 games, meaning he averages 8.6 per game.
🇳🇿 Another goal for Chris Wood this evening as he helped @NZ_Football to a 5-0 win over Solomon Islands. The All Whites will now face the fourth placed team in CONCACAF qualifying in June for a spot in the 2022 World Cup.Well played, @officialcwood. 💪 pic.twitter.com/mlTM0pGxtz— Newcastle United FC (@NUFC) March 30, 2022
🇳🇿 Another goal for Chris Wood this evening as he helped @NZ_Football to a 5-0 win over Solomon Islands. The All Whites will now face the fourth placed team in CONCACAF qualifying in June for a spot in the 2022 World Cup.Well played, @officialcwood. 💪 pic.twitter.com/mlTM0pGxtz
The menacing striker moved from Burnley to Newcastle United during the January transfer window. Although he remains an aerial threat, he has scored just one goal in ten league games for his new club.
Ethan Pinnock has started all but one of Brentford’s 30 Premier League games this term, winning 145 aerial duels along the way. That means he averages 4.8 per game.
The Bees find themselves eight points clear of the relegation zone, but they boast the second-best defensive record in the bottom six. Pinnock has been pivotal to his team’s defensive efforts.
It’s fair to say that James Tarkowski is one of the least surprising names on this list. After all, the fearless centre-back is renowned for dominating his opponents in the air.
Averaging five successful aerial duels per game, the Burnley defender a master of winning one-on-one battles. He has even chipped in with one goal and two assists for good measure.
Thomas Soucek is arguably one of the toughest midfielders in the Premier League. The giant Czech Republic international is not afraid to put his head in where it hurts.
This season, Soucek has netted five goals across all competitions for the Hammers – two of which were headers. Since joining West Ham from Slavia Prague in 2020, he has scored a total of seven headers.
Few would argue that Virgil van Dijk is not the best centre-back in the Premier League. Sure, Ruben Dias gives van Dijk a run for his money. But the giant Dutchman is a bona fide colossus.
It is no secret that van Dijk boasts countless top-class attributes – and winning aerial duels is certainly one of them. On average, the Liverpool defender has won four per game this term.