Zinedine Zidane. That’s what I called Leicester City’s Wilfred Ndidi after seeing his magical performance against Crystal Palace earlier this season. While I may have gotten slightly carried away by his assists, the Nigeria international has been one of Leicester’s best players this season.
This is the third part of the Leicester City player review series, and in this article, we’ll look at Ndidi’s stats and performances this season. In his prime, the 27-year-old was considered one of the best (if not the best) ball winners in the Premier League. However, Ndidi saw a sharp decline in his game, and there were doubts about his future when Leicester were relegated.
Enzo Maresca saw Ndidi as a box-to-box midfielder rather than a defensive one and played him higher up the pitch. While there were shaky moments from him with the ball, the Nigerian adapted well to his new role. Steve Cooper has continued using him in an advanced position this season, and Ndidi has been brilliant.
Wilfred Ndidi has been excellent in all departments
Ndidi has four assists (the majority of them were brilliant passes), the joint third-highest in the league. Additionally, the midfielder looks like his old self defensively. Ndidi currently leads the charts in tackles (28) and ranks third for blocks (17). He has also been a physical presence, ranking in the 92nd percentile for aerial duels won per game and the 76th percentile for successful take-ons. His all-round excellence has been crucial for the Foxes in the middle of the park.
Impressively, the long-serving Fox has been consistent with his performances. Early in the season, Ndidi had a terrible game against Aston Villa. While he was brilliant against Crystal Palace in the next game, I didn’t expect him to keep up his good form. However, Ndidi has been brilliant for the past five games and looks undroppable at the moment.
Against Bournemouth, Ndidi played a deeper role, forming a midfield pivot with Oliver Skipp. Harry Winks was dropped as a result. With Bilal El Khannouss in contention for a starting role as well, it will be interesting to see Cooper’s preferred midfield trio. One thing is for certain, though – Ndidi must start.