The Scottish Premiership has been known for promoting young players, and one of them is Dylan Levitt, who plays for Dundee United as a centre midfielder. The former Manchester United youth initially joined Dundee United on loan in 2021 and impressed during his first season. His key contributions in the final stages of the season helped the team qualify for European football, and he won the fans’ player of the year accolade. As a result, Dundee United signed Dylan Levitt to a permanent deal last summer. Although things have taken a menacing turn this season, with the team sitting at the bottom of the Scottish Premiership, the 22-year-old has continued with the same intensity. The Wales international has registered several goals and assists despite playing for a weakened side. Below are some stats from the current season in order to assess the player’s contributions to his team.
Overall performances over the last two seasons
Dylan Levitt has cemented a regular place in Dundee United’s starting eleven. He plays as a centre midfielder for the Scottish side and has made 24 appearances this season. The 22-year-old has found the back of the net five times and has three assists to his name. The above viz shows the percentile rank of the player in comparison to other central midfielders in the Scottish Premiership. It can be observed that Levitt has contributed well to the attack, and his ability to retain and pass the ball has been excellent. The defensive stats show that Levitt has a decent sense of positioning and likes to make his presence felt by contesting defensive duels.
Last season, the Wales midfielder made 25 appearances in the Scottish Premiership and managed to score five goals along with one assist. Compared to this season, Dylan Levitt was operating in a more defensive role in midfield, highlighting his versatility. The above pizza chart shows that Levitt had better stats in the attacking department but wasn’t as effective in possession of the ball. The player had similar defensive contributions last season, but this season his overall gameplay has seen improvements in many sectors.
Passing gameplay
The 22-year-old Welshman has played mostly on the left side of central midfield for Dundee United this season. He has shown commitment by going forward from the middle of the park and has made some important goal contributions. Levitt averages nearly 43 passes per 90 minutes this season and has an 83% accuracy rate. These include 7.6 passes to the final third with 73.4% accuracy and 2.1 passes to the opposition’s penalty box with 61.2% accuracy. The progressive passes in the above viz. show that nearly the same amount have been attempted from either side of the midfield as well as through the centre.
Last season, he was commanding the ball slightly more, but the overall accuracy of his passes has improved this term. His position last season was defensive midfielder, and he averaged almost 46 passes per match with an 82.2% accuracy rate. These included nine passes to the final third (64% accuracy) and 1.42 passes to the penalty box (32.4% accuracy). This season he has contributed more to the attack, but his overall passing gameplay has been consistent. Fewer of his progressive passes in the last season reached the penalty box, and they were directed more towards the flanks than the central zones.
Contributions to the attack
The Welshman’s ability to pass the ball has contributed well to his four assists in a Dundee United shirt. The above viz shows the shot assists delivered by the midfielder combined in the 2021/22 and 2022/23 seasons. It can be observed that most of the passes are directed towards the penalty box, while the others have been a few cutbacks that the player has made when he is in the advanced positions. Levitt has also been assigned to corner duty and does well to deliver them accurately. Last season he averaged 0.87 shot assists per 90, and this season the average currently stands at 0.94.
Another key aspect of the midfielder’s gameplay is his ability to score goals. For Dundee United, the 22-year-old has found the back of the net ten times in the last two seasons. Dylan Levitt averages 0.94 shots per 90 minutes in the 2022–23 season and has an accuracy rate of 36.4%. Last season, the average number of shots per 90 minutes was 1.08, and the accuracy rate was 42.3%. The xG map above shows that Levitt has taken more shots from outside the penalty box, highlighting his ability to shoot accurately from long range. Meanwhile, he has also gotten into scoring positions inside the penalty box.
Defensive attributes
Apart from his contributions while advancing forward, Dylan Levitt remains involved when the team is out of possession. The viz above shows the player’s average defensive territory from this season. He positions himself close to the half-line and covers a lot of ground, as evidenced by the numerous defensive actions and interceptions he performs all over the midfield.
Levitt remains composed while defending and gives up only 0.43 fouls per match. He averages 12.15 duels per 90, along with a 46.3% win rate. He makes 3.91 interceptions per match, putting pressure on the opposition’s midfield and final third while also tracking back into his own penalty box. Furthermore, the player contests 6.14 defensive duels and 1.2 aerial duels per match.
Over the past two seasons, Dylan Levitt has developed into a vital player for Dundee United. He has the qualities of a good box-to-box midfielder, along with notable defensive attributes. He stands out the most for making important contributions while pushing forward in the attacking phase. However, hoping that his contributions might spare Dundee United from relegation might be too big an ask.
Visuals via TFA data viz engine
