The Sky Bet Championship is just days away from returning, with Leeds United and Norwich City currently preparing for their meeting at Elland Road on Saturday afternoon.

The two clubs have very different ambitions heading into the contest, with Leeds looking to cut a four-point gap to the top-six, whilst Norwich are hoping to record back-to-back victories as they attempt to claw their way back into play-off contention.

Saturday’s fixture will pitch two of the Championship’s outstanding number 10s against each other, with Samuel Saiz likely to be featuring for Leeds and James Maddison for Norwich.

@StatZoneSports has been looking at the numbers behind the duo’s respective starts to the Championship season, assessing who has been the most influential for their clubs.

Both Saiz and Maddison have featured on 19 occasions and scored five goals, but Saiz has played a part in more goals, registering a further five assists, in comparison to his rival who has just three.

The 26-year-old has also attempted more dribbles in fixtures on average, as well as having more shots on target over the course of the season.

The only area in which Maddison has bettered his counterpart is with key passes, where the Norwich man has made 41 in comparison to Saiz’s 35.

The Verdict  

Both Saiz and Maddison have been very good this season, and Saturday’s result could rest on the impact the duo have at Elland Road.

Saiz has been the driving force behind everything Leeds have done well this season, and Saturday will be an occasion where Elland Road expects a positive performance from the Spanish playmaker.

Likewise, Maddison has impressed at Carrow Road, and was key to last week’s comeback against Sheffield Wednesday.

Leeds and Norwich fans… Let us know your thoughts!