da prosport bet： Cesar Azpilicueta may well be the most underrated defender in Europe. Sure, the Chelsea star is well-appreciated by his Premier League peers, but probably not to the extent he deserves.
da betsson： After all, during the last four seasons at Stamford Bridge, Azpilicueta has performed with an impeccable consistency at right-back, left-back, wing-back and most commonly this season, a centre-half in Chelsea’s three-man defensive setup.
In the process, the Spain international has provided us with copious evidence of his defensive quality; in terms of positioning, timing tackles and one-on-one situations, he’s about as solid as it gets, whilst he holds his own in the air for a footballer who measures in at just 5 foot 10.
But on the ball too, Azpilicueta has made a huge impact this season. In fact, according to data courtesy of EA SPORTS, he’s the first Premier League player to complete more than 2000 passes in the top flight during 2016/17. He’s also the only defender to make the passing top ten and perhaps most impressively of all, the only defender to have completed 1000 passes in the opposition half.
When Chelsea need him most, the 27-year-old has a fantastic knack for delivering too. Indeed, he supplied Michy Batshuayi for the winner against West Bromwich Albion last Friday that clinched the Blues the Premier League title.
There’s now a real argument to Azpilicueta being world-class. Is there a side in world football that couldn’t find room for him in their backline?
Data Courtesy of EA SPORTS, the Lead Partner of the Premier League.