One Derby County player is dominating the majority of the EFL in one key statistic so far this year.
Paul Warne will need his players to be at their best this weekend when they face off with Sheffield United in a Championship clash.
Derby County have enjoyed a solid start to the 2024/25 league season, with their excellent record at Pride Park seeing them sat eighth in the Championship table after five games.
The Rams have picked up maximum points on home soil this season and are still yet to concede a goal, having beaten Middlesbrough 1-0, Bristol City 3-0 and Cardiff City 2-0.
When Derby take on Sheffield United, however, a much tougher fixture is expected, in no small part due to the clash taking place at Bramall Lane.
Derby lost 2-1 versus Watford in their last away match and shipped four at Ewood Park against Blackburn Rovers on the opening day of the season.
Sheffield United are predicted to beat Derby in a similarly convincing fashion this weekend but Warne will be hopeful his best players can step up and cause an upset on Saturday.
- READ MORE: Derby County handed referee for Sheffield United who Declan Rice slammed as an ‘absolute disgrace’
Nathaniel Mendez-Laing third-best EFL player in key statistic
Among the players who will need to step up this weekend is Nathaniel Mendez-Laing.
The former Middlesbrough man has been made Derby captain for all of their league fixtures so far this season and has come in for heavy praise from his manager.
Warne expressed his love for Mendez-Laing earlier this week when clarifying Derby’s captaincy situation.
And now, it has been revealed that the 32-year-old is among the best players in the EFL for one key statistic so far in 2024.
As per Opta, since the start of last season, only two players have recorded more assists than Derby’s Mendez-Laing (18) across England’s top four tiers.
Mendez-Laing has created 96 chances in that time, 33 more than any other player for Warne’s side.
- READ MORE: Derby County rank alongside Man City as one of four teams with remarkable record since 2022/23
Nathaniel Mendez-Laing must step up for Derby County this season
While it is an impressive statistic and one the player should be pleased with, Mendez-Laing still needs to step up for Derby in the current campaign.
His impact has waned following the club’s promotion from League One back to the Championship.
The Guatemala international provided two assists on the opening day against Blackburn but has since failed to provide another goal contribution in Derby’s following four league matches.
This is bad news for Warne, who is short of quality attacking options after Derby failed to sign a striker on deadline day last month.
Summer addition Jerry Yates is still yet to get off the mark for his new club, not finding the net in his first four appearances.
Kayden Jackson has scored twice this season, but one of those goals was a gift from Boro winger, Isaiah Jones.
So with Derby’s strike force struggling to produce much on the goal front, Warne will be relying on Mendez-Laing to continue providing that creative spark that sees him dominating the majority of the EFL since the start of 2023/24.