Lisandro Martinez has proven to be one of the best defenders in the Premier League since his arrival last season. However, Virgil van Dijk has been performing at a high level in the Premier League for several seasons now. In this article, we will compare the stats of both players based on the most recent season to see how they match up.
2022/2023 Season Comparison
Let’s examine the performance of both players during the 2022/2023 season and compare their stats.
Martinez vs Van Dijk Stats
Martinez and Van Dijk Stats Comparison Breakdown
Based on the stats from the picture above:
- Lisandro Martinez wins 13.5% of his aerial challenges, while Virgil Van Dijk wins 98.1% of his aerial challenges.
- Lisandro Martinez has a defensive duel success rate of 70.6%, while Virgil van Dijk has a defensive duel success rate of 92.2%.
- Lisandro Martinez’s defensive actions are better than about 83.8% of players per 90 minutes. Virgil Van Dijk’s defensive actions are better than about 11.8% of players per 90 minutes.
- Lisandro Martinez’s completed passes rate him at the 84.7th percentile per 90 minutes, while Virgil Van Dijk completed passes rate him at the 95.2nd percentile per 90 minutes.
- Lisandro Martinez has been accurate with 63.2% of his forward passes. Virgil van Dijk has been accurate with 95.1% of his forward passes.
- Lisandro Martinez’s proficiency in progressive passes stands at the 62.5th percentile per 90 minutes, while Virgil Van Dijk’s proficiency in progressive passes stands at the 41.5th percentile per 90 minutes.
Goals Conceded, Clean Sheets, and Other Metrics (Premier League)
| Martinez | Van Dijk | |
| Matches | 27 | 32 |
| Goals Conceded | 1.32 | 1.11 |
| Clean Sheets | 41% | 34% |
| Minutes Per Goal Conceded | 68 | 81 |
| Tackles | 2.34 | 0.83 |
| Interceptions | 1.40 | 0.86 |
| Ground Duels Won | 4.68 | 5.68 |
| Aerial Duels Won | 1.32 | 3.01 |
| Dribbled Past | 0.38 | 0.32 |
| Clearances | 4.00 | 4.35 |
| Shots Blocked | 1.15 | 0.51 |
| Penalties Given Away | 0.00 | 0.03 |
Based on the stats from the table above:
- Lisandro Martinez concedes an average of 1.32 goals per 90 minutes, while Virgil van Dijk concedes 1.11 goals per 90 minutes.
- Lisandro Martinez keeps a clean sheet (no goals conceded) in 41% of the matches he plays, while Virgil van Dijk achieves this in 34% of his matches.
- On average, Lisandro Martinez’s team concedes a goal every 68 minutes when he is on the pitch, while Virgil van Dijk’s team concedes a goal every 81 minutes when he is on the pitch.
- Lisandro Martinez makes approximately 2.34 tackles per 90 minutes, while Virgil van Dijk makes around 0.83 tackles per 90 minutes.
- Lisandro Martinez makes about 1.40 interceptions per 90 minutes, while Virgil van Dijk makes approximately 0.86 interceptions per 90 minutes.
- Lisandro Martinez wins around 4.68 ground duels per 90 minutes, while Virgil van Dijk wins approximately 5.68 ground duels per 90 minutes.
- Lisandro Martinez wins about 1.32 aerial duels per 90 minutes, while Virgil van Dijk wins around 3.01 aerial duels per 90 minutes.
- Lisandro Martinez is dribbled past (by opponents) an average of 0.38 times per 90 minutes, while Virgil van Dijk is dribbled past approximately 0.32 times per 90 minutes.
- Lisandro Martinez makes approximately 4.00 clearances per 90 minutes, while Virgil van Dijk makes around 4.35 clearances per 90 minutes.
- Lisandro Martinez blocks an average of 1.15 shots per 90 minutes, while Virgil van Dijk blocks approximately 0.51 shots per 90 minutes.
- Lisandro Martinez has not given away any penalties, while Virgil van Dijk has given away approximately 0.03 penalties per 90 minutes.
Who is the Better Player in the 2022/2023 Season? Martinez or Van Dijk?
Based on the current season stats we have examined, both Lisandro Martinez and Virgil van Dijk are quite close statistically, but Martinez appears to be the better overall player. Defensively, he was more solid than Van Dijk last season.
Furthermore, when Martinez suffered an injury towards the end of last season, it became evident how crucial he is for Manchester United’s defence. His absence clearly highlighted the significant defensive contribution Martinez makes for his team.
Final Thoughts
There is no doubt that Lisandro Martinez performed well last season, despite some underestimating how he would adapt to the English Premier League. However, it should be acknowledged that Virgil van Dijk has been playing at the highest level for multiple seasons now and has had the better career overall compared to Martinez so far.
Since returning from a long-term injury sustained against Everton, van Dijk’s form has dropped drastically. It remains to be seen whether he can regain his previous high level of performance next season after a disappointing one following his comeback from injury.
While Martinez impressed in his debut Premier League season, van Dijk’s track record as one of the world’s best defenders should not be discounted when comparing the two players’ careers in full.
There is still time for van Dijk to recover his world-class form, whereas Martinez will need to maintain his strong performances for many more years to match van Dijk’s standing in the game long-term.
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