The 22/23 Ligue 1 title may be out of Marseille’s hands, with the club seven points behind PSG at the time of writing. After putting pressure on the defending champions Paris Saint Germain with an excellent run of form after the World Cup, there is little chance that Marseille will win the Ligue 1 title now.

However, one of the many positives that they can take from this season is the performance of Chancel Mbemba. The 28-year-old centre-back signed on a free from FC Porto has played the most minutes for the French club this season and has started all but one game so far in the league. The below visualisation shows where Mbemba ranks for some of the key metrics when compared with the other right-sided centre-backs this season.

Chancel Mbemba is involved in a high volume of defensive actions, naturally. He ranks above average for success in aerial duels. What is quite surprising is his attacking involvement, looking at the visual above, ranking above average for Expected Goal Contributions per 90. Mbemba has four goals to his name — more than any other centre-back in the league. He is also confident on the ball and is not hesitant to carry the ball forward, dribbling past the opposition’s first line of pressure. He creates several openings for his teammates progressing the ball through the opposition’s midfield line — ranking in the top 20% for progressive passes per 90 minutes.

Chancel Mbemba has one of the many positives for Marseille this season. Mbemba’s availability has been a massive plus for Marseille this season and the defender will want to continue staying fit and be available anytime. Having arrived at the club only last summer, Mbemba will look to continue his impressive start at Marseille in the coming years and play an important part in the club’s push for trophies over the next few years.