Manchester United defender Matthijs de Ligt leads all central defenders in the Premier League in a crucial metric.
De Ligt in fine form this season
Amidst United’s patchy start to the 2025/26 season, De Ligt has been one of the very few United players who have performed at a consistent level.
United currently sit in ninth place in the Premier League table following Sunday’s 2-1 win over Liverpool at Anfield. Bryan Mbeumo and Harry Maguire scored in either half to secure United their first win in Merseyside since 2016.
De Ligt started the game, this time on the right side of Ruben Amorim’s three-man defence system, alongside Maguire and Luke Shaw.
The Netherlands international barely put a foot wrong. He was strong and aggressive in his duels, composed in possession, and ensured his man never got the better of him.
De Ligt registered five tackles, made one clearance, and won one of his two aerial duels as well as his only ground duel.
He also managed 31 touches and an individual pass accuracy of 78%.
(Stats obtained from Sofascore)
According to statisticians DataMB, the United man outperforms every Premier League centre-back in one key area.
De Ligt leading in crucial stat
DataMB reveal that No central defender has won more defensive duels than Matthijs de Ligt in the Premier League so far this season.
De Ligt has won 37 duels.
Fulham’s Calvin Bassey ranks in second place with 34 duels. Chris Richards (Crystal Palace), Nordi Mukiele (Sunderland) and Bafodé Diakité (Bournemouth) round up the top five with 33, 32 and 30 duels won respectively.
No centreback won more defensive duels than Matthijs de Ligt in the Premier League this season (37)
Warrior 🇳🇱⚔️
📊 https://t.co/McR5zrPkTO pic.twitter.com/MxmqTqMhOk
— DataMB (@DataMB_) October 19, 2025
United and Ruben Amorim will certainly be hoping that De Ligt can keep it up, starting with Saturday’s home meeting against Brighton and Hove Albion.
Feature image Michael Regan via Getty Images
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Derick Kinoti
Derick Kinoti is a football writer at The Peoples Person who has covered Manchester United and the Premier League extensively for years. His work blends sharp analysis, tactical insight, and engaging storytelling that resonates with fans around the world. Derick has gained valuable experience in football journalism, developing strong expertise in SEO writing, digital content creation, and social media engagement. A tech enthusiast with a Computer Science degree from the University of Nairobi, he ultimately swapped code for football commentary, bringing an analytical, detail-oriented approach to his writing. Derick is convinced Wayne Rooney is the true GOAT and won’t hear otherwise!
