Zian Flemming was signed by EFL Championship side Millwall from Eredivisie side Fortuna Sittard. The 24-year-old attacking midfielder is a goal scorer and was signed by the Lions to improve their offensive department. Since signing for the club, the Dutchman has been a key member of the squad. He took some time to settle into the squad and was on the scoresheet in his ninth match in the EFL Championship. After scoring in the first match, he found his touch and scored a few goals in the last three months. Millwall have risen to sixth place in the league table. We now look at some of the contributions of the attacking midfielder and how he is leading his side’s charge for promotion to the English Premier League.
Zian Flemming has made 22 appearances for Millwall in the EFL Championship this season. The 24-year-old has reached double figures for the season by scoring ten goals in these 22 appearances. The above viz shows the percentile rank of the player in comparison to other attacking midfielders in the EFL Championship. By looking at the viz, we can observe that Flemming has a high percentile rank for attempting shots and is decently ranked for goal contributions. He doesn’t have an assist to his name and has a low percentile rank in the possession department. However, one of the areas where the Dutchman has excelled is in winning aerial duels. This shows that Flemming creates a lot of threats with his aerial ability.
The 24-year-old attacking midfielder is ever-present in the attacking areas for the Lions. He plays behind the striker but likes to cover the wings as well. The above touch map shows all the touches taken by the player in the EFL Championship. Most of these touches have come in the central zones and he averages 2.4 touches per 90 minutes within the opposition penalty box. This shows that Flemming poses a threat to the opposition’s goal by penetrating their penalty box on more than two occasions per match.
The goal-scoring contributions
With an average of 3.18 shots per 90 minutes, Zian Flemming has taken 66 shots. He manages to hit the target 40.9% of the time. The above viz shows the shot map for the 24-year-old. It can be observed that Flemming has taken the majority of the shots from the central zones. He has managed to get past the opposition’s goalkeeper five times from inside the penalty box and five times from outside the penalty box. This shows that Flemming carries the threat of scoring goals from distance and set-pieces. The midfielder has also tried some long-range shots, but the majority have been off-target.
The last 14 matches have been productive for the 24-year-old. He has scored eight goals, including a hat-trick against Preston North End. Of the 38 shots taken by the forward, he has managed to hit the target on 16 occasions. He has started to add numbers to his goals, and this is one of the biggest positives for Millwall.
Another area where the Dutchman has contributed is in regaining the balls high up on the pitch. Zian Flemming recovers the ball 5.35 times per 90 minutes, with 60.4% of the recoveries coming inside the opposition’s half. The recoveries inside the opposition half include 46 counter-pressing and 11 dangerous recoveries. The above viz shows that most of these dangerous recoveries have been made just outside the opposition’s penalty box.
Betting Analysis
The 1×2 odds for Millwall were much affected by the recent form of the player. His goals and their recent winning run decreased their odds. The goal-scoring form also affected the over/under lines. There were more chances of scoring goals and hence the over lines rate experienced a drop in the rate.
Ziam Flemming has adjusted well in the EFL Championship and has made his mark on the team. His recent form is a big positive for the team and the management. The 24-year-old will look to continue this form, and that might interest other clubs as well. He will also hope to take Millwall closer to promotion.
Visuals via TFA data viz engine
