Want to be the pub/terrace know-all this weekend? Want to know who has committed the most fouls? Or who has covered the most ground and put in a true captain’s performance? Then read on and let the welcome return of the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index arm you with enough stats to impress everyone but girly girls.
Data supplied by the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index. Select and manage your own team of stars with at http://fantasy.premierleague.com/ or with FIFA Ultimate team.
Liverpool v West Ham – Saturday 29th August, 15:00
Liverpool come into this weekend’s fixture as one of six remaining unbeaten sides in the Premier League after the first three rounds of matches. Their perfect record was brought to a halt in their last match having failed to score against Arsenal, twice hitting the woodwork. They will be looking to get back to winning ways this weekend to maintain their strong start to the season that has yet to see them concede a goal.
West Ham come into this tough fixture following back-to-back defeats, but will be looking to get back to winning ways. Their opening day victory away at Arsenal shows us that West Ham have the capability of coming away from a big club with all three points, and the positive memory of that win should serve them in good stead for their visit to Anfield.
A lot of people are going to have their eye on the attacking midfield talent on display in this match, in particular Dimitri Payet and Philippe Coutinho. Coutinho has made a solid start to the season, finding the back of the net once, completing seven dribbles, racking up four interceptions and 86 passes completed. He will be a vital weapon in the Reds’ armory going forward, as demonstrated by the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index.
Payet, according the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index, may have had an even better start to the season than Coutinho. The summer signing has scored with his only attempt on goal, and whilst he has only completed six dribbles, he has completed 60% of his overall tally in comparison to Coutinho’s 53.8%. He has also put 29 crosses into the box, which is 24 more than Coutinho, and completed 12 more passes that the Liverpool man. Either way, this is likely to be a key encounter come Saturday.
Further forward still, it will be interesting to see who gets the edge in the battle of the strikers between Liverpool new boy Christian Benteke and the Hammers’ Diafra Sakho. Benteke, according to the EA SPORTS Player Perofmrance Index, has netted once this season from seven shots, of which four have hit the target. He has also showed his quality both on and off the ball by completing four dribbles and winning four tackles respectively. He is 19/20 to score anytime with 888sport.com.
Sakho’s statistics are alarmingly similar to those of Benteke, as revealed by the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index. Sakho has likewise hit the target with four of his seven attempts this season, and also completed four dribbles. Unlike Benteke, however, Sakho is yet to find the net, but will be hoping to at least even up that tally this weekend with his first of the season. He is 37/10 to score anytime with 888sport.com.
Manchester City v Watford – Saturday 29th August, 15:00
Manchester City are the league’s only side to have won their first three matches, and are the season’s early pace setters. The blue half of Manchester will be hoping that their team can continue in the same vein this weekend, having already scored eight goals without reply.
Newly promoted Watford are the league’s draw specialists, having picked up a point a piece in each of their first three matches on their return to England’s top flight. They will be hoping to go one better and take their first major scalp of the season on their trip up North to Manchester.
Watford will be more than aware of the danger of Yaya Toure, especially given his early season form, and the job of stopping him will likely fall upon the shoulders of Etienne Capoue. The EA SPORTS Player Performance Index can reveal that he has hit the target with 83.3% of his six shots so far this season, turning two of those into goals. His good work doesn’t stop there, as he has also assisted two further goals, completed 100% of his six dribbles and 91.6% of his 202 passes.
Capoue will know the gravity of the task at hand, but the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index highlights precisely how he can be effective come this weekend. Capoue has won 80% of his 10 tackles so far this season, also making nine interceptions and eight clearances, and he will need to further add to those statistics if he is to win the battle of the engine rooms. He has also completed 86.3% of his 161 passes so far this term, and will need to ensure that he doesn’t give the ball away to help build momentum on the break for the Canaries.
Up top, both Manchester City and Watford will be looking for their main strikers to deliver the goods. Sergio Aguero needs no introduction, and the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index highlights his efficiency. Aguero has hit the target with 77.8% of his shots this season, and his accuracy will be a concern to the Watford goal as he looks to add to his one goal for the season. Not only hard to tackle, he rarely gives the ball away having completed 91.7% of his 48 passes, so Watford will need to figure out exactly how to stop him. He is 5/9 to score anytime with 888sport.com.
At the other end, Watford skipper Troy Deeney is a handful to mark, and the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index highlights his strengths on the pitch. Deeny will be searching for his first goal of the season this weekend and looking to further boost his ratio of 50% of his shots on target, and adding to his tally of four shots. He has laid on one assist so far this season, and his ability to create adds a second threat to his game. He’s also not afraid to help out with the defensive workload having made four clearances already this season, and his good work may have to come at both ends of the pitch once more this weekend, to help keep City at bay. He is 19/5 to score anytime with 888sport.com.
