Stat's A Fact - Top Tackler Obiang

An unsung hero in the West Ham United squad this year, Pedro Obiang has at times been a colossus in the heart of the Hammers’ midfield.

The Spaniard, who has featured 15 times this current league campaign, has made 45 tackles so far – 10 more than his nearest challenger at the club, Cheikhou Kouyate.

Whilst he sits tied-33^rd in total tackles made in the Premier League by midfielders but his 91% tackle success-rate is among the best in the league – above the likes of Chelsea’s N’Golo Kante and Liverpool captain, Jordan Henderson.

Out of 45 attempted tackles, Obiang has completed an impressive 41. His performances have been consistently solid this campaign, but his displays against Middlesbrough, Crystal Palace both home and away, and in our 1-1 draw with Stoke City were nothing short of exceptional.
 

After missing the opening weeks of the season, Pedro’s first league start was against Middlesbrough at London Stadium on 1 October where he produced a near-man-of-the-match display to help us to a 1-1 draw. Against Stoke, Obiang completed all six of his attempted tackles, on top of two vital blocks and 58 passes at success rate of 84%.

It is the consistency of his displays which is also impressive and he currently ranks 7^th in the Premier League for average tackles per game by midfielders, with 3.0 tpg.

His form has made him a key figure in the spine of Slaven Bilic’s team: a spine which is now bolstered by the form of Andy Carroll and new signing José Fonte. Pedro’s adaptability has been lauded as well and he has shown the ability to seamlessly transition between playing in a two or a three-man central midfield as and when Bilic makes the changes.

Faced with the daunting visit of a star-studded Manchester City midfield on Wednesday, Bilic and the Hammers supporters will now hope that Pedro can continue his top tackling form in to the game.