Chukwueze rated as second most prolific player in Spanish league

Samuel Chukwueze, Villarreal forward, has been rated as the second-best player with solo efforts in the Spanish topflight in the 2022/23 season.

Chukwueze is one of the five players in the Spanish topflight to have reached double figures for both goals and assists since 2022 in all competitions.

In the wake of his impressive display against Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabeu over the weekend, where he scored a brace and also had a hand in another goal, OptaJose, the world leader in sports data, revealed on their official Twitter handle that only Vinicius Junior has a better goal contribution that the Nigerian from solo efforts.

With four goals and eight assists, Chukwueze ranks ahead of Barcelona’s Ousmane Dembele, who has three goals and five assists from solo efforts.

The Nigerian’s inclusion did not come as a surprise following his impressive performance, which was key to Villareal’s return to form after a poor start during the year.

The 23-year-old, a part of the squad that won the Europa League in 2021 after defeating Manchester United in the final, has been very influential for Villarreal this season, scoring 13 goals and assisting 11 across all competitions this season.

Opta also revealed that Chukwueze became the first player to complete seven dribbles in a LaLiga against Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabéu (7 out of 8) since Lionel Messi in April 2017.

In 2022, Super Eagles forward Chukwueze made LaLiga Team of The Week for a record three times, a personal best for the Nigerian.