Quiet but Effective Schlager, Forest's Unseen Hero

Xaver Schlager is standing out as the Premier League's player with the most tackles this season. In Forest's 3-1 win over Manchester City, he brought that quality to the pitch in a big moment.

In Saturday's match, Schlager won the ball from Elliot Anderson and set up Liam Delap's first goal. Signed on a free transfer from Leipzig, Schlager took over Anderson's place in Forest's midfield, a player Forest paid 116 million pounds for. Head coach Oliver Glasner praised the performance, saying, "As a team very good, and Schlager was outstanding individually." Glasner noted that City's midfielders are world class, but said Schlager played even better.

Schlager's career began at Salzburg, and he worked with Glasner at Wolfsburg. At Liefering, Oscar Garcia noticed him and gave him a chance in a senior match. Garcia said Schlager is a player who can do almost any job.

Schlager, however, is aware of his own limits. Last summer he said, "You won't see much of me," explaining that he keeps his game simple. "I do the dirty work that nobody notices, but someone has to do it," he said, describing his role. In the City match, he was the only outfield player on either side to win the ball more often than he lost it. Schlager also stressed that he wants to make his teammates better.