Academy graduate to become the next Leicester star

Against the Baggies, Thomas wasn’t really relied upon offensively – making just 52 passes, only Kasper Schmeichel (22) and Jamie Vardy (20) made less. He held his own in possession, and didn’t bottleneck the output on his wing, but his inexperience did shine through slightly – with the second worse pass completion percentage (at 76%). I would accredit this to his ability to complete difficult passes and a confidence to attempt them, something he’s gathered during his European games, as he completed the joint third most progressive passes for the Foxes (3).

As mentioned earlier, the fixture was really a non-contest, although Leicester City did only accumulate 2.3 xG (expected goals) from their dominance. Four players contributed to creating these chances, one of which was Thomas – with an xA (expected assists) of 0.1 – from his sole shot-creating action. It might not sound a lot, but Kelechi Iheanacho (who did manage to add 1.2 xG) and Youri Tielemans both offered 0 xA from the fixture, with all three attacking substitutes also struggling to aid the xG for the Foxes.

I’ve highlighted what Thomas offered in possession, but his best quality is within his defensive actions. The academy graduate was the third most active presser – with 15 in the game, and also made the most blocks (with four). Impressive in his individual duals, yet still this isn’t where he thrives. Many could argue Thomas is a long-term replacement for another grad’, Ben Chilwell. The Chelsea full-back has always excelled aerially, despite maintaining a fairly average stature. This is something I feel Thomas replicates tenfold.