Salah, De Bruyne and Wan-Bissaka among 10 Premier League stat leaders
With another Premier League season in the book, now is the perfect time to look at those that excelled in particular statistics. Jamie Vardy and Kevin De Bruyne ranked top for goals (23) and assists (20), respectively, but who else came out top in less-celebrated statistics?
Who made the most tackles? Which player had the most shots? What goalkeeper made the most saves? We are hand to answer all of those queries in our round-up of the 2019/20 Premier League stat leaders.
Most Shots: Mohamed Salah (Liverpool) - 132
Mohamed Salah played a direct hand in 29 goals in 34 league games for champions Liverpool, placing second to Kevin De Bruyne for goal contributions (33), but ranked top for the most shots in the Premier League this season. Salah attempted at least 14 more than the next player (Raul Jimenez).
Most Key Passes: Kevin De Bruyne (Manchester City) - 136
After equalling Thierry Henry's record for the most assists in a single Premier League campaign (20), it's not surprising Kevin De Bruyne ranks top for total key passes as well. The Manchester City star was the only player in this season's Premier League to reach three figures for chances created and he incredibly registered at least 45 more than any other player.
Most Dribbles - Adama Traore (Wolves) - 184
Adama Traore reputation soared during the 2019/20 campaign and it's no surprise the 24-year-old finished the season top of the pile for dribbles completed. Traore was successful with 19 more than second-place Wilfried Zaha and even did so at an impressive completion rate of 74.5%.
Most Fouled - Jack Grealish (Aston Villa) - 167
Jack Grealish finished the 2019/20 campaign with a bang after scoring the goal on the final day of the season that kept boyhood club Aston Villa in the Premier League. Grealish will now get a well-deserved rest and he will need to put his feet up after the pasting he took week-in, week-out. Grealish was the most fouled player in the Premier League this season by a considerable distance. In fact, Grealish won at least 47 more fouls than any other player in the division.
Best Pass Accuracy - Rodri (Manchester City) - 92.9% success rate
While it would have been a shock to see a Manchester City player rank top for most clearances in the season, it's no surprise one places for the best pass accuracy. Summer signing Rodri completed 92.9% of his attempted passes in his maiden Premier League campaign to rank top in this category.
Most Tackles - Aaron Wan-Bissaka (Manchester United) - 129
Signed by Manchester United from Crystal Palace last summer, Aaron Wan-Bissaka can be pleased with how his first season went at Old Trafford. Not only did Wan-Bissaka reaffirm his status as the best defensive full-back in the division but he also improved going forward. Wan-Bissaka beat Leicester's Wilfred Ndidi to the top of the tackling charts by one. Moreover, the United right-back typically completed 85.4% of his attempted tackles.
Most Interceptions - Diego Rico (Bournemouth) - 84
Wilfred Ndidi ranks second for the second category running, this time with Bournemouth left-back Diego Rico coming in first for the most interceptions made in the 2019/20 campaign. Despite missing 11 league games, Rico still managed to place first and may emerge as a potential transfer target for some clubs after Bournemouth were relegated to the Championship.
Most Clearances - James Tarkowski (Burnley) - 200
Perhaps not a surprise it is a Burnley player over, say a Manchester City defender, that ranks top for most clearances, though that is not a slight on Sean Dyche's football but merely a by-product of the way his side play. James Tarkowski made 200 clearances across the 2019/20 season, at least nine more than any other player.
Clean Sheets - Ederson (Manchester City) - 16
Ederson wasn't really in contention for this category at the start of 'Project Restart' but the Manchester City goalkeeper ended the campaign with seven shut-outs in 10 matches to beat Burney's Nick Pope to his first Golden Glove award.
Most Saves - Martin Dubravka (Newcastle) - 139
Newcastle's season certainly went better than many imagined when Steve Bruce replaced Rafa Benitez last summer and Martin Dubravka had to be equal to a lot thrown his way to ensure the Magpies coasted to safety. His season wasn't without errors, but the 31-year-old made at least eight more saves than any other goalkeeper in the Premier League this season.