Chelsea defensive midfielder scouting series part three: Kalvin Phillips
4. Passing
As mentioned earlier, playing as a central midfielder in Tuchel’s system requires you to recycle possession, keep hold of the ball and distribute the ball well, meaning that players playing that role need to make lots of passes per game. Chances can be created from any area of the pitch as long as passes are made at the right time and there’s movement from other players.
Central midfielders are important for transitioning play and recycling possession, as well as defending in Tuchel’s system. Therefore, playing that role requires being comfortable in defensive situations and on the ball. They also have to be press-resistant to some extent.
Phillips is very good on the ball. In the period under scrutiny, Kante (53.6) has averaged more passes per 90 than Phillips (45). Kante (86-percent) also has a higher passing completion percentage per 90 than Phillips (84-percent). Phillips, though, seems to try riskier passes, and that perhaps shows the ways in which Phillips is more creative than Kante. Phillips has averaged 1.6 key passes per 90 in this period, while Kante has averaged 1.2. Phillips also attempts and completes far more long balls than his Chelsea counterpart, completing 5.3 long balls per 90 in this period, compared to Kante’s 2.6. Kante though, attempts a lot less, but completes a higher proportion of his long balls, 67-percent to Phillips 59-percent. Note that a 59-percent long ball accuracy is still quite impressive, especially when you consider that he completes as much as 5.3 long balls per 90. Those are ball-playing centerback numbers in their entirety, in amount and in completion rate.
Phillips made four through passes last season (passes that put a player one-on-one with the keeper or passes that put a player through on goal), and has made three this season. Kante made none in the period under scrutiny. In terms of contributing to attacking play this season, Kante wins out in progressive passes, making 4.3 progressive passes per 90, compared to Phillips 3.91. This number could also be simply logical, as Kante plays in a side that makes a lot more passes per game than Phillips. Kante also wins out in terms of progressive carries this season, with 4.56 progressive carries per 90 and 1.44 carries into the final third, compared to Phillips 2.21 and 0.6 carries in the final third per 90 respectively.
It is also worth noting that Phillips has a lot less of the ball than Kante, averaging 66.3 touches per 90, compared to Kante’s 77.2. Phillips also has similar shot creating actions per 90, 2.09 to Kante’s 2.05, while playing a deeper position than Kante.