Albion Analytics: 150 Premier League appearances for March

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Academy graduate reached the landmark in last weekend's match against Tottenham.

Liam Tharme

Albion Analytics

2022-10-12T05:00:00Z

Solly March joined Albion from Lewes in 2011.

Solly March became the third Brighton player to reach 150 Premier League appearances when he started in Saturday’s defeat to Tottenham.

The Englishman sits behind Lewis Dunk (180) and Pascal Gross (163) in Albion's Premier League record list. March now ranks fourth on the all-time list for Premier League appearances made by Brighton academy graduates, after Dunk, Steve Cook and Gareth Barry. He is the 13th longest serving player in the Premier League, having joined nine years, three months and 11 days ago at the time of writing.

March has become renowned for his tactical and positional versatility, operating in numerous different roles as Brighton play a variety of different shapes with and without the ball. In August, he told The Athletic that “I always see myself more as a winger, or attacking wing-back, whatever you want to call it."

Most recently he has been deployed as an inverted right-wing back but March has played that role on both sides of the pitch, as well as a wide midfielder on both wings as well as attacking midfield roles.

March’s ability to balance the attacking and defensive phases has been a cornerstone of his game. A prime example has been his equally balanced output this season of tackles plus interceptions and progressive passes received (27 for both), ranking inside the top five Albion players for both stats. The 28-year-old is among Brighton’s top two this campaign for shots (18), shots on target (8), dribbles into the penalty area (11), crosses (19) and fouls won (11).

In his 150th game against Tottenham, March ranked second among Brighton players for crosses (4) as well as progressive passes plus carries (13). Across his six Premier League seasons, FBref have it that March has dribbled the ball forwards the equivalent of over 108 lengths of the Amex pitch (goal to goal).

SofaScore’s algorithm rates his best game as the 3-2 home defeat to Manchester United in the 2020/21 season. That game March was Brighton’s top player for touches (82), shots (5), progressive carries (9), progressive passes received (10) and ball recoveries (15).

This season March has played almost 94% of available minutes, his most consistent Premier League season to date, and ranks inside the top 10% of Premier League full-backs for (per 90 minutes) xG (0.24), shots and shots on target (2.40 and 1.07), final third pressures and tackles (4.81 and 0.67), progressive passes received (3.61) and touches in the opposition box (4.01).