Who were the best Championship defenders in September? Pearce, Berra and more

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Leeds United, Bournemouth, Ipswich Town, Wolves, Cardiff City, Derby County and Nottingham Forest stars all feature.

September was a vital month in the Championship for sides at the top and bottom of the league table.

It was also an extremely interesting month for Leeds United who saw matches under two different matches, one with a more successful start than the other.

We’ve taken a look at some of the key areas of the stats to judge which defenders were most effective in the division throughout September.

Outfield Blocks

Leeds United captain Jason Pearce features alongside Brentford’s James Tarkowski at the top of this list. Both players were superb in terms of their positional play, providing a natural barrier between the attacker and their goal.

Won Tackles

Bournemouth’s Simon Francis was the most successful Championship defender in terms of the number of tackles he won last month. He was extremely effective as a last line of defence and breaking up the play when sides built pressure against his team.

Effective Clearances

Ipswich Town defender Christophe Berra was the best defender when it came to effective clearances. That shows he was making no nonsense style decisions when the side was under heavy pressure from the attack of other teams. That allowed Ipswich some breathing room at key times.

Aerial Duels Won

Berra also tops the list in terms of the most aerial duels won. That made Ipswich a difficult team to try and hit over the top and in terms of set pieces. It also shows that he’s a strong defender in straight up match ups and also marks well under pressure.

Interceptions Won

Bruno Manga of Cardiff was the most intelligent midfielder through September in terms of the number of interceptions he made. He’s reading the game well, stepping in at the right times and preventing the opposition from being able to play freely against Cardiff.