SW Readers Man of the Match v Middlesbrough: Deji Elerewe

Deji Elerewe made it back-to-back Man of the Match awards as City began life in the Championship with a narrow 2-1 defeat at Middlesbrough.

The result was cruel on the Imps, particularly after leading at the break, but Elerewe once again underlined why he has become such an important part of the back line in Sonny Bradley’s absence. He topped the scores on our player rater, breaking the 8.00 barrier for the second week in a row.

There were plenty of strong performances at the Riverside, particularly during a first half in which City went toe-to-toe with one of the division’s more expensively assembled sides. George Wickens (7.77) made some important saves, Ben House (7.55) impressed up top and Freddie Draper (7.83) put in another tireless display. They were the three players immediately under Elerewe, who followed his excellent showing against Derby County with another commanding afternoon.

Middlesbrough enjoyed far more of the ball as the game developed and City were increasingly forced to defend their own area, particularly after the break. Elerewe was right at the centre of that effort, and the numbers illustrate just how much work he got through during 99 minutes on the pitch.

Deji Elerewe v Middlesbrough in numbers

The most eye-catching figure is his ten interceptions. That is an enormous number for a centre-back in a single game and speaks to his reading of what Middlesbrough were trying to do, rather than simply his ability to react once danger had already developed.

There were 11 clearances as well, meaning much of Elerewe’s afternoon was spent breaking up attacks before they became clear chances or getting the ball away once Middlesbrough had worked themselves into dangerous areas. He also recovered possession 14 times and did so without committing a foul or picking up a card.

His duel numbers were equally impressive. Elerewe contested 18 across the game and won 12, a success rate of 67%. Five of those victories came from eight aerial contests, while he won both of his defensive duels and all three loose-ball duels. For a player operating against Championship forwards and dealing with sustained pressure for long periods, those are particularly strong numbers.

The scale of his defensive work can also be seen in where City were losing and regaining possession. Elerewe recorded 15 losses, although only seven came inside his own half, while none of his 14 recoveries were made high up the pitch. This was not a game in which he was stepping aggressively into midfield and dominating territory. He was being asked to defend, often deep, and repeatedly found a way to interrupt Middlesbrough’s attacks.

There was less opportunity for him to influence the game in possession than there had been against Derby. Elerewe completed six of eight passes, giving him a 75% success rate, while his only attempted long pass found its target. He did not attempt a cross or dribble and did not register a shot, which is hardly surprising given the shape of the contest and City’s priorities after taking the lead.

Instead, this was a performance defined by defending. Middlesbrough eventually found a way through twice, the second coming deep into stoppage time when Will Lankshear produced an excellent piece of individual play, but that should not detract from the amount of work Elerewe and those around him had done to keep City in front and then level for so long.

It also continues a remarkable start to the season for the 22-year-old. Elerewe only joined City from Bromley in January and had made ten league appearances during the title-winning campaign before being presented with a much larger role following Bradley’s injury. Against Derby he responded with a Man of the Match display, and at Middlesbrough he produced another performance that suggested the step up in level holds few fears for him.