Detailed statistical comparison of Tammy Abraham and Jamie Vardy

When it comes to the best in-form strikers in the 2019-20 season of the Premier League, Leicester City talisman Jamie Vardy and Chelsea academy graduate Tammy Abraham have certainly been head and shoulders above the rest. 

Pretty much a seasoned campaigner in the English top-flight these days, Vardy was expected to hit the ground running for the Foxes this term following his resurgence under Brendan Rodgers towards the back end of the previous campaign. 

The 32-year-old, who is currently the undisputed top-scorer in the Premier League after plundering 16 goals in 17 games, looks well on course for a repeat of his personal best tally of 24 goals, a feat which he had achieved during Leicester’s magical title triumph back in the 2015-16 season.

It is a no-brainer that Vardy has, indeed, been the key driving force behind Leicester’s surge up to second in the Premier League standings this season. The veteran looked set to break his own record of scoring in eleven consecutive Premier League games but his scoring streak ended at nine after Leicester’s 1-1 draw against Norwich City on Matchday 17.

Meanwhile, Tammy Abraham has been one of the surprise packages of the 2019-20 season, with the 22-year-old grabbing his opportunities with both hands under the stewardship of Frank Lampard to steal the limelight as one of the breakthrough stars of the ongoing campaign.

Having bagged 26 goals to fire Aston Villa to promotion in the Championship during his loan spell last term, the Chelsea starlet has made the step up to the top-flight this season to spearhead the Blues’ attack ahead of more accomplished names like Olivier Giroud and Mitchy Batshuayi. 

Along with fellow teammates Mason Mount and Fokayo Tomori, Abraham has also earned himself recognition at the senior international level with England, and it doesn’t require a rocket scientist to figure out that Chelsea would have found it really difficult to cope with the transfer embargo had it not been for the 22-year-old’s heroics. 

Abraham has already racked up 11 goals and 3 assists in 16 PL appearances so far and he certainly looks good for a 20-goal season at Stamford Bridge this term. Winning the Golden Boot in his debut season might be a step too far, with Vardy also firing on all cylinders, but the tables can certainly turn in the second half of the campaign.

With that in mind, let us take a detailed look at the statistics of Jamie Vardy and Tammy Abraham and analyze their strengths and weaknesses. The whole point of the comparison is not to decide who has been the better player so far, (which is Vardy of course) but to simply figure out their respective areas of strengths. 

As per whoscored, Vardy averages 12.2 passes per game at an accuracy rate of 71.5, which is marginally better than Abraham’s 13.9 passes per game at an accuracy of 70.3.

It is well-documented that both Vardy and Abraham are entrusted with the job of putting away chances in front of goal at their respective clubs and a comparison based on these parameters don’t really make much sense. 

To that end, though, it is clear from Abraham’s average of 1 key pass per game as compared to Vardy’s average of just 0.6 key passes per game that the Chelsea man has contributed a lot more to the build-up play than the Leicester talisman due to his obvious qualities as a target man.

Abraham edges way ahead of Jamie Vardy in terms of aerial duels, which is quite understandable given that he is a good 4 inches taller than the veteran. The Chelsea academy graduate has won 51 out of a possible 110 duels in the air, amounting to a success rate of 46.36 and an average of 3.2 per game. 

Vardy, on the other hand, has managed to win only 24 out of a possible 69 duels in the air, amounting to a success rate of just 34.78 and an average of 1.4 per game. 

Well, there is a reason why Vardy has been branded as the ultimate opportunist inside the box over the years and that is well backed up by the numbers. Abraham’s average of 3.2 shots per game is slightly better than Vardy’s 2.7 per game but it is worth taking a look at the shooting accuracy of the two players. 

Having managed to hit the target with 24 out of his attempted 51 shots so far in the Premier League, Abraham’s shot accuracy rate of 47.05 certainly looks impressive for a striker who is playing his first full season in the English top-flight. 

Vardy, though, has already mastered the art of finishing over the years and there is enough reason as to why he is the top scorer in the Premier League at the moment. The Leicester star has managed to hit the target with 28 out of his attempted 46 shots so far, amounting to a shooting accuracy of 60.87, which is truly sensational for a striker.

Interestingly, both Abraham and Vardy are penalty box specialists and that is pretty evident from their decreased tendency to take shots from outside the box. 43 out of Abraham’s attempted 51 shots have come from inside the area while 35 out of Vardy’s 46 goalbound attempts have also been limited within the same range. 

Another statistic that is worth pointing out over here is the weaker foot ability of the two strikers. 34 out of Abraham’s 51 shots have come from his stronger right foot while he has used his weaker left foot on only 6 occasions. 

Vardy, on the other hand, has illustrated a better proficiency when it comes to using his weaker left foot to put away chances. Going by the numbers, the Leicester man has attempted 18 shots each with his right foot and left foot, which speaks volumes of his aptness in front of the goal. 

Penalty box specialists often don’t have too much time to decide which foot to use due to the quick reactions required to excel in such a role, and that is one area where Abraham still needs a bit more polishing to match Vardy. 

Suffice to say, both are good players in their own rights and it’s unfair to draw a concrete conclusion based on the numbers, given that Abraham and Vardy are at totally different stages of their respective careers in the Premier League. 

Read More:- A Statistical Comparison of Ricardo Pereira and Trent Alexander-Arnold

Stats:- Whoscored (Jamie Vardy, Tammy Abraham)