1. Stoke City
61.4% success rate
551 of 898 aerial duels won
Who else but Stoke City would top this list?
The Potters are attempting to evolve their playing style under Mark Hughes, who took the managerial reins from Tony Pulis in the summer, but the changes will be gradual.
What’s more, Stoke still possess a squad largely made up of giants, with ten first team squad members over 190cm (approximately 6’3″), rather than small, technical players, though there are signs Hughes wants to change that approach.
Peter Crouch has competed for an astonishing 8.5 aerial duels per Premier League match this season, winning 153 of his 227 personal battles (67%).
No wonder people talk of one of the ultimate challenges in football being to perform “on a wet, windy night at the Britannia.”
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