Deji Elerewe was handed an opportunity against Derby County on Saturday, and the numbers underline just how well the young defender took it. With Sonny Bradley missing through injury, Elerewe stepped into the back three as City recorded an excellent 2-1 Carabao Cup victory, and he was subsequently named Man of the Match after an assured 90 minutes at the heart of the defence.
Stacey West readers rate the players, game by game, week by week, and the first Man of the Match of the new season went to Deji. Freddie Draper (4th), Ben House (3rd) and Ivan Varfolomeev (2nd) all deserve an honourable mention, but big Deji stood (literally) head and shoulders above everyone to claim the first award, with an average pick of 8.28 across more than 100 fans.
Deji Elerewe v Derby County in numbers
The headline figure from his performance is 11 defensive contributions, more than any other player on the pitch. According to FotMob, those were made up of six clearances, two blocks, two tackles and an interception, while four of his clearances came with his head. There was also perhaps the most important intervention of the lot, a clearance off the line as Derby threatened. He recovered possession three times, was not dribbled past once and won four of his seven aerial duels, giving City exactly the sort of defensive presence required in Bradley’s absence.
That feels particularly significant given the circumstances. Elerewe arrived at Sincil Bank in January as a player with plenty of potential, and although he played his part during the title-winning run-in, this felt like a much bigger examination. Derby offered Championship-level opposition, and there was responsibility on Elerewe to slot into an established defensive unit without weakening it. On the evidence of Saturday, he did rather more than simply survive the test.
There were only 34 touches for the former Bromley defender, highlighting that this was not a performance built around dominating possession. He completed 12 of his 18 passes, a success rate of 67%, but all three of his attempted long passes found their target. He also made two passes into the final third and was not dispossessed once, so while the eye-catching elements of his display came without the ball, there were still signs of composure when City looked to play out.
Elerewe even managed five touches in the Derby penalty area and registered one effort, albeit one worth just 0.03 xG. Nobody will be judging his afternoon on attacking output, of course, because his primary task was to ensure Bradley’s absence did not destabilise the side. In that respect, the statistics match what we saw with our own eyes: he defended his box well, competed physically and dealt with the moments that came his way.
Chris Cohen revealed afterwards that Bradley’s injury is expected to keep him out for “weeks, not months“, which is clearly positive news given his importance to the side. However, injuries inevitably create opportunities elsewhere in the squad, and Elerewe could scarcely have done more with his against Derby. A Man of the Match award, 11 defensive contributions and a goal-line clearance represents a pretty emphatic response from a player who may now be asked to carry a little more responsibility in the weeks ahead.
There will be tougher examinations in the Championship and one strong cup performance does not suddenly settle the defensive pecking order. What it does do is provide further evidence that Elerewe is not simply here as a long-term project. Saturday suggested he is ready to contribute now, and with Bradley temporarily sidelined, that could prove extremely important.
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