{"id":826396,"date":"2025-02-12T10:11:46","date_gmt":"2025-02-12T16:11:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/2025\/02\/12\/nigeria-fulham-star-calvin-bassey-tops-premier-league-defensive-charts-with-key-stat\/"},"modified":"2025-02-12T10:11:46","modified_gmt":"2025-02-12T16:11:46","slug":"nigeria-fulham-star-calvin-bassey-tops-premier-league-defensive-charts-with-key-stat","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/2025\/02\/12\/nigeria-fulham-star-calvin-bassey-tops-premier-league-defensive-charts-with-key-stat\/","title":{"rendered":"Nigeria & Fulham star Calvin Bassey tops Premier League defensive charts with key stat"},"content":{"rendered":"

Soccer <\/p>\n

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Fulham defender Calvin Bassey has emerged as one of the standout performers in the Premier League this season, with statistical data highlighting his exceptional contributions to Marco Silva\u2019s side, Soccernet.ng<\/a> reports<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Nigerian international Calvin Bassey<\/a> has flourished in Fulham\u2019s backline, playing a crucial role in a team that sits ninth in the league after 24 matches.<\/p>\n

The Cottagers have also progress to the FA Cup fifth round, where they will face Manchester United<\/a> after edging past Wigan Athletic.<\/p>\n

\"Soccer
Nigeria and Fulham star Calvin Bassey. Photo Credit X<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Bassey has been a mainstay in the Fulham defence, making 23 Premier League appearances and amassing 2,070 minutes on the pitch. While his overall performances have been widely praised, a deeper look into the numbers reveals just how dominant he has been in key defensive areas.<\/p>\n

Get Our Sports News First \u2013 Join Our WhatsApp Channel Now!<\/a><\/h5>\n

Calvin Bassey leads the Premier League in ball carrying<\/h4>\n

According to data from PFF FC<\/a>, no centre-back in the Premier League this season has a higher Ball Carry Grade than Calvin Bassey, who leads the category with a score of 82.9.<\/p>\n

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Dribbling \u2705
Carrying \u2705
Tackle Resistance \u2705<\/p>\n

No Centre Back in the Premier League this season has a higher Ball Carry Grade than Calvin Bassey (82.9) \u200d\u2642\ufe0f#FFC<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/W9j9LTRRzU<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\u2014 PFF FC (@PFF_FC) February 10, 2025<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

This metric, which evaluates a player\u2019s dribbling, carrying ability, and resistance to tackles, typically favours midfielders, making Bassey\u2019s ranking all the more impressive. His score places him among some of the league\u2019s elite ball carriers, including James Maddison, Mois\u00e9s Caicedo, and Youri Tielemans.<\/p>\n

\"Soccer
Nigeria and Fulham star Calvin Bassey. Photo Credit X<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Bassey\u2019s ability to progress the ball out of defence has been crucial for Fulham, allowing them to bypass opposition presses and transition smoothly into attacking phases. His composure under pressure and technical ability make him a vital asset in Silva\u2019s tactical setup.<\/p>\n

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\u2014 Fulham Football Club (@FulhamFC) January 29, 2025<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Beyond his ball-carrying ability, Bassey has been an all-round defensive powerhouse.<\/p>\n

Fulham have conceded 32 goals this season\u2014ranking ninth-best in the league\u2014and Bassey has played a major role in maintaining their defensive solidity.<\/p>\n

The 24-year-old ranks third among centre-backs in tackling with an impressive grade of 85.0, placing him fifth overall in the league. He has won 37 tackles and successfully defended against 20 dribbles, boasting a 44% tackle success rate (13th overall) and winning 59% of his duels against dribblers (seventh overall).<\/p>\n

\"Soccer
Nigeria and Fulham star Calvin Bassey. Photo by IMAGO<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Bassey has also been effective in aerial duels, registering a grade of 79.3, ranking him 28th among centre-backs. He has won 48 aerial duels this season, displaying his strength in physical battles and his ability to dominate in the air.<\/p>\n

Calvin Bassey\u2019s rise from Leicester rookie to Premier League rock<\/h4>\n

Bassey\u2019s journey at club level has been impressive.<\/p>\n

A product of Leicester City\u2019s academy, Bassey moved to Rangers in 2020, where he won the Scottish Premiership and Scottish Cup.<\/p>\n

\n

+3 on the road & a clean sheet. Good to be back at the King Power too. \ufe0f pic.twitter.com\/v6EJBtObq2<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Calvin Bassey (@CalvinBassey) January 18, 2025<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

He played a key role in Rangers\u2019 run to the 2022 UEFA Europa League final, where they narrowly lost to Eintracht Frankfurt.<\/p>\n

His performances in Scotland earned him a big-money move to Ajax in 2022 for a club-record \u00a320 million. That transfer fee also made him the most expensive Nigerian defender<\/a> in history.<\/p>\n

READ MORE<\/strong>: \u201cIt\u2019s African culture\u201d- Fulham\u2019s Calvin Bassey explains why footballers clamour for higher wages<\/a><\/p>\n

However, after just one season in the Eredivisie, Fulham secured his services in the summer of 2023 for \u20ac21 million.<\/p>\n

\"Soccer
Nigeria and Fulham star Calvin Bassey with a club teammate. Photo Credit X<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Bassey has since adapted seamlessly to the Premier League, proving his quality at the highest level. His first goal for Fulham came in a dramatic 2-1 victory over Manchester United in February 2024 in his 20th league appearance for the London club.<\/p>\n

Born in Italy, Bassey was eligible to represent Italy, England, or Nigeria at international level. He ultimately committed to Nigeria, making his Super Eagles debut in a World Cup qualifier against Ghana in March 2022.<\/p>\n

He played a key role as Nigeria reached the final of the Africa Cup of Nations in Cote d\u2019Ivoire last year.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

Read More<\/a>Imhonlamhen Eronmhonsele<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Soccer Fulham defender Calvin Bassey has emerged as one of the standout performers in the Premier League this season, with statistical data highlighting his exceptional contributions to Marco Silva\u2019s side, Soccernet.ng reports. Nigerian international Calvin Bassey has flourished in Fulham\u2019s backline, playing a crucial role in a team that sits ninth in the league after […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":826397,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[43322,27096,2005],"tags":[43321,15956],"class_list":{"0":"post-826396","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-fulham","8":"category-nigeria","9":"category-soccer","10":"tag-fulham","11":"tag-nigeria"},"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/826396","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=826396"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/826396\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/826397"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=826396"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=826396"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=826396"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}