Paul Pogba vs N'Golo Kante: Decoding the key stats
French mid-fielders Paul Pogba and N'Golo Kante have been instrumental for Manchester United and Chelsea respectively. Pogba rejoined Man United in 2016 but has not quite hit the heights despite showing his brilliance occasionally. Meanwhile, Kante has powered Chelsea, besides earlier playing a prominent role for Leicester City. Here we decode the stats of these two players.
Paul Pogba's Premier League numbers
Pogba has made 138 appearances in the Premier League so far. Pogba has netted 28 goals, besides making 33 assists. He has scored 21 goals with his right foot, three with his left foot, and four headers. His tally includes seven penalties. Out of his 332 shots, 120 have been on target. He has hit the woodwork 11 times, besides creating 26 big chances.
Kante's Premier League stats
In 194 appearances, defensive mid-fielder Kante has managed 10 goals and 12 assists. He has six goals with his right foot and four with his left foot. Out of his 130 shots, 32 have been on target. He has created 17 big chances so far. Kante has made 612 tackles and has 470 interceptions. He has 49 blocked shots and 89 headed clearances.
Pogba vs Kante: Their style of play
Pogba is more versatile in nature, often playing in several positions. He is attack-minded and sets the game. He can also be used as a deep-lying playmaker in a box-to-box role. At United, he also plays on the left flank. Kante is known for his energy and ball-winning abilities. He is the engine in a central box-to-box role. He is a beast defensively.
Both players have won several trophies
Kante helped Leicester win the Premier League title in 2015-16. With Chelsea, he won the PL in 2016-17. He has also won a FA Cup, Champions League, UEFA Super Cup, and the Europa League. He is a three-time FA Cup runner-up as well. Pogba won eight trophies with Juventus, including four Serie A honors. With United, he won the EFL Cup and Europa League.
A look at the career stats of these two players
In 219 matches for the Blues, Kante has 11 goals across competitions. Kante played one season at Leicester, making 40 appearances and scoring a goal. He scored six goals in 82 matches for French side Caen and four in 40 matches for Boulogne. Pogba has scored 38 goals in 207 matches for United. For Juve, he scored 34 goals in 178 matches.
What about individual awards?
Pogba is yet to win a major individual trophy in his club career. However, Kante has won the Premier League Player of the Season in 2016-17. He has also won PFA Players' Player of the Year in 2016-17 and FWA Footballer of the Year.