Nottingham Forest, Blackpool, Wolves, Fulham and Watford defenders feature in the top performers in the Championship over the weekend.
The Championship threw up plenty of interesting results over the weekend with Bournemouth’s point at Huddersfield allowing them to pull level on points with Middlesbrough in the race for promotion.
Leeds United battled their way to a fourth win in five games while Blackpool put up good fight to secure a point in a 4-4 draw against Nottingham Forest.
We’ve taken a look at the top defenders in the Championship from the weekend across several areas.
Outfield Blocks
| Position | Team | Outfielder Block | Appearances | Mins Played | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tal Ben Haim | DF | Charlton | 2 | 1 | 90 |
| Danny Collins | DF | Forest | 2 | 1 | 90 |
| Dorian Dervite | DF | Bolton | 2 | 1 | 90 |
| Alan Dunne | DF | Millwall | 2 | 1 | 90 |
| David Edgar | DF | Huddersfield | 2 | 1 | 90 |
There’s nothing between the top performers in this area. Danny Collins of Nottingham Forest deserves a mention because had he not been in the right place at the right time, his team could have scored four goals yet left with nothing from the game against Blackpool.
Tackles
| Position | Team | Won Tackle | Appearances | Mins Played | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Danny Batth | DF | Wolves | 3 | 1 | 90 |
| Harlee Dean | DF | Brentford | 3 | 1 | 90 |
| Dorian Dervite | DF | Bolton | 3 | 1 | 90 |
| Lewis Dunk | DF | Brighton | 3 | 1 | 90 |
| Daniel Fox | DF | Forest | 3 | 1 | 90 |
There’s also nothing separating the top performers in terms of tackles, with another Forest player, Daniel Fox, appearing on this list, breaking up the play effectively against the Tangerines.
Effective Clearances
| Position | Team | Effective Clearance | Appearances | Mins Played | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tom Aldred | DF | Blackpool | 19 | 1 | 77 |
| Dorian Dervite | DF | Bolton | 14 | 1 | 90 |
| Jos Hooiveld | DF | Millwall | 12 | 1 | 90 |
| Charles Dunne | DF | Blackpool | 11 | 1 | 90 |
Tom Aldred of Blackpool made more effective clearances against Forest than any other player. He got the ball away with some no nonsense defending under pressure when there was plenty of chaos unfolding around him.
Aerial Duels Won
| Position | Team | Aerial Won | Appearances | Mins Played | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shaun Hutchinson | DF | Fulham | 8 | 1 | 89 |
| Tom Aldred | DF | Blackpool | 7 | 1 | 77 |
| Sebastien Bassong | DF | Norwich | 7 | 1 | 90 |
| Harlee Dean | DF | Brentford | 7 | 1 | 90 |
| Tom Lees | DF | Sheff Wed | 7 | 1 | 90 |
Shaun Hutchinson of Fulham was the main man in terms of aerial duels won. He found space against a determined Ipswich attack, but it’s a shame his efforts couldn’t be matched by his teammates, as the Londoners lost the game 2-1.
Interceptions
| Position | Team | Interception Won | Appearances | Mins Played | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Joel Ekstrand | DF | Watford | 8 | 1 | 90 |
| Nikolay Bodurov | DF | Fulham | 6 | 1 | 90 |
| Harlee Dean | DF | Brentford | 6 | 1 | 90 |
| Russell Martin | DF | Norwich | 6 | 1 | 90 |
| Jack Robinson | DF | Huddersfield | 6 | 1 | 90 |
Joel Ekstrand of Watford read the play more effectively than any other defender. There is work for the Watford defence to do after conceding three goals against Bolton though they just got over the line with a narrow 4-3 win.
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