French duo Jean-Clair Todibo and Axel Disasi share a background, and share a club these days with West Ham United, but they are centre-halves with very different skillsets.
Yet, as the Hammers defeated Fulham 1-0 to move level on points with Nottingham Forest in 17th, as Todibo and Disasi helped Mads Hermansen keep another clean sheet, the former surprisingly outdid the latter in an area of the game many consider to be Jean-Clair Todibo’s weakest.
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The former Barcelona defender made nine clearances at Craven Cottage. Eight more than Axel Disasi, supposedly the more physically imposing and aerially dominant of West Ham United’s new-found French connection.
Jean-Clair Todibo makes nine clearances as West Ham United beat Fulham
According to Data MB, Todibo ranks only in the ninth percentile for aerial duel success rate in the Premier League, compared to Konstantinos Mavropanos in the 67th, for instance. Back in November, Todibo was recorded having the second-worst record in the division.
The Hammers’ dreadful set-piece record has been a major cause for concern all season – although Nuno praised West Ham’s dead ball defending at Craven Cottage – and Todibo has often been targeted by opposition forwards feeling they can outjump or outmuscle him when a cross comes in.
In contrast, Axel Disasi is one of the more imposing defenders from an aerial perspective.
That Todibo completed nine clearances in West London compared to his compatriot’s eight, then, is notable indeed.
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In what was otherwise a typical Todibo performance on his first Premier League outing since that red card at Chelsea – he read the game superbly, made a number of key interceptions and aided the visitors’ ability to play through the lines – the 26-year-old showed that there some steel to go alongside the silk.
The Hammers now have four clean sheets in their last six matches.
“It was a long, long week in that aspect [fixing our set-piece issues],” Nuno told TNT Sports at full-time. “But we assessed the situation and we did well.
“We are improving game by game. Results like the Liverpool match can happen [a 5-2 defeat last weekend], but the players are working very hard. We just have to focus on ourselves and keep going.
“Clean sheets are [important] for all of us. I think Mads played a good game today; he helped us, and a clean sheet is always our goal. We have to stay compact and not allow many chances, because the talent our opponents have can make the difference.”
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