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? Which player has quietly excelled and who needs to up their game? Then read on and let the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index provide you with enough stats to impress everyone but girly girls.
Robert Snodgrass epitomises Norwich’s work ethic under Chris Hughton.
Saturday September 15th
Norwich v West Ham 12:45
– Last weekend Norwich fought to the final whistle with a dramatic late goal from Robert Snodgrass denying 10-man Tottenham their first league win of the season
– Norwich were outworked by a motivated West Ham, only managing to run for 54.16 miles against the Hammers, their lowest total of the season so far
– Robert Snodgrass epitomised Norwich’s work ethic against Tottenham running 5.71 miles, more than any other Norwich player and second only to Tottenham’s Jake Livermore with 6.21 miles
– Snodgrass’s strike also showcased his current value in front of goal with the recent signing from Leeds having the most total shots of any Norwich player so far this season with 6
– According to the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index Simeon Jackson outstripped even Tottenham’s lightning-fast Kyle Walker, recording the highest speed of any player during the game at 21.35mph
– Anthony Pilkington continues to repay the faith shown in him by Norwich boss Chris Hughton contributing with 10 crosses and 1 assist in his 284 minutes played so far this season
– Despite Norwich conceding in every Premier League game so far this season, Leon Barnett has continued to showcase his individual defensive consistency at the back. The EA SPORTS Player Performance Index rates him as being successful in 71% of his challenges
– West Ham produced a dominant display against Fulham as they won 3-0 at Upton Park with goals from Kevin Nolan, Ricardo Vaz Te and Winston Reid
– The result was likely partly attributable to the hard yards put in by the Hammers squad who ran for a total distance of 62.72 miles, the most they’ve ran in any of their three matches for far
– While Kevin Nolan continues to be the central figure in the West Ham midfield, his discipline has at times been lacking at the start of this season. He has come out on the wrong side of 10 of his 14 challenges so far, conceding 9 fouls along the way
– Nolan’s goal against Fulham did showcase his consistency in front of goal though, with his 25% shot to goal conversion rate the best in the Hammer’s squad this season
– Ricardo Vaz Te has continued to build on his impressive campaign in the Championship last year, being the fastest player on the pitch against Fulham at 21.49mph and contributing with 2 assists already this season
– The Hammers will also be looking for Mark Noble to be on form against a Norwich team who have been solid at home so far this campaign. The EA SPORTS Player Performance Index rates his 72% tackle success rate as the highest in the West Ham squad
– Noble has also run for a cumulative distance of 20.02 miles this season, placing him second on the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index
Arsenal v Southampton 15:00
– Arsenal got their season up and running with a 2-0 victory away to Liverpool, with both goals coming from new summer additions Lukas Podolski and Santi Cazorla
– Santi Cazorla has been at the heart of everything good about Arsenal in their opening matches. He’s completed an impressive 133 passes so far in his domestic career according to the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index
– The Spaniard also topped the charts for distance covered with 6.27 miles against Liverpool
– His compatriot Mikel Arteta continues to showcase his value to Arsenal in the middle of the park. He’s put in more miles than any other Gunner so far this season with 18.62 miles according to the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index
– With his prolific goal-scoring record for club and country, it came as no surprise for Lukas Podolski to open his account for Arsenal against Liverpool. It was surely only a matter of time after he recorded Arsenal’s highest speed at Anfield at 20.93mph
– Keiran Gibbs continues to show he is stepping up to the plate at the back for Arsenal. The EA SPORTS Player Performance Index ranks him as being successful with 85% of his 13 tackles this season
– His fellow fullback Carl Jenkinson, although often criticised, has been similarly consistent in his defensive duties. He’s given away only 1 foul from 17 challenges to complement a 76% tackle success rate
– Southampton were desperately unlucky not to take anything away from their last game with Manchester Utd. Two goals from Ricky Lambert and Morgan Schneiderlin were not enough to cancel out a remarkable hat-trick from United frontman Robin van Persie
– Southampton are clearly prepared to work hard to retain their place in the Premier League on their return to the top-flight. They’ve ran further than any other team this season with 195.18 miles covered, 10 miles further than their nearest rival according to the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index
– James Ward-Prowse epitomised this level of effort as he covered the most ground for Southampton against Man Utd with 6.96 miles
– It’s unsurprising that Morgan Schneiderlin managed to grab a goal against Utd after he clocked a top speed 20.61mph
– Schneiderlin also leads the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index on multiple fronts for total distance covered. Not only has he ran further than any other player with 21.53 miles, he’s also recorded the largest distance covered in a single match so far with 7.31 miles in Southampton’s season-opener against Manchester City
– Adam Lallana has certainly been willing to try his luck in front of goal for Southampton. He ranks 9th on the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index for total shots with 10, but has yet to score. Only Tottenham’s Gareth Bale has had more attempts for no return with 11
Darren Bent has fired 5 out of 6 shots on target so far this season. Redknapp’s wife has managed 6 out of 6.
Aston Villa v Swansea 15:00
– Aston Villa will have been relieved to have gained their first Premier league point of Paul Lambert’s tenure, with Ciaran Clark’s first half strike enough to earn a draw against Newcastle
– Although Aston Villa have shown varied form in defence in their opening 3 matches, James Collins continues to be their most reliable player across the back contributing with a club leading 5 clearances and 8 interceptions this season
– Despite failing to score in Aston Villa’s opening three matches, a goal surely cannot be far away for Darren Bent, who appears to be in relatively sharp form with 5 of his 6 shots on goal this season being on target
– Striker Brett Holman might do well to re-direct some of the energy he’s showcased for Aston Villa this season. Despite recording only 2 shots on goal, both off-target, he ranks third in the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index for total tackles with 19
– Villa will also be looking for defender Ron Vlaar to continue his good start to his career at Villa Park against free-scoring Swansea. He has a solid 73% success rate with his 11 challenges this season according to the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index
– Swansea twice came from behind to claim a hard-fought point away to Sunderland with goals from Michu and Wayne Routledge, and had to survive with 10 men for the final 20 minutes after Chico’s straight red card
– Having been snapped up by Swansea, Michu is already looking like one of the buys of the season. Despite being a newcomer to the Premier League, the prolific striker shares the lead for the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index having taken his goal tally for the season to 4 in the Swans’ last fixture against Sunderland
– After a stellar first season in the Premier League last time around, Nathan Dyer has continued his form under Michael Laudrup this season with an impressive 2 goals and 2 assists already contributed
– Swansea have clearly moved wisely in the transfer market recently, buying players who are willing to work hard for the team Jonathan de Guzman was Swansea’s top worker against Sunderland, covering an impressive 6.61 miles. He also clocked Swansea’s highest average speed at 4.38mph
– Chico will be looking for even more consistent results from his defensive efforts this weekend. He’s lost out in 46% of his challenges this season
– Angel Rangel’s work-ethic continues to impress for Swansea. He leads the Swans squad for distance covered with 18.51 miles so far and has covered more ground than any of his team mates in 2 of their opening 3 matches
Fulham v West Brom 15:00
– Fulham turned in a disappointing performance against West Ham, going down 3-0 in a match in which they rarely threatened the Hammers until after the break by which point the damage had been done
– Although Fulham have been on the receiving end of a couple of poor results recently, their work effort has evidently not been dimmed. They place 3rd in the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index for team distance covered with 182.53 miles
– Despite the poor result, Steve Sidwell still managed to turn in a workmanlike performance, topping the distance charts for Fulham with 6.29 miles.
– This was made even more impressive by the fact that Sidwell also recorded the greatest average speed for Fulham with 4.54 mph
– Mahamadou Diarra certainly did his best to try and ignite something in the Fulham midfield. He recorded 53 passes in his opponent’s half in this game according to the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index
– The Mali midfielder would do well to tighten up his defensive efforts though. A total of 71% of his challenges so far this season have resulted in fouls
– West Brom continued their incredible start to the season with a 2-0 victory over Everton. A strike from Shane Long and header from Gareth McAuley ensured the Baggies made their best ever start to a Premier League season
– Aside from his goal Shane Long was also the fastest player on the pitch against Everton at 20.98mph
– Youssouf Mulumbu was integral to West Brom’s success from midfield against Everton with 7 interceptions and 21 passes
– Liam Ridgewell was West Brom’s hardest working player against Everton, clocking up 5.47 miles
– Gareth McAuley’s goal against Everton was just one of his contributions to the West Brom effort this season. He’s also compiled 20 interceptions, 4th in the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index
Despite his impressive start Van Persie has been unusually inaccurate thus far.
Man Utd v Wigan 15:00
– A superb hat-trick from new Manchester Utd talisman Robin van Persie was enough to prise three points away from Southampton.
– Prolific though he may have been at the start of this season, Robin van Persie has the potential to be even more lethal in front of goal. According to the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index 45% of his 11 shots on target so far have been off target, an unusual figure for the normally accurate Dutchman
– Michael Carrick is clearly viewed by his team mates as the centre point of their efforts for this season moving forward. He’s already received the ball 285 times according to the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index
– Not only has Antonio Valencia provided the most amount of crosses so far in the Premier League this season according to the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index at 16, he has also successfully 55 passes in the attacking third of the pitch
– Wigan will likely be disappointed not to have closed out the game against Stoke last time out. It ended 2-2 despite goals from Shaun Maloney and Franco di Santo looking to have secured the win for Roberto Martinez’s side before a Peter Crouch equaliser
– Defender Ivan Ramis has produced some excellent defensive work so far this season, being successful with 90% of his 10 tackles so far and conceding only 2 fouls
– Gary Caldwell’s will be looking for more consistency given his mixed start to the season. Despite conceding fouls on 45% of his challenges he’s contributed 10 clearances and 21 interceptions according to the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index
– Roberto Martinez will no doubt be pleased with the performances of Emmerson Boyce recently. The 33 year old has provided 12 crosses this season already
– Boyce also ranks second on the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index for top speed recorded by any player this season with 23.07mph
– Arouna Kone has certainly shown a willingness to take the game to the opposition this season. He ranks first for total dribbles this season with 7 according to the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index
QPR v Chelsea 15:00
– Chelsea continued their imposing start to the domestic season the weekend before with a 2-0 victory over Newcastle at Stamford Bridge
– While some may have expressed doubts about how Eden Hazard might adapt to the physical demands of the Premier League, he is already showcasing why so many regard him as one of the greatest young talents on the planet. He tops the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index for assists with 6
– Ashley Cole continues to defy his critics with an excellent start to the season. The 31 year old has successfully completed 87.5% of his 8 challenges so far, conceding only one foul
– Following Didier Drogba’s departure to China, Chelsea fans have been treated to the long-awaited sight of a re-invigorated Fernando Torres. He has attributed it to the 294 minutes he’s played in the league so far this season, with a 40% shot conversion rate proving that he’s on his way back to his dangerous best
– Ryan Betrand is doing all he can to grasp his first team opportunities with both hands. He’s been Chelsea’s hardest worker in their last two Premier League matches running for 5.67 and 6.43 miles respectively
– QPR fell victim to a dominant display by Manchester City last time around losing 3-1 at the Etihad, with Bobby Zamora grabbing a second half consolation goal
– Bobby Zamora might be struggling in front of goal so far this season but hopefully QPR fans are not going be too disappointed with the effort being put in by the big front man. He clocked up 6.32 miles against Manchester City, second only to the notoriously hard-running Ji-Sung Park
– Although he’s yet to find the net so far, goals are likely on the way from Adel Taarabt. All 7 of his shots on goal this season have been on target so a place on the score sheet may come soon for the talented Moroccan
– Having just arrived at QPR Esteban Granero is clearly keen to make an impression on the Loftus Road faithful. He managed to rack up 28 passes against Manchester City despite their inevitable domination of possession for large parts of the game.
– Fellow new arrival Fabio da Silva also looks to have been a smart acquisition by the Rs, managing to contribute in both defence and attack. He’s compiled a decent 69% tackle completion rate to go alongside his 57 completed passes.
– Ji-Sung Park’s appetite for work has not diminished following his transfer from Man Utd. At 18.03 miles he’s covered more ground than any other QPR player so far this season
Manchester City’s training has paid off with a culmulative 185 miles ran by the team this season.
Stoke v Man City 15:00
– Stoke’s persistence once again paid dividends as a second half goal from Peter Crouch saw them rescue a point against Wigan. They could have had all three had Charlie Adam’s late effort not been brilliantly saved by Ali Al Habsi
– Jonathan Walters has summed up Tony Pulis’ philosophy of hard work well this season. He’s ran for more miles than any other Stoke player at 18.36
– More goals may well be on the way for Peter Crouch this season after he found the back of the net last time out against Wigan. Out of his 6 attempts on goal so far 83% have been on target
– Dean Whitehead continued to work hard for Tony Pulis’ side last time out, covering the most distances of any player against Wigan with 5.43 miles and the recording the second-highest speed at 21.75 mph
– Manchester City continued their unbeaten run at the start of their title defence with a 3-1 victory at the Etihad. Goals from Yaya Toure, Edin Dzeko and Carlos Tevez were enough to overcome QPR although the performance itself did leave something to be desired
– City are proving themselves to be more than just flash with no substance with the collective effort they’re putting into retaining their title. They’ve ran for a cumulative total of 185.14 miles so far this season, second on the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index
– As the focal point of the Manchester City midfield, Yaya Toure unsurprisingly tops the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index for ball receptions with a massive 332, 40 more than his nearest rival
– The big Ivorian is also working hard to get himself in the right positions to receive those passes. He’s ran for 18.28 miles this season, the highest in the City squad
– Carlos Tevez is enjoying a productive start to the season. The Argentinean tops the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index for shots on target with 11 and comes in at second for assists with 3
– Vincent Kompany has surprisingly enjoyed a mixed start to his season with the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index highlighting some room for improvement. Every one of the 50% of his challenges that he has lost out on so far has resulted in a foul
– Samir Nasri continues to be integral to the functioning of the Man City attack as he tops the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index for successfully completed passes in the final third with 63
Sunderland v Liverpool 17:30
– Liverpool fell victim to a resurgent Arsenal 0-2 at home last time out. There was reason for hope though despite the extension of Brendan Roger’s disappointing start at Anfield, with the emergence of 17 year Raheem Sterling as a real talent for the future
– Joe Allen has so far proved an excellent buy for Brendan Rogers, with his stamina nicely complementing his slick passing game. He racked up 6.16 miles against Arsenal last time around
– The young Welsh midfielder also tops the list for furthest distance ran by any Liverpool player this season with an impressive 19.24 miles
– Steven Gerrard continued to show his influence in the Liverpool midfield despite the eventual loss. He managed 37 completed passes and delivered 5 crosses, both more than any other Liverpool player
– Raheem Sterling came into the Arsenal game with plenty of people talking about his pace as a major asset for Liverpool. He didn’t disappoint after recording a game-high 22.32mph
– Liverpool will be looking for greater accuracy from Luiz Suarez next time out, 10 of his 16 shots so far this season have missed the target, with only 1 goal from the remaining 6
– Sunderland will have been disappointed not to have claimed all 3 points against Swansea, with two goals from Steven Fletcher marking an impressive debut for the Black Cats
– The arrival of Steven Fletcher couldn’t have come soon enough for Sunderland’s goal-hungry fans. His 2 shots on target on debut already mark the highest total in the Sunderland squad so far this season
– Adam Johnson is clearly keen to grasp the chance of a starting role with Sunderland. He ran for a total of 6.47 miles against Swansea, second only to James McLean in the Sunderland team, and delivering 3 crosses along the way
– James McLean continues to show he has plenty to his game aside from creativity moving forward. He showcased his workman-like attitude against Swansea with 6.7 miles of work put in, the highest of any player on the pitch
– Martin O’Neill will be looking for more of the same defensive work from Jack Colback this week. Sunderland will likely need him to build on his 100% success rate from his 7 challenges against Swansea
Stats prove why Adebayor loves the Spurs wide man.
Sunday 16th September 2012
Reading v Tottenham 16:00
– Young Spurs midfielder Jake Livermore has been a bright point in an otherwise difficult start to the season for Spurs. Livermore, who earned his first senior call up for England this week, has covered more ground so far this season than any other Spurs player with 19.47 miles. That’s also the third highest total overall for a player in the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index
– Livermore put in his biggest shift in the game against West Brom with 7.09 miles. That makes him the only non Southampton player in the top 5 for distance covered by a player in an individual game
– Livermore’s team mates would do well to follow his example, however, as Spurs don’t feature in the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index’s top ten for either overall distance covered as a squad or distance covered by a team in a single game
– Reading will need to be aware of the threat of Spurs winger Gareth Bale, who has delivered 12 crosses so far this season, the joint third highest in the Premier League
– Spurs striker Jermain Defoe featured for England this week, and has been carving out plenty of opportunities in front of goal. Defoe has had 15 attempts at goal this season, only Luis Suarez has had more with 16. Defoe has got ten of those shots on target, but has a return of just one Premier League goal
– Reading, meanwhile, have typified the work ethic seen by newly promoted teams in the Premier League. While the Royals have only played two games this season, they’ve averaged 63.42 miles per game. That’s second only to fellow newly promoted team Southampton who have averaged 65.06 miles per game
– Their performance against Stoke, where Reading covered 64.83 miles as a team, remains in the top five for overall distance covered in a game after three rounds of matches
– New signing Danny Guthrie has led the charge with 12.81 miles covered in two games so far this seaso- Guthrie seems to have already earned the trust of his team mates, receiving the ball more often than any other Reading player so far this season with 87 receptions in his two games. That’s just ahead of fellow midfielder Mikele Leigertwood with 81 receptions
– New signing Pavel Pogrebnyak joined Reading after a sensational start to Premier League life with Fulham last season. He’s already opened his account for Reading, scoring once from four attempts at goal of which three were on target
Monday 17th September 2012
Everton v Newcastle 20:00
– Everton’s 100% start to the season ended last time around against West Brom, falling to a 2-0 defeat at the Hawthorns
– While many have been hailing his eye for goal at the start of the season, Marouane Fellaini’s defensive work has been less impressive. He’