Ben Chilwell has impressed since earning his place in Leicester City’s starting 11. The rumours that Pep Guardiola is interested in bringing him to Manchester City go to show how much of an impact Chilwell has made. This season, only Wilfred Ndidi and Kasper Schmeichel have made more appearances than the Foxes’ number three, which makes the left-back too important to lose in the summer.
Having climbed from the depths of Leicester’s youth team to become one of the defensive options in England’s national side, it’s clear that Chilwell is on the verge of having a great career. What is it that has made him so good, though?
Why Ben Chilwell is Having the Season of His Life
Defensive Capabilities
Leicester fans have enjoyed watching Chilwell as he can be such a calming presence. Unlike most defenders, he prefers to stay in position, which means he rarely runs at a player to make a tackle. This allows his defence to maintain its shape. Of course, there may be cases when he may be out of position but, due to his pace, he can recover as if he never left.
Another crucial strength to Chilwell’s game is his ability to win aerial duels. The left-back is quite comfortable with clearing away dangerous crosses. He is second when it comes to aerial battles won and clearances in the Leicester team, making 88 clearances and winning 83 aerial battles so far. Not only can he win aerial duels, but he can prevent the cross from firing in the first place. One thing manager Claude Puel has noted is how Chilwell has improved in one-on-one defending. He has learnt to remain patient when dealing with tricky wingers and can also time his tackles to perfection.
Joining the Attack
As with any modern full-back, the ability to join the attack is no longer an option, but instead a priority. It’s because of his quick pace he can join in Leicester counter attacks seamlessly. As Sky reported, Chilwell has made more high-intensity sprints than other Leicester City player. He also boasts a higher top speed than the other high-intensity sprinters.
Although he’s recorded only one assist so far this season, he’s proved to be quite crucial in overlapping the left winger and attempting to cross the ball. If he continues down this path and improves in finding a striker, it is no doubt he will start to register more and more assists.
Another attacking strength is he’s not afraid to try and dribble past his opponent. While there is room for improvement in terms of his dribbling, it’s promising that a young fullback is trying to beat his opponent when attacking. A more superior trait is his good passing; only Ndidi has made more successful passes than Chilwell. It’s because he prefers to keep his passes short rather than taking the risk, which is maybe why he even played as a left-midfielder in one game this season.
A Promising Future
If Ben Chilwell can keep his form and stay away from injuries he will certainly be Leicester’s starting left-back for many seasons to come. As for international prospects, Chilwell is currently behind Luke Shaw for the spot in the England side. Depending on how this year goes, Gareth Southgate may have a key decision to make in England’s bid to win the 2020 European Championships.
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