Head-To-Head: Lee Cattermole v Nemanja Matic

Lee Cattermole has been a shining light throughout the last twelve months for Sunderland and deservedly won the Footballer of the Year accolade from the local sporting media thanks to his consistently strong performances.

He may well find himself up against former Benfica man Nemanja Matic on Saturday at the Stadium of Light when Chelsea come to town, so how do the pair match-up so far this season?

(Source: Squawka.com)

It's very even between the two players based on the eight factors we've compared, with Lee Cattermole coming out on top in half of those areas: interceptions, blocks, clearances and key passes.

A trio of those disciplines in which he excels all showcase Cattermole's importance in the defensive part of the field, with his contribution dwarfing that of Matic.

Both have created a healthy number of chances at the opposite end of the pitch, with Matic just shading that category by one. That stat suggests Cattermole holds the ability to push forward effectively, as well as dealing with his duties in deeper areas when protecting the back four.

Meanwhile, Matic's pass completion percentage is very good and he also has two goal assists to his name, whereas Cattermole hasn't any yet.

Overall it promises to be a keenly contested clash between the duo in the heart of the action this weekend, with plenty of optimism that the Stockton-born midfield general will come out on top in this duel.

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