This article is part of Football FanCast’s The Chalkboard series, which provides a tactical insight into teams, players, managers, potential signings and more…
Patrick Bamford vs Eddie Nketiah is one of the biggest selection dilemmas at Leeds United at the moment.
Everyone is split on it. Some fans love Bamford’s work rate while others are worried about him starting.
It’s clear what Marcelo Bielsa’s view is on the matter as he’s started the former Middlesbrough man in every league game so far, and that run is set to continue against Sheffield Wednesday.
However, the loanee may be able to rival Bamford in one key area as one incredible stat has emerged.
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On the chalkboard
LUFC Data produced an infographic comparing the two forwards, and the most surprising stat to come out of it was that Nketiah actually wins more duels per 90 minutes than his teammate.
The Arsenal loanee’s tally stands at 5.1, whereas his competition in attack is currently just 3.1.
Bamford’s one redeeming quality is his work rate and his ability to press the defence, but it seems as if the youngster is even outdoing him on that front, particularly when it comes to getting stuck in on a defensive level.
Of course, we’re not blind to the fact that Nketiah comes off the bench in these games and he only plays for short periods against tired legs, so therefore he’s more likely to win these duels.
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However, although we can’t prove that this trend would continue if he was a starter, it also can’t be disproven. Similarly, it cannot be ignored.
Nketiah will never be able to show that he’s the striker that his manager wants to be unless he’s given a shot.
Bielsa should have a long think about this and it could be worth seeing if he can rival Bamford’s numbers in terms of duels won if he starts.