Premier League pundit Tim Sherwood has picked Chelsea defender Levi Colwill as the most improved player in the English top division this season. The Blues sit third in the league table, with 19 points after 11 games, ahead of fourth-placed Arsenal on goal difference.
Asked to pick their most improved player in the Premier League this season, Sherwood voted (via Chelsea Chronicle) for Colwill. Fellow pundit Karen Carney did the same, picking Colwill alongside Chris Wood.
The Blues have conceded 13 goals this season in the Premier League, and have the joint sixth-best defense in the league. Colwill has been a regular in the first team, racking up 990 minutes of action and keeping two clean sheets in the process. He has a 70% tackle success rate and has won more than 50% of duels and aerial battles.
Colwill, who kept four clean sheets in 23 league games last season, had a 63% success rate in tackles. However, he had a much higher success rate in both duels and aerial battles.
The Blues have suffered less on the injury and suspension front as well, which has allowed them to have a more settled centre-back pairing, with Wesley Fofana slotting in next to Colwill for most games. The duo have a collective average age of 22 (the youngest in the Premier League).
Levi Colwill enjoying life at Chelsea
After yet another tumultuous year at the club, which ended on a positive note with the Blues making it into Europe, Chelsea hired Enzo Maresca to take over from Mauricio Pochettino this season.
The Italian gaffer has a less frantic style of play and depends more on the backline slotting the balls through midfield to build the game. Enjoying his football under Maresca, Colwill recently admitted (via Chelsea Chronicle):
“My role has changed a lot. I’m playing back in my natural position and the way Enzo has us set up allows me to play my best football, show off my ability and to play more passes into midfield to start attacks.”
He continued:
“As a team, the way we want to play is totally different. We’re not looking to attack as fast as possible, we’re making sure our attacks are calculated and we attack goal when we’ve created the right space to put us in the best place to score. Things like that can take us to the next level.”
Chelsea are back in action this weekend, facing Maresca’s former side Leicester City in the Premier League on Saturday, November 23.
