Charlie Cresswell is a 20-year-old Leeds United defender who is playing on loan at EFL Championship side Millwall. The youngster is in his first full season of senior football. His performances have impressed many, and the player is now in demand. He has become a first-choice centre-back at Millwall and is progressing well. We now look at some of the stats from the current season that show why some of the clubs have shown their interest in the 21-year-old.
Charlie Cresswell has made 16 appearances for the Dons in the EFL Championship this season. The above viz shows the percentile rank of the player in comparison to other right centre-backs in the league. One of the most interesting stat about the player is his ability to score goals. The centre-back has bagged four goals and also has an assist to his name. His pizza chart also shows that the player has been dominant when it comes to scoring goals. The possession department also shows a decent percentile rank. When we look at the defensive stats, it can be observed that the player has a high percentile rank for contesting duels but struggles a bit in winning them. However, at such a young age and in his first regular season, the player has impressed many with his performances on the pitch.
A commander in defence
The 20-year-old shields the defence from attacks coming from the right side. He is a right-sided centre-back who also likes to run up and down the field. The above viz shows the defensive territory of the player in the current season. Most of the defensive actions have been contested in the top of the defensive third and in the middle third, particularly on the right side. He contests 7.17 defensive duels and 5.78 loose ball duels per 90 minutes and enjoys a success rate of 68.9% for defensive duels and 49.4% for loose ball duels. Adding to this, the player makes 4.46 interceptions per 90 minutes, with a few coming in the attacking half. One of the areas where he needs to improve is in the fouls that he commits. He is young and has committed a few fouls in dangerous areas in the attacking third of the opposition. These set pieces could lead to a goal or two, and that could prove costly for the team.
One of the areas where Charlie Cresswell has been dominant is in his ability to win aerial duels. The 20-year-old contests 8.99 aerial duels per 90 minutes and wins 55% of his aerial duels. These duels have allowed him to score four goals this season. The first viz above 15 aerial duels contested against Birmingham City. The defender won eight duels, and four came inside the opposition penalty box. In the second viz, he won five of the nine aerial duels contested against Hull City. This shows that the player can win his aerial duels in the defensive half as well as inside the attacking half.
Charlie Cresswell has also made four crucial blocks for his side, with three coming inside the opposition penalty box. This shows that the defender isn’t afraid of putting his body on the line and could become a defensive commander in the coming years.
Ball playing defender
Modern-day centre-backs should be good with the ball at their feet. Charlie Cresswell has decent passing stats; he averages 42.7 passes per 90 minutes. His accuracy rate this season has been 82.7%. These passes include 7.38 passes to the final third per 90 minutes and has a 63.2% accuracy rate. Other than this, the 20-year-old also attempts 1.11 passes to the opposition penalty box per 90 minutes and has an accuracy rate of 37.5%. The above viz shows the progressive passes made by the defender this season. Most of the passes have been directed to the right wing. However, the player has also switched flanks on occasions, which shows his ability to spot a teammate. Charlie Cresswell knows how to play the ball and has decent stats.
Betting Analysis
In case Charlie Cresswell makes a move away from Millwall, then their odds for the 1×2 bets are likely to go high. He is a crucial part of the squad, and his exclusion will affect their chances of winning the match.
Charlie Cresswell is a defender in demand, and his performances explain why the clubs have shown interest in the youngster. Leeds United are happy with the progress of the defender and might look to earn some money from his transfer. As of now, some of the EFL Championship clubs have shown their interest in signing him on loan. It would be interesting to see whether someone bids for him or not before the deadline ends.
Visuals via TFA data viz engine
