By anyone’s standards, it was a fantastic year for the Manchester City defender.
He won his first Premier League title, was named in the PFA Team of the Year for the first time and proved himself to be one of the best full-backs in in world football, on both the right and left flank.
The 27-year-old is currently enjoying his best season in a City shirt and Pep Guardiola has used him more than any other player in 2021-22, a campaign in which he has taken his game to new heights.
Blessed with a winger’s pace and a No.10’s creativity, Cancelo plays a unique and key role in City’s attack as both a creator and scorer of goals.
Indeed, the stats prove that the Portugal international was one of the most potent attacking full-backs in the Premier League in 2021.
Nobody took more shots or had a better expected goals rating than City’s No.27, and he ranks in the top three for the combined number of goals and assists and completed dribbles.
Cancelo has already equalled the goal and assist tally he achieved in the league last season (5), and his performances in the early part of 2021-22 suggest he is only going to get better as the campaign progresses.
Check out his best stats from 2021 below.
| Joao Cancelo | Premier League full-back ranking | |
| Games played | 37 | - |
| Minutes played | 3100 | - |
| Total shots | 67 | 1st |
| Expected goals | 3.5 | 1st |
| Goals and assists | 9 | Joint-2nd |
| Touches | 3648 | 2nd |
| Dribbles attempted | 102 | 2nd |
| Dribbles completed | 53 | 2nd |
| Interceptions | 57 | 2nd |
