Jamaal Lascelles has been named amongst the best defenders in the air in the whole of Europe according to a study by the CIES Football Observatory.
Since its creation in 2005, the CIES Football Observatory has become a reference point for statistical analyses of the game, and has been regularly mandated by official organisations such as FIFA and UEFA.
The study, which compiled stats from the biggest leagues in Europe, revealed the players with the best rate of defensive air challenges - and Jamaal Lascelles hits back at critics insisting Newcastle United have proved people wrong this season has made the cut.
Lyon’s Marcelo Guedes tops the list having won the highest percentage of defensive air challenges in domestic Ligue 1 matches this season with 136 out of 159 (85.5%).
The Brazilian is closely followed by Leicester and England’s Harry Maguire with an 85.3% win rate, who closely outranks Liverpool’s Van Dijk in third with 84.1% and Brighton’s Shane Duffy in fourth with 83.1%.
The top five is rounded off by another Ligue 1 player in Bordeaux’s Pedro Nascimento, who has won 82.9% of his air challenges for the French side this season.
Lascelles comes up at 37th with a win rate of 73.7%, winning 87 of his 118 defensive aerial duels, and is the only player from Newcastle to make the list.
Since joining Newcastle United five years ago, the 25-year-old has grown into his role as club captain and has become an influential figure both on and off the pitch.
Despite revealing this has been his toughest season at the club , the captain has been vital to Newcastle’s defence, and has helped the Magpies keep an impressive 10 clean sheets with only 43 goals conceded so far - four less than last season and 18 less than the relegation season of 2015/16.
This has cemented Lascelles’ place in the Magpies’ defence and his imposing stature has made him a nightmare for opposition attackers, with a series of standout performances both home and away.
One of which was during February’s 2-0 home win over against physical outfit Burnley , where Lascelles nullified Burnley's towering front three of Chris Wood, Ashley Barnes and target-man Peter Crouch, helping the Magpies to a vital three points at St James’.
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