Stoke v West Brom – Saturday 29th August, 15:00
Stoke come into this weekend’s fixture still looking for their first win of the season, having been held to back-to-back draws in their last two matches and losing out to Liverpool on the opening day of the season. The Potters will be looking to their ever-passionate support to help their side take all three points, as they look to boost their ratio of a goal a game.
West Brom will be looking to kick-start their season this weekend having, so far, also failed to pick up their first victory of the season. The Baggies were handed a tough start to their season with the Premier League’s top two sides from last year, Chelsea and Man City, both featuring in West Brom’s opening three matches of the season, but they will look to kick on this weekend by taking all three points.
Stoke will be looking for a big performance from their new number one Jack Butland, as he looks to impress the Stoke fans and national team management alike. The EA SPORTS Player Performance Index can reveal that he has made 13 saves already this season, at an average of 3.25 saves per goal conceded. He will be hoping to further extend that ratio with his first clean sheet of the season this weekend.
Much like Stoke, West Brom will be looking to their keeper to deliver a big performance this weekend. Boaz Myhill, according to the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index, has already racked up 11 saves this season, at an average of 1.83 saves per goal conceded. He will also be looking to further improve on that ratio with his second clean sheet in three matches.
There will also be a crucial battle in the middle of the park this weekend with James Morrison and Xherdan Shaqiri looking impressive for their respective teams. Their performances and who can maintain their early season form in midfield this weekend may decide the outcome of this match.
Morrison, who has had a fantastic start to the season, will be the main man in the Baggies midfield. The EA SPORTS Player Performance Index tells us that he has hit the target with 80% of his five shots, turning two of those chances into goals. He has also completed 100% of his five dribbles and 87.7% of his 114 passes, and will be a vital tool to West Brom going forward. He is 6/1 to score anytime with 888sport.com.
Stoke new boy Shaqiri made an impressive debut last week in the 1-1 draw with Norwich, as demonstrated by the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index. Shaqiri set up Stoke’s only goal of the game, completed 66.6% of his three crosses attempted and also completed 97.1% of his 34 passes. Even more pleasing to the Stoke fans will have been his work rate, having seen him win both of his tackles in the match as well, as he looks to get stuck in to the Premier League. He is 29/10 to score anytime with 888sport.com.
Tottenham v Everton – Saturday 29th August, 17:30
Tottenham are still awaiting their first win of the season, and will be hoping that the White Hart Lane faithful will raise the noise to help them rally and to take all three points. The North London club will be looking to go one better than their back-to-back draws against Leicester and Stoke, having also suffered opening day defeat away at Manchester United.
Everton have had a mixed start to the season having picked up a win, a draw and a loss in their opening three fixtures of the Premier League. They will be looking to bounce straight back from their defeat to Manchester City and replicate the form that saw them beat Southampton 3-0 away to make an early assault on the summit of the Premier League.
This fixture will pit two of the league’s most talented midfielders against each other, in the form of Christian Eriksen and Ross Barkley. Eriksen, according to the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index, has his the target with 66.65% of his six efforts on goal, won 75% of his four tackles and made two interceptions. Furthermore, he also holds an assist to his name and will be hoping to add to his assist and goal scoring tallies this weekend.
Ross Barkley has made a storming start to the campaign, as demonstrated by the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index. Barkley has hit the target with 71.4% of his seven efforts on goal, turning two of those chances into goals. He has also won 75% of his four tackles, made three interceptions, completed nine dribbles and completed 83.9% of his 143 passes. He will hope that he can maintain that form this weekend, as he could be the difference between the two sides.
Tottenham will be hoping that their main man from last season, Harry Kane, can find form to rival his breakthrough season last year. The EA SPORTS Player Performance Index can reveal that he has so far hit the target with 40% of his five shots, and he will be looking to further increase that ratio this weekend and get his goal scoring tally for the season up and running. He has shown signs that his form is there, completing nine dribbles, and demonstrating his work ethic by winning 100% of his three tackles, making one clearance and also making one interception. He is 6/5 to score anytime with 888sport.com.
Everton’s main man up top, Romelu Lukaku, has hit the ground running this season and will be keen to match up to Kane in the battle of the forwards. The EA SPORTS Player Performance Index tells us that he has hit the target with 60% of his five efforts on goals so far this season, turning two of those attempts into goals. He also holds one assist to his name, and will hope to maintain his form at the top end of the pitch to deliver all three points for the Toffees’ travelling faithful. He is 49/20 to score anytime with 888sport.com.
Southampton v Norwich – Sunday 30th August, 13:30
Southampton have started the Premier League in somewhat innocuous fashion, having picked up two points from their opening three games. They will be looking to get back last season’s form in front of their home faithful this weekend, which could move them up the table as many as 12 places into sixth.
Norwich sit in eighth place in the league coming into this weekend, and will be looking to further improve their league standing with their second win of the season. Their first win came in a 3-1 away outing at Sunderland, and they will be hoping that they can make it six points from a possible six on the road with a win at the opposite end of the country to their first.
Southampton will be looking for another big performance from Cedric Soares at the back this weekend, to help deal with Norwich’s in form winger, Nathan Redmond. The EA SPORTS Player Performance Index can reveal that he has won an impressive 91.7% of his 12 tackles so far this season, also racking up eight clearances, 11 interceptions and two blocks. On the ball he looks equally assured, having completed 72.7% of his 11 dribbles and even found himself an assist.
Redmond has had a good start to the season for the Canaries, and will need to continue in the same vein if he is to get the better of Soares. The EA SPORTS Player Performance Index can reveal that he has hit the target with 60% of his five efforts, turning two into goals, with a further assist to his name. He has also won the same amount of tackles, again with a 60% win ratio, and this could be just as important as his attacking prowess if Soares manages to get on the front foot.
Southampton’s main man up top, Graziano Pelle, has enjoyed a good start to the season, and will be looking to give Norwich’s Russell Martin a real test this weekend. The EA SPORTS Player Performance index tells us that he has hit the target three times this season, and will be looking to boost that number this weekend to increase his goal tally of one so far for the season. Whilst he has won his only tackle of the season, made five clearances and three interceptions, it is going forward where the Saints’ faithful will want to see him do damage. He is 11/2 to score anytime with 888sport.com.
Martin will know that he has a job on his hands to stop Pelle in his tracks, but the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index highlights what a fine start to the season he has made. He has won all three of his tackles so far this season, also making an impressive 20 clearances, five interceptions and one block. Not only has he proved solid in defence, but also going forward having hit the target with all three of his attempts, turning two in to goals. No matter which end of the pitch, both of these players’ performances may well have a bearing on the overall outcome of this match.
Swansea v Manchester United – Sunday 30th August, 16:00
Swansea are one of six remaining unbeaten teams in the league so far this season, and will host another in the shape of Manchester United. Last season saw the Swans claim an opening day victory over United at Old Trafford and they will be hoping to derail them again this year with another early season win over the red half of Manchester.
The Red Devils come into this game in fourth place in the league having dropped their first points of the season last weekend in a goalless draw at home to Newcastle. United will be hoping to get straight back to winning ways this weekend to help them launch their early season attack on the summit of the table.
Swansea will be hoping that they can win the battle of the engine rooms where Gylfi Sigurdsson will square up against United new boy Morgan Schneiderlin. Sigurdsson has made a good start to the season, as demonstrated by the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index, winning 60% of his 10 tackles, making two clearances and one interception. Going forward, he has hit the target with 57.1% of his seven efforts, and will be hoping to find his first goal of the season this weekend.
Morgan Schneiderlin will be no easy opponent for him, as demonstrated by the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index. United’s new midfield man has won 70.6% of his 17 tackles, made 10 interceptions and a further four clearances. These statistics are a direct consequence of him covering 37.6km in his first three games in a United shirt, the most by any Premier League player, which has also enabled him to amass 177 passes completed, 90.3% of his overall attempts.
Up top, Swansea’s Bafetimbi Gomis has flown out of the blocks this season, and his opposite number Wayne Rooney will be United’s main threat going forward. According to the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index, Gomis has netted his three goals at an average of a goal every 81.6 minutes so far this season. His accuracy has brought him success, hitting the target with 85.7% of his seven attempts on goal. He is 11/5 to score anytime with 888sport.com.
United will be hoping that Wayne Rooney can grab himself his first goal of the season this weekend to help kick-start his campaign. The EA SPORTS Player Performance Index can reveal that he has won 50% of his two tackles and also hit the target with 50% of his four attempts on goal. Whilst he has made two interceptions and three blocks, the United faithful will be keen to see his best work going forward to ensure that United add to their tally of two goals in three games so far. He is 7/4 to score anytime with 888sport.com.
