16 dribbles, 10 chances created, Liverpool loanee thriving in the Championship

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Joao Teixeira has made a bright start to life at Brighton.

So the thinking was that Joao Teixeira would thrive under the stewardship of former Liverpool defender Sami Hyypia.

That’s what, at least in part, motivated the Reds’ decision to loan their 21-year-old Portuguese talent to Brighton this season.

Whether it was going to work is a different issue entirely, of course, as no loan deal is ever guaranteed success. Jordon Ibe, for instance, spent last season on loan at Birmingham City but, despite finding the net once, the young winger never really made a definitive enough impact on the Championship.

But what of Teixeira?

As Opta stats show, after just six league games for Hyypia’s side, the signs are very impressive indeed for the young playmaker.

So far, only two players have won more dribbles than Teixeira, while he has also created 10 chances and taken 306 touches of the ball this season.

In the final third, meanwhile, Teixeira’s passing has been impressive, with the 21-year-old averaging over 15 successful final-third passes per game. In terms of overall passing, the Portuguese has also fared impressively.

Add Teixeira’s two league goals this term to the equation and you have a Premier League youngster showing he is already good enough to dominate at Championship level. It may be too soon to jump to conclusions, of course, but it’s so far, so very promising for Liverpool loanee Teixeira.