Mateo Kovacic is hardly the most impressive player in terms of goal and assist tally – he’s just scored once and assisted five more goals in 57 PL games since joining Chelsea in 2018.
However, it’s his ability to carry the ball forward that makes him almost unique for the Premier League and vital for Chelsea.
Among all players in the league, Kovacic (28.9 ball carries for 5 metres or more per game) is second only to Man City’s Fernandinho (29.7 ball carries per game) in this regard.
His dribbling ability is even more outstanding: Kovacic leads the pack with a 79% success rate; Wolves’ Adama Traore is second with only 70%.
As a result, Mateo makes more passes into the final third per 90 minutes than any other Chelsea player.
Chelsea have managed more shots than PL leaders Liverpool, and Kovacic’s talents seem to be one of the key reasons for these numbers.