Leeds fans have talked the 21-year-old up on Twitter – what do the stats say?
Charlie Taylor’s start to the Championship season at Leeds United has been nothing short of impressive.
Gaetano Berardi, too, has done well at right-back. But, down the left-hand side, Taylor has really stood out, drawing praise from his manager and team-mates alike.
He has already proven his worth within the Leeds side – but what about claims fans have made on social media that he could already be the best left-back in division?
| Left-backs | Chances Created | Crosses | Final-Third Passes | Dribbles | Tackles | Interceptions | Final-Third Entries | Minutes Played |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Craig Forsyth | 7 | 6 | 23 | 1 | 2 | 6 | 17 | 180 |
| Jason Davidson | 6 | 5 | 20 | 0 | 6 | 14 | 25 | 360 |
| Charlie Taylor | 5 | 3 | 33 | 3 | 6 | 16 | 47 | 360 |
| Jonas Knudsen | 5 | 2 | 23 | 0 | 4 | 7 | 62 | 360 |
| Dean Moxey | 5 | 5 | 27 | 7 | 6 | 10 | 30 | 350 |
As Opta stats show, Taylor compares well with the best-performing left-backs in the second tier. Craig Forsyth has impressed, creating more chances and completing more crosses than anyone despite playing just two games.
But Taylor has completed more final-third passes and won more interceptions than his rivals. He has also won as many tackles and only been beaten by Jonas Knudsen in terms of final-third entries.
Perhaps the biggest win of all for Taylor, though, is simply his age. At 21, the Leeds man is the youngest of the bunch and has so much more to give. Forsyth is 26, Jason Davidson 24 and Dean Moxey 29. Knudsen is a close call at 22.
It’s early day, of course, and there’s a long way to go during a grueling Championship campaign. Based on the early signs, though, Taylor is certainly one of the best-performing left-backs in the division. To claim he’s the very best? Definitely in with a shout…
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