The two defenders have enjoyed strong starts to the season so far.
This weekend sees Liverpool host newly-promoted Hull City at Anfield in their sixth game of the season.
The last time the two sides met in the league was April 2015 with the Tigers coming out on top in that game courtesy of a Michael Dawson goal.
They have both enjoyed relatively strong starts to the season; the Reds have picked up 10 points from their first five games while Mike Phelan’s side have seven points to their name.
Both defences have come under scrutiny for differing reasons. Liverpool’s defence has once again come in for criticism while Hull have shocked many with their start.
Key players in either back line are Curtis Davies and Dejan Lovren, so we decided to take a look at how they have compared so far.
| Won Tackle per Game | Interception Won per Game | Duel Won per Game | Aerial Won per Game | Ball Recovery per Game | Accurate Pass per Gae | Passing Accuracy | Goals Conceded per Game | Appearances | Mins Played | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dejan Lovren | 1.5 | 1.75 | 6.75 | 3.75 | 3.5 | 46.25 | 84% | 1.75 | 4 | 360 |
| Curtis Davies | 1.2 | 7 | 5.8 | 3.2 | 3 | 38.2 | 86% | 1.4 | 5 | 450 |
And it transpires that the Liverpool defender as had the better start as he came out on top in five of the eight areas looked at.
On a per-game basis, the Croatian has managed to win more tackles, more defensive duels, and more aerial duels that Davies.
He has also managed to post more ball recoveries per game and registered more accurate passes.
It’s not all bad news for Davies though, as he has won more interceptions per game and enjoyed a better passing accuracy. Crucially he has also conceded few goals than Lovren.
A win for Lovren nonetheless, and he will be hoping to dominate the stats once again this weekend.
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