Chelsea captain Cesar Azpilicueta signs new contract: Decoding his stats
What's the story
Chelsea captain Cesar Azpilicueta has signed a new contract which will keep him at the club until 2024.
The 32-year-old Spaniard had earlier triggered a one-year extension until 2023.
He was also in talks with Barcelona regarding a possible move.
However, Thomas Tuchel has managed to persuade the player in committing himself as a Chelsea player.
Here we decode his stats.
Context
Why does this story matter?
After losing Antonio Rudiger and Andreas Christensen as free agents over the summer, Chelsea needed to take control of their defensive line.
They signed Kalidou Koulibaly bur saw other interests Matthijs de Ligt and Jules Kounde join other suitors.
Keeping Azpilicueta is key as he brings in leadership qualities, besides playing on the right of a three-man defence and as a right wing-back.
Words
'I am really excited for the new project'
Azpilicueta said he is really excited for the new project on offer.
"I really feel the love and I am really excited for the new project we have in our hands," said Azpilicueta.
"I am really looking forward to continuing our adventure. I am a really proud captain and I hope we can share many good memories together," he added.
Career stats
A look at his career stats
Azpilicueta started his career with Spanish side Osasuna. He made 108 appearances for them. His next move was to French side Marseille. He made 68 appearances, scoring twice.
He moved to Chelsea in 2012 and has spent a decade here.
He has made 476 appearances, scoring 17 goals.
Notably, he has made 40-plus appearances in each of his 10 seasons here.
Stats
Decoding his crunch Premier League 2021-22 stats per 90 minutes
Azpilicueta played 27 Premier League matches last season. As per Opta, he had 0.4 shots per 90 minutes with an accuracy of 50%.
He attempted 69.7 passes and completed 59.7 out of them per 90 minutes.
He had a pass accuracy of 85.67%. He made 2.7 clearances, one interception, and 0.4 blocks (per 90 minutes).
UCL
Azpilicueta's Champions League 2021-22 stats
Chelsea reached the Champions League 2021-22 quarters before losing 4-5 against eventual winners Real Madrid.
Azpilicueta played nine UCL games last season. As per Opta, he accounted for three shots and all of them were on target.
He scored one goal and provided an assist. He completed 425 passes with an accuracy of 85.34%.
He made nine interceptions, two blocks, and 35 ball recoveries.
PL stats
His overall numbers in the Premier League
The Spaniard has made 324 Premier League appearances to date. He has scored 10 goals, besides making 35 assists.
He has also been part of 112 clean sheets. He has made 826 tackles with a success rate of 70%.
He has accounted for 33 blocked shots, 526 interceptions, 1,615 recoveries, and 908 clearances.
Azpilicueta has clocked 90 successful 50/50s, besides creating 37 big chances.
Success
Plenty of trophies won in club career
With Marseille, Azpilicueta won the Coupe de La Ligue and two Trophee des Champions.
With Chelsea, he has bagged two Premier League honors, one FA Cup, one League Cup, two Europa Leagues, one Champions League, one UEFA Super Cup, and one FIFA Club World Cup honor.
He has been a four-time runner-up with Chelsea in the FA Cup, besides twice in the League Cup.