Was Leeds United’s Luke Ayling unlucky to miss out?
Two Leeds United stars were named in the EFL Team of the Season this week, but should it have been three?
Pontus Jansson and Chris Wood were deserving of their places, while Luke Ayling may well consider himself unfortunate not to have made it in.
The summer signing was a bargain addition from Bristol City, and has been a consistently strong performer for the Whites.
Luke Ayling of Leeds United clears the ball
He was omitted from the chosen XI in favour of Huddersfield Town star Tommy Smith, but statistics indicate Ayling may have been a stronger pick.
In six key categories out of seven, Ayling comes out on top over his Terriers rival.
| Team | Season | Passing Accuracy | Won Tackles per game | Interceptions per game | Shots Blocked per game | Effective Clearances per game | Key Passes per game | Crossing Accuracy | Appearances | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Luke Ayling | Leeds | 2016-2017 | 75% | 2.17 | 1.53 | 0.5 | 3.31 | 0.75 | 20% | 36 |
| Tommy Smith | Huddersfield | 2016-2017 | 73% | 1.09 | 1 | 0.09 | 1.79 | 1.24 | 18% | 34 |
Ayling has been an unsung star at Leeds, holding off competition from Gaetano Berardi and Lewie Coyle to establish himself as a key player for the Whites.
Tommy Smith has not been chosen for no reason, his performances have been very good and his ability to attack as a full-back certainly outdoes Ayling.
When it comes to goals and assists, Smith is well worth his value – with four goals and nine assists to Ayling’s no goals and three assists.
In the art of actual defending, the Leeds man comes out on top.
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