Derby County faced Cambridge at the weekend in a 0-0 draw, but despite that Nathaniel Mendez-Laing was really impressive, here’s why.
The game at Pride Park saw Derby dominate with 65% possession and 13 shots compared to Cambridge’s four.
Derby ultimately will be hugely disappointed with the result, as they saw three big chances go amiss due to poor finishing.
Despite this the performance alone will have given Paul Warne belief that he is heading in the correct direction.
One player who can definitely hold his head high following the game is Nathaniel Mendez-Laing who was definitely the player of the match.
Mendez-Laing impresses
31-year-old Mendez-Laing was by far the best player in the game, and his stats which are from SofaScore, indicate why.
The winger player 90 minutes in the game, with 69 touches of the ball that resulted in an 86% pass completion rate.
But it isn’t the quantity of what he did with the ball that impressed, but instead the quality. Four key passes and two big chances created should’ve seen him walk out with a couple of assists.
He also however completed 100% of his dribbles along with winning seven duels that show how good he was across the pitch.
Defensively he chipped in too, making two tackles and one clearance in the game which helped keep Cambridge away.
Derby’s unbeaten run continues
With the latest draw, Derby’s unbeaten run has now extended to four which is an impressive run to say the least.
However it is widely acknowledged that in order to push for promotion, those draws need to become wins, with games like the Cambridge one likely to be the fine margin between playoffs or not.
Next up, Derby face Blackpool tonight in League One action which should be a fascinating game with the chance for Derby to take a huge leap toward the playoff places.