Mateo Kovacic didn’t really manage to cut the teeth in the Premier League during his debut season under Maurizio Sarri but the 26-year-old has looked like a completely different player under Lampard this term following his permanent transfer to Chelsea from Real Madrid. Well, if you have any doubts over that, then here are some statistics to prove that the Croatian has progressed leaps and bounds under Lampard’s tutelage.
According to whoscored, Kovacic boasts the highest number of successful dribbles per 90 minutes (3.7) among all central midfielders to have made more than 15 appearances in the Premier League this season so far.
Tottenham’s Tanguy Ndombele (3.6) and Arsenal’s Joe Willock (2.6) are second and third on the list respectively.
Now, if that’s not convincing enough or if you are looking for a different parameter to judge Kovacic’s exploits this season, then it’s certainly worth taking a look at this one.
According to these numbers, Kovacic’s average of 75.9 passes per 90 minutes in the Premier League this season stands third among all midfielders in the English top-flight, with Man City’s Rodri and Ilkay Gundogan occupying the first and second spots respectively.
Unlike Rodri, who plays as an out-and-out defensive midfielder or even occasionally as a centre-back at City, Kovacic performs a box-to-box role at Chelsea, meaning that the slight difference in numbers is quite understandable.
The Croatian has accumulated 2 goals and 3 assists in 37 outings for the Blues across all competitions this season so far, with his consistency in the middle of the park making him a genuine contender for Chelsea’s Player of the Season award.