The Newcastle United and West Brom defenders impressed against Bournemouth and Manchester United respectively.
Newcastle United and West Brom both put on resilient defensive displays on Saturday afternoon and the Baggies were unlucky not to come away with the same outcome as the Magpies.
Steve McClaren’s men beat Bournemouth 1-0 during the Premier League’s early kick-off but had to do a lot of defending.
West Brom, meanwhile, were similarly pushed by Manchester United but couldn’t hold on as they left Old Trafford with a 2-0 defeat.
Within their respective back fours, two individuals in particular stood out statistically.
| Team | Tackles | Minutes Played | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daryl Janmaat | Newcastle | 6 | 90 |
| César Azpilicueta | Chelsea | 4 | 90 |
| Robbie Brady | Norwich | 4 | 90 |
| Craig Dawson | West Brom | 4 | 90 |
| Paul Dummett | Newcastle | 4 | 90 |
| DeAndre Yedlin | Sunderland | 4 | 90 |
Indeed, as Opta stats show, Daryl Janmaat won more tackles than any other top-flight player on Saturday.
| Team | Interceptions | Minutes Played | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jonny Evans | West Brom | 8 | 90 |
| Sebastián Coates | Sunderland | 7 | 90 |
| N’Golo Kanté | Leicester | 7 | 90 |
| Chris Smalling | Man Utd | 6 | 90 |
| Claudio Yacob | West Brom | 6 | 90 |
And West Brom’s Jonny Evans won more interceptions than any other top-flight player.
Evans was clearly looking to prove a point against his former club, while Janmaat’s contribution was vital if you consider just how much possession Bournemouth enjoyed against Newcastle.
West Brom’s Craig Dawson also impressed tackles wise, while Claudio Yacob made just two less interceptions than Evans.
Lady Luck favoured McClaren’s side over Pulis’s, however, as both were defensively astute on Saturday and boasted the Premier League’s most impressive statistical performers.
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