Leicester City were inactive in the summer transfer window and made one or two signings. This plan went against them as the team struggled at the bottom of the table in the initial weeks. However, Brendan Rodgers’ men improved in the middle of the season and moved up to the midtable. They signed a few players in the recent winter transfer window. One of the players who made a move to Leicester City was Danish left-back Victor Kristiansen. The 20-year-old has represented his country at the senior level and was playing for FC Copenhagen. Since his arrival, he has become a regular starter in Brendan Rodgers’ set-up. We now look at some of the stats that show why Leicester City bought this young Danish talent.
Strengthening the left flank
Victor Kristiansen has featured in four matches for Leicester City in the English Premier League. His debut came in a 4-2 win over Aston Villa away from home. In these four matches, Kristiansen averaged 14.01 defensive duels, 2.61 aerial duels, and 3.09 loose ball duels per 90 minutes. He won 67.8% of his defensive duels and 53.8% of his loose ball duels but struggled a bit in winning aerial duels (36.4%). His interception rate was 5.46 per 90 minutes. The player has been decent in defence in these matches.
The 20-year-old likes to run down the left flank. He averages 1.19 progressive passes per 90 minutes for Leicester City in the last four matches. He succeeded in dribbling past the defenders in the middle third but struggled a bit in the final third.
His passing stats have also been decent. The Danish international average 34.2 passes per 90 minutes and has a low accuracy rate of 72.2%. These include 2.14 passes to the penalty box but his accuracy rate was very low 11.1%. By looking at the penetration carries we can observe that Kristiansen is capable of delivering dangerous passes into the opposition penalty box.
What can the Foxes faithful expect?
Victor Kristiansen is an asset going forward. The full-back is capable enough of providing an assist. He provided one assist this season before joining Leicester City. Last season, the player provided four assists in the Danish League. The above viz shows that most of the shot-assists were low crosses or cut-back crosses that were delivered on the edge of the six-yard box. These box penetrations often create threats and lead to a goal.
Brendan Rodgers can expect his full-back to make more progressive runs in the coming matches. In the previous season, the 20-year-old averaged 2.05 progressive runs. Most of these runs were made in the attacking half and a few ended inside the penalty box. He will look to make more progress down the left flank and contribute to Leicester’s success.
Betting Analysis
Viktor Kristensen is unlikely to have an impact on the 1×2 betting odds and over/under goals. He is young and is yet to establish his name in the English Premier League. However, the over rates might thrive if the player starts to deliver goals-scoring contributions.
The Danish full-back has caught the eye of his manager. He is getting the nod over Luke Thomas in the starting lineup. Brendan Rodgers will expect his full-back to contribute more and take them to the top half of the league table.
Visuals via TFA data viz engine
