Burnley have had another strong season with Ashley Westwood their unsung hero in the centre of midfield. Westwood has been with the club for three years now and is a consistent mainstay in Sean Dyche's side. 

  • Basic Stats

Westwood has been incredibly important to The Claret's this season. His 35 appearances means he has made 92% of potential Premier League minutes this season. In that time he has scored two goals and six assists which is impressive but not essential from his role as the club's defensive midfielder. 

Burnley have an average points-per-game ratio of 1.54 with Westwood in their side. Westwood's only negative is the nine yellow cards he racked up, showing his lack of discipline.

  • Midfield Maestro 

A more in depth look at Westwood's stats prove his importance to the clubs passing play and progression from defence to attack. He completed a solid 1,740 passes this season. This is more than Mason Mount (1,242), James Maddison (1,473), Bernardo Silva (1,374) and Harry Winks (1,691). These stats are slightly skewed by the positions these players play, it's still impressive company.

Westwood's six assists are the joint highest in the squad, alongside Dwight McNeil. Again Westwood trumps Mount as well as Pablo Fornals who both have five and equals Anthony Martial, Daniel James Joao Moutinho and  Jack Grealish who all have six. 

From defensive positions Westwood has completed 116 accurate long balls and created 11 big chances. These stats show that Westwood can contribute to attack as well as completing his defensive duties.

  •  Defensive Duties

Westwood's role as an anchor man in the midfield is crucial to the way the club sits back and defends, especially against the big sides. His 54 tackles are more than Youri Tielemans (52), Rodri (50) and Nemanja Matic (46). He has a 61% tackle success rate alongside 32 appearances and 262 recoveries. 

The way Burnley's flat four lines up means that the two central-midfielders and the man on the right typically do more defending than usual. This is so Dyche can get the best out of youngster McNeil. The importance of defensively sound midfielders means McNeil can be used to his full potential with freedom to push forward.

  • Final Verdict

To conclude Westwood has been a key figure head to the club this season has been vital to the club's strong league finish. Therefore, Westwood should have an 8/10 rating with him losing marks due to his lack of discipline. 

 

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