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Which players have won the most aerial duels in the Premier League this season?

Which players have won the most aerial duels in the Premier League this season?
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While some players are good with the ball at their feet, others are dominant in the air. Since the skillful wingers and creative midfielders often grab the headlines, it’s time to appreciate the other side of the game.

Let’s check out the players who have won the most aerial duels in the Premier League this season. If you follow English football, you probably won’t be surprised by some of the names in the top five.

• Chris Wood (Burnley + Newcastle United) – 233

Chris Wood has won the most aerial duels in the Premier League this season by some distance. The Kiwi target man has won 233 aerial duels in 27 games, meaning he averages 8.6 per game.

The menacing striker moved from Burnley to Newcastle United during the January transfer window. Although he remains an aerial threat, he has scored just one goal in ten league games for his new club.

• Ethan Pinnock (Brentford) – 145

Ethan Pinnock has started all but one of Brentford’s 30 Premier League games this term, winning 145 aerial duels along the way. That means he averages 4.8 per game.

The Bees find themselves eight points clear of the relegation zone, but they boast the second-best defensive record in the bottom six. Pinnock has been pivotal to his team’s defensive efforts.

• James Tarkowski (Burnley) – 126

It’s fair to say that James Tarkowski is one of the least surprising names on this list. After all, the fearless centre-back is renowned for dominating his opponents in the air.

Averaging five successful aerial duels per game, the Burnley defender a master of winning one-on-one battles. He has even chipped in with one goal and two assists for good measure.

• Thomas Soucek (West Ham United) – 113

Thomas Soucek is arguably one of the toughest midfielders in the Premier League. The giant Czech Republic international is not afraid to put his head in where it hurts.

This season, Soucek has netted five goals across all competitions for the Hammers – two of which were headers. Since joining West Ham from Slavia Prague in 2020, he has scored a total of seven headers.

• Virgil van Dijk (Liverpool) – 108

Few would argue that Virgil van Dijk is not the best centre-back in the Premier League. Sure, Ruben Dias gives van Dijk a run for his money. But the giant Dutchman is a bona fide colossus.

It is no secret that van Dijk boasts countless top-class attributes – and winning aerial duels is certainly one of them. On average, the Liverpool defender has won four per game this term.

Premier League
OVERALL TABLE PTS GP W D L +/-
1
Arsenal 80 35 25 5 5 57
2
Manchester City 79 34 24 7 3 50
3
Liverpool 75 35 22 9 4 41
4
Aston Villa 67 35 20 7 8 21
5
Tottenham 60 33 18 6 9 15
6
Manchester United 54 34 16 6 12 1
7
Newcastle United 53 34 16 5 13 19
8
West Ham 49 35 13 10 12 -9
9
Chelsea 48 33 13 9 11 4
10
Bournemouth 48 35 13 9 13 -8
11
Wolverhampton 46 35 13 7 15 -7
12
Brighton 44 34 11 11 12 -5
13
Fulham 43 35 12 7 16 -4
14
Crystal Palace 40 35 10 10 15 -12
15
Everton 36 35 12 8 15 -11
16
Brentford 35 35 9 8 18 -8
17
Nottingham Forest 26 35 7 9 19 -20
18
Luton Town 25 35 6 7 22 -29
19
Burnley 24 35 5 9 21 -32
20
Sheffield United 16 35 3 7 25 -63

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