Taking a closer look at how the Chelsea player compares with the West Ham United loanee.
The art of a defensive midfielder is an understated craft; that ability to dominate matches but in so doing often see the headlines taken by those around you.
Two of the best the Premier League has to offer in that position are Chelsea’s Nemanja Matic and West Ham United’s loan star Alex Song.
Matic is widely regarded as the best of his ilk in England, but how does Song compare to the Serbian international when it comes to league performances this season?
As you can see the Chelsea player has a far superior passing accuracy, while he averages more interceptions, more duels, more aerial battles and more tackles than the Cameroon star.
| Passing accuracy | Key passes per game | Outfield blocks per game | Interceptions won per game | Duels won per game | Aerials won per game | Tackles won per game | Appearances | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nemanja Matic | 87% | 0.83 | 0.21 | 2.25 | 7.75 | 1.54 | 2.92 | 24 |
| Alexandre Song | 77% | 1 | 0.33 | 1.5 | 7.28 | 0.67 | 2.61 | 18 |
Song does however come out on top in terms of outfield blocks and key passes per appearance.
When Matic returned to Chelsea following his spell at Benfica, he did so as a completely different player from the one who left Stamford Bridge, and now Jose Mourinho’s side is reaping the rewards.
As for Song, he has always been a class act and West Ham will surely want to keep him at Upton Park for the long haul if at all possible. But with each great performance, other potential suitors are sure to be readying bids of their own if he does leave Barcelona for good this summer.
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