The Tottenham Hotspur and Newcastle United defenders were outstanding in the key area.
Kyle Walker and Chancel Mbemba made an impression on Saturday afternoon against Manchester City and Chelsea respectively by topping the Premier League charts for the number of interceptions they won.
Indeed, the Tottenham and Newcastle stars were the top flight’s best – alongside Leicester City’s Ritchie de Laet – in terms of their reading of the game on Saturday.
No player won more interceptions than the trio, although another Tottenham man came shortly behind in Dele Alli.
| Team | Interceptions | Minutes Played | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chancel Mbemba | Newcastle | 6 | 90 |
| Kyle Walker | Tottenham | 6 | 90 |
| Ritchie de Laet | Leicester | 6 | 90 |
| Robbie Brady | Norwich | 5 | 90 |
| Lee Cattermole | Sunderland | 5 | 90 |
| Dele Alli | Tottenham | 5 | 90 |
As Opta stats show, Mbemba, Walker and De Laet won six interceptions each as they made important contributions for the Magpies, Spurs and the Foxes.
De Laet couldn’t stop Leicester losing 5-2, while Mbemba couldn’t stop Newcastle surrendering a 2-0 lead to draw 2-2 with champions Chelsea.
Walker, meanwhile, lost the ball for Manchester City’s goal against Tottenham.
Interceptions-wise, though, these were the standard bearers in the Premier League on Saturday afternoon – something the trio will no doubt look to build on as the season progresses. Alli’s five should also not go unnoticed, with the 19-year-old once again impressing in the heart of Spurs’ midfield.
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