Leeds United ace Samu Saiz has had a strong start at Elland Road.
Leeds United’s summer signing of Samu Saiz has been an inspired move, with the Spaniard making a major impact at Elland Road.
Saiz’s early performances have lifted Leeds to promotion contention, with the Whites sitting inside the play-off spots.
The former Huesca talent’s performances look even better when compared to one of the Championship’s leading players from last season, Jonjo Shelvey.
Shelvey inspired Newcastle to win promotion, scoring five goals and providing eight assists along the way.
Two months into the season, Saiz’s performances compare favourably to Shelvey’s efforts in nearly all key categories.
| Season | Passing Accuracy | Key Passes per game | Crossing Accuracy | Dribbles per game | Shots On Target per game | Assists per game | Goals per game | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jonjo Shelvey | 2016-2017 | 78% | 2.07 | 33% | 0.5 | 0.88 | 0.19 | 0.12 |
| Samu Sáiz | 2017-2018 | 78% | 2.44 | 44% | 1.33 | 0.78 | 0.22 | 0.22 |
The challenge for Saiz is to keep up his level of performance.
He was kept largely quiet by Sheffield Wednesday in Leeds’ recent 3-0 loss, and will have to adjust to defences learning more about him and how he plays.
Shelvey’s Newcastle season ended in promotion as the club clinched an automatic spot to go up as champions.
If Saiz can lead Leeds to the same achievements, his name will be etched in the club folklore for years and even decades to come.
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