Sheffield United finished fifth in the EFL Championship last season. They failed to earn a promotion and are now in their second consecutive season in the English Second Division. In order to get promoted this time, they made some signings to improve the squad and increase their chances of getting back to the top division. One of the players who has been a good addition and has certainly improved the team is their Bosnian defender, Anel Ahmedhodzic. The 23-year-old made a move from Malmo FF and has settled well into Sheffield United’s gameplan. He has also contributed on the offensive side as well. We now look at some of the stats of the player that show why he is considered one of the best signings in the EFL Championship 2022–23.
Position of play
Sheffield United defend with three defenders. Anel Ahmedhodzic plays in the right centre-back role. He has an attacking mindset and likes to get involved in forward plays. This season, he has appeared in 14 league games and made 12 starts. The 23-year-old has helped his side keep seven clean sheets. The above viz shows the defensive territory, and it can be observed that he gives defensive cover to the right wing-back. He contests 7.4 defensive duels, 4.13 aerial duels, and 4.05 loose ball duels per 90 minutes. The win percentage is 72.5% for defensive duels, 57.9% for aerial duels, and 57.1% for loose ball duels. Adding to this, Ahmedhodzic has made 4.9 interceptions per 90 minutes, with most of them coming in the top of the defensive third.
The three-man defence allows Ahmedhodzic to play a high line for the team. This has led to more recoveries in the attacking zones for the defender. The Bosnian recovers the ball 10.64 times per 90 minutes, and 18.4% of them have been made in the attacking half.
The attacking contributions
One of the areas where the defender has excelled this season is in his goal contributions. He has registered four goals and also has two assists to his name. The above viz shows that Ahmedhodzic takes a lot of touches inside the opposition half. He averages 1.88 touches inside the opposition penalty box.
The 23-year-old is a threat during set-pieces and has contributed toward scoring goals. He has taken 19 shots, and seven have been on target. He lacks accuracy in his long-range efforts but is a threat whenever he gets a chance to score from dangerous areas in the penalty box.
An all-round contribution
Anel Ahmedhodzic is settling well in England. The duels’ win percentage is high, along with the goal contributions. The above viz shows the percentile rank of the player in comparison to the other right centre-backs in the league. His attacking contributions have been one of the best and defensively he is solid. The passing has been a bit decent and that has helped him to register two assists. His overall game is impressive and that makes him one of the best signings of the summer.
Sheffield United will hope that Anel Ahmedhodzic continues his rich run of form and helps the Blades earn a promotion. A lot of clubs will be monitoring the player, and his current performances might earn him a move to a team playing in the top division.
Visuals via TFA data viz engine
