Nigeria defender Ola Aina is making a huge statement with his performance in the English Premier League this season, contributing quantitatively and qualitatively to the ambitions of the high-flying Nottingham Forest, PUNCH Sports Extra reports.

In what will go down as the best season of his professional career, Aina is already up as one of the best defenders in the Premier League in the current campaign and also attracting interest from other clubs, including Manchester City, who visit them on Saturday (today) at the City Ground.

Today’s contest might be a sort of audition for the 28-year-old who has already been eyed by City but the Nigerian has impressed this season with some stats which would also be hard for the reigning champions and other suitors to overlook.

Clearances off line

No player in the Premier League has made more clearances off the line than Aina in the EPL this season with the Nigerian topping the chart with three crucial moments just as Newcastle’s Lewis Hall, Aston Villa’s Eric Konsa and Iliman Ndiaye of Everton.

In total, Aina’s three goal-line clearances have essentially earned Forest five points: wins rather than draws with Ipswich and Southampton, and a draw rather than a defeat against Liverpool. Five points from goal-line clearances are more than any other player in the league and they would have been out of the top-four spot if not for the Nigerian.



https://punchng.com/ainas-impressive-stats-fuelling-forests-top-four-chase/