View: Stats show Kyle Bartley is in league of his own in West Brom defence
Kyle Bartley has been named in Who Scored’s Premier League Team of the Month after the defender helped West Brom to a three-game unbeaten streak.
Albion looked down and out in the survival stakes when they lost 2-0 at Tottenham Hotspur on February 7 but a terrific second half of the month has breathed new life into their attempts to drag themselves away from the relegation zone.
After drawing 1-1 to Manchester United on February 14 Bartley has marshalled the Albion defence to consecutive clean sheets v Burnley and Brighton despite being without usual centre-back partner Semi Ajayi for the majority of those games.
He even scored the winner against the Seagulls and his fine form has been rewarded with a place in WhoScored’s statistical Team of the Month alongside stars like Bruno Fernandes and Harry Kane.
As they reported on the WhoScored website only Tyrone Mings (31) made more clearances than Bartley (29) last month which helped to contribute towards a WhoScored rating of 7.24.
Only Fulham defender Joachim Anderson (7.30) was handed a higher rating among centre-backs.
Baggies bruiser
A closer look at Bartley’s overall statistics this season shows just how important he is to the Albion defence.
According to WhoScored he has makes 5.5 clearances per game in the Premier League – Dara O’Shea is his closest challenger at the club but is way off with 3.9.
The 29-year-old also makes the most blocks (1.1).
One of the most unheralded parts of his game, though, is his passing which trumps the rest of the defence.
He is the only centre-back at the club [minimum 800 minutes played] to record a pass accuracy above 75%, with his standing at 76.9%.
When you consider O’Shea’s figure of 63.7% you really get a sense of his ability to keep hold of the ball more.
Whie Ajayi was considered the senior centre-back in the first half of the season and helped to weigh in with goals himself, Bartley has now stepped it up a notch and is leading the West Brom fight against relegation.
He has been an absolute colossus at the back, and long may it continue.
In other West Brom news, Big Sam rages at the ‘inconsistency’ of decisions after Brighton were awarded two penalties v Albion.
Be sure to follow West Brom News on Facebook and Twitter for 24/7 updates on the Baggies and more exclusive interviews with Kevin Phillips.