Chelsea's contrasting win ratio with and without Mason Mount in the team has most certainly been noted by the coaching staff in recent weeks, as Thomas Tuchel understands that numbers matter in football.
The England midfielder has started nine games for the Blues in all competitions this season, with the team going unbeaten after winning eight and drawing the other.
That 89 percent win percentage compares less favorably to when he is not in the team; in 13 games where he has either started on the bench or not appeared at all, we have lost two and drawn five, for a 46 percent win ratio.
Tuchel, who keeps a close eye on such statistics, is aware that his team is nearly twice as likely to win when Mount begins.
'Perhaps it's luck, or maybe it's the effect he has on being the edge and putting the edge on our side,' Blues head coach said.
'We are aware of this because it is a type of statistic that is occasionally quite interesting, such as who is on the pitch when we win, who starts when we win, and who ends matches when we win.' These statistics are known to us.'
While it may have had an impact on Tuchel's thinking, he admitted that it was only one part of a much larger picture, with the impact of one player rarely being more important than the team as a whole. He was quick to commend the 22-year-old for setting standards in both application and quality.
'I first heard about these statistics in American basketball, where the influence of one player is much greater because it's five against five versus 11 against 11 playing with your foot,' the boss continued.
'It's not a statistic that guarantees you'll start because that would be a little too easy, but it's something we can't deny.
'Having Mason on the field brings a certain attitude, aura, and mentality, and it's nice that he has this winning ratio. We are aware of it, and all credit goes to him.'
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