Before the start of the 2023-24 season, it was announced that the Dutch Eredivisie is now rated as one of the top five leagues in Europe. This was major news in the development of the league. Over the years, the Dutch clubs have produced some of the top talents in the world. These players establish themselves young and are attracted by big European clubs.
Luuk de Jong was one such player who got recognition in Europe. He established his name at Twente and then spent two brief spells in Germany and England. After failing to make a mark, he returned to his home country. De Jong joined Dutch side PSV and gained a lot of success. The 33-year-old played for two Spanish clubs and returned to PSV last season.
This season, PSV are sitting at the top of the table. One of the reasons behind this is the form of their veteran striker, Luuk de Jong. He is scoring goals and has made a brilliant start to 2024. Here are the stats of the experienced striker that show how he is leading PSV to their 25th league title.
Best in the business
The 33-year-old is probably heading to his best-ever season in the Dutch Eredivisie. Luuk de Jong scored 28 goals in the 2018-19 season and already has 22 goals in 23 league games. A tall figure in the attack, De Jong makes full use of his aerial strength to find the back of the net.
De Jong averages around 3.86 shots per 90 minutes and his accuracy rate is decent at 48.8%. All goals have been scored from inside the penalty box and five came from the penalty spot. The xG rate per shot is pretty high and that is due to the areas from where De Jong has attempted his shots.
This plot demonstrates the striker’s goal-scoring efficiency by comparing their expected goals to actual goals scored per 90 minutes. It shows that Luuk is one of the best in the business for goals per 90 and xG per 90 minutes.
The above visual correlates the striker’s involvement in the team’s passing game with their presence in the opponent’s box, highlighting their role in the attacking phase. Clearly, De Jong is the best player in the league when it comes to receiving the ball and taking touches inside the box. He averages nearly seven touches inside the box per 90 minutes.
In addition to this, De Jong is a threat in the air. This visual assesses the striker’s ability to challenge and win aerial duels, which is essential for hold-up play and scoring from headers. Luuk contests nearly eight aerial duels per 90 minutes and wins half of them.
Brilliant start in 2024
In the seven games played by PSV this season, De Jong has netted 10 goals. His threat inside the opposition penalty box has taken him to the top in the race for the Golden Boot. Luuk de Jong is a poacher and has not wasted any opportunities. His experience and goals have been the key to PSV’s success this season.
In addition to his 10 goals, he had two assists in 2024. This has taken De Jong’s overall tally to eight assists. All these assists have been layoff passes. The ones delivered around the six-yard box have found the back of the net.
Luuk de Jong will aim to end the season on a high. He has a chance to break his personal best. Looking at his current form, the striker is nearing to a perfect end to the current season.
Visuals via TFA data viz engine
