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Sky Bet Championship: The main statistics behind the top midfielders this season
The midfield is the area where games can be won or lost. Having the right players for a certain style can drive a team to victory.
We've taken a brief break with the season suspended until April 4. There's no football being played across Europe.
It creates a stoppage to the battle for the Premier League in England's second tier with a number of teams still holding an opportunity to secure promotion.
Sky Bet Championship: Top Performers Series
There have been a number of stand-out performers throughout the campaign who have played a significant part in helping their side reach their current position.
Throughout the coming weeks, Tom Carnduff will look at the best performing players in each position; aiming to find those who have excelled in the areas that matter most.
Next up on the list is the midfielders. Creative outlets or defensive support? We pick out our ideal trio in the middle.
Pinpoint accuracy
Total number of accurate passes:
- Romaine Sawyers (West Brom): 1,904
- Matt Grimes (Swansea): 1,846
- Tom Cairney (Fulham): 1,764
- Ben Watson (Forest): 1,508
- Mateusz Klich (Leeds): 1,486
The midfield areas are often looked upon to provide the creativity. It's something that the Championship possesses an abundance of.
Accurate passing is crucial to any side's chance of success so it's no surprise to see the top-five in this area involved in sides who are all competing at the top end of the division.
Taking the accolade of most accurate passes is Romaine Sawyers. West Brom's summer signing has enjoyed life in his new surroundings and has established himself as a real presence in the middle of the pitch.
A player who has seemingly gone under the radar this season is Matt Grimes. The Swansea midfielder has enjoyed the campaign up until this point and takes second spot in terms of accurate passes.
His revival has seen him transformed from a player who spent time out on loan up until 2018, to one who has now become a regular part of the Swans' team.
Also on the list is Tom Cairney. A star of the Fulham side who has the luxury of a prolific front line in front of him. His accurate passes stands at 1,764 but his all-round game makes him an eye-catching talent.
Nottingham Forest's Ben Watson and Leeds' Mateusz Klich are the other two to make up the top-five. They're both floating around the 1,500 mark.
Total number of accurate long balls:
- Barry Bannan (Wednesday): 168
- Kalvin Phillips (Leeds): 163
- John Swift (Reading): 161
- Matt Grimes (Swansea): 152
- Stewart Downing (Blackburn): 152
It's not all about the short passing though and long balls are a crucial part for some teams.
Barry Bannan leads the way for accurate long balls as the Sheffield Wednesday man sits high on 168.
He's followed closely by Leeds' Kalvin Phillips. The 24-year-old has undergone a complete transformation under Marcelo Bielsa's guidance and was reportedly in line for an England call-up before the break.
One of the division's top players, who doesn't get the recognition he deserves, is Reading's John Swift.
He's a midfielder who has a strong all-round game. Swift has the ability to dribble, to pick out key passes alongside a defensive contribution.
The Royals star also poses a threat from set-piece situations and that helps his cause in terms of this statistics.
Grimes is also high on the accurate long balls list while Stewart Downing, now of Blackburn, makes up the top-five. Both players find themselves on 152.
Defensive impact
Number of successful tackles:
- Matt Grimes (Swansea): 110
- Lewis Travis (Blackburn): 94
- Lewis O'Brien (Huddersfield): 94
- Ben Watson (Forest): 92
- Kalvin Phillips (Leeds): 87
Again, to show just how under-appreciated Matt Grimes is, he leads the way when it comes to the number of successful tackles completed by midfield players.
His 110 is well clear of the rest; the only player in his position to reach the three-figure mark after 37 games.
This stat is beneficial for those who line up in the defensive midfield positions. That said, Lewis O'Brien's numbers are eye-catching considering he has only featured in 29 league games.
The eight tackles he posted in their 3-2 away defeat to Fulham at the beginning of February is a serious number for a player who does sometimes find himself in the attacking midfield role.
There's also been three games where he has committed five successful tackles, with a total of eight games where there have been four.
Watson and Phillips, both mentioned in the distribution area, also make the cut when it comes to successful tackles.
Both players line up in defensive positions and have supported their back line in the best way possible.
Phillips hit a total of nine in their home defeat to Swansea at the start of the campaign, Watson's season high is six against Brentford in January.
Finding the target
Total number of shots on target:
- Eberechi Eze (QPR): 38
- Jed Wallace (Millwall): 32
- Matheus Pereira (West Brom): 25
- Sam Clucas (Stoke): 23
- Joe Lolley (Forest): 22
There are some names on this list that may divide opinion when it comes to being a midfielder as opposed to a winger.
However, the top-five here are those who line up in midfield roles. Jed Wallace, Millwall's dead-ball specialist, is part of a midfield four as opposed to an attacking three (more often than not).
Wallace doesn't take top spot in the shots on target area though as he is beaten by QPR star Eberechi Eze.
The 21-year-old can play a variety of midfield positions, whether it be advanced or out wide, and his 12 league goals on the tally show his threat in the final third.
Matheus Pereira makes the cut on the list given his familiarity with the attacking midfield role.
He's posted 25 shots on target this season but the eye-catching side of his game, or one of many, is the assists.
Pereira, on-loan from Sporting, has posted a remarkable 16 assists so far. The 23-year-old has also scored six goals of his own.
Sam Clucas and Joe Lolley, players who have featured in the wide positions while Clucas can operate more centrally, make the top-five list with 20+ each over 37 games.
Who makes the best trio?
- CM: Kalvin Phillips
- CM: John Swift
- AM: Eberechi Eze
There's a number of strong choices to make the midfield trio in this team but the three here have stood out in various areas.
The first name is Phillips. The Leeds man stakes claim to being the best midfielder in the division and his rumoured involvement with the England team highlights the talent.
He's made the defensive midfield role his own. His ability to read the game is reflected in the interceptions while the number of tackles is beneficial to the back line.
It's shown at points this season that Leeds are a much weaker side without him. He's a unique player and it was reportedly one of the conditions behind Bielsa staying at the club when discussions took place last summer.
Alongside him is Reading's Swift. His overall game should make him a Premier League target when the transfer window opens.
The stats here highlight distribution but he's hit double figures for assists. A total involvement in 15 Championship goals for the Royals during the 2019/20 campaign.
He wouldn't be looked upon as someone to provide the defensive support in the way that Phillips does, but the tackles and interceptions standing at above 1.0 a game is a positive.
Swift is the playmaker of the three in this side. His list of strengths significantly outweighs the weaknesses.
At the tip of the midfield is Eze. For this team, he'll be required to play a central role and the 12 goals and eight assists makes it difficult not to include him.
With Swift and Phillips behind, Eze will have the freedom to drive forward and focus solely on his attacking duties.
The ability to dribble and drive forward has been a major contributing factor in the number of goals he had involvement in.
Eze is a player with all the characteristics of being a fan-favourite. His speed and advancing dribbles go alongside an ability to keep hold of the ball which leads to fouls against, particularly as he looks to cut inside to beat a defender.
In terms of this side, a midfield with this strength would drive a team to the title.