Matip has looked pretty solid since he came in, and seems to have an understanding with Dejan Lovren. How is that reflected in the numbers?
There has been no shortage of praise for Joel Matip at Liverpool since his arrival from Schalke on a free transfer. It was one of the first pieces of transfer business that Jurgen Klopp did and for many it’s not hard to see why.
Former Liverpool striker John Aldridge wrote in his Liverpool Echo column earlier on in the week that Matip reminded him of Sami Hyypia. High praise indeed as Hyypia is fondly remembered for his long and distinguished service and winning almost everything on offer during his time at Anfield.
After recovering from a slight ankle injury in pre-season, which saw him miss the opening two games of the season, Matip has been an ever-present at the heart of the Reds defence.
But is he worthy of all this praise?
Here are some of the numbers:
Premier League 2016-17:
| Passing Accuracy | Headed duels % won | Tackles Accuracy | Total Tackle | Interception won per game | Total clearance per game | Goals Conceded | Duels won per game | Appearances | Mins Played | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ragnar Klavan | 91% | 63.64 | 75% | 4 | 1 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 2 | 180 |
| Dejan Lovren | 84% | 71.43 | 86% | 7 | 1.75 | 5.75 | 7 | 6.75 | 4 | 360 |
| Joel Matip | 84% | 50 | 100% | 4 | 1.67 | 7.67 | 3 | 3.33 | 3 | 270 |
Liverpool are certainly conceding fewer goals with Matip in the side, and he has partnered Dejan Lovren for two out of his three Premier League appearances.
What is interesting is that the statistics suggest that Lovren has been the more physical of the two in the duels he has won (more than double on average), along with the amount of aerial contests he has won with his opponents. The pair have exactly the same statistics in terms of passing accuracy and similar when it comes to interceptions won, with Lovren marginally ahead. There are some areas where Ragnar Klavan, seemingly third choice this season, is excelling at more than Matip.
Matip is ahead when it comes to tackling accuracy, flawless so far in the Premier League, and his willingness to clear the ball. It seems that both Matip and Lovren have their strengths – one may be targeted more than the other in certain areas – but they seem to complement each other pretty well.
While Matip has been impressive since his arrival, and only played two games alongside the man that he looks likely to partner for most of the season if all goes well, maybe Lovren deserves some credit too. The chances are, credit will head their way when Liverpool are keeping regular clean sheets.
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