Callum Hudson-Odoi has much more to offer Chelsea than Kai Havertz
Build-up play and off-the-ball work
Hudson-Odoi doesn’t only do more work in the offensive phase of the game than his colleague either. Elsewhere on the pitch, Havertz does press more than Hudson-Odoi at 16.3 pressures per 90 for the Germany international and 14.1 pressures per 90 for the English youngster. However, this is a rare category Havertz bests his Chelsea colleague in. As it relates to tackles and interceptions, Hudson-Odoi bests Havertz in this category, as well, 2.2 to 1.8 tackles plus interceptions per 90.
This next comparison may actually be a tad bit unfair to Havertz, seeing as Hudson-Odoi is one of the best ball carriers the Blues have, maybe even in the Premier League as a whole. Hudson-Odoi makes 11.9 progressive carries per 90, Havertz by comparison makes 5.63. Hudson-Odoi also makes 3.8 progressive passes per 90, compared to Havertz’s 2.3. Hudson-Odoi is also a far better dribbler, completing 1.5 successful dribbles per 90 at a 60 percent success rate, compared to Havertz’s 1.1 at a 46 percent success rate.
While this may come across as a bashing of Havertz, it’s actually meant to highlight how good Hudson-Odoi has been and what he has been bringing to the side lately. Yes, Havertz has more goals, but he is not a center forward and so he cannot be judged on solely goals. Even center forwards aren’t judged on only goals. For an attacking midfielder, which both players are for all intents and purposes, a lot more is expected in the final third. Other things have to be looked at to judge the effectiveness of each player under these circumstances. There’s no doubt that Hudson-Odoi is more effective for Chelsea than Havertz, the numbers don’t lie. All statistics from fbref.
Next. Chelsea needs Mateo Kovacic on the pitch to help Romelu Lukaku. dark
Who do you think is more effective for Chelsea at the moment, Havertz or Hudson-Odoi? Let us know your thoughts in the comments or on Twitter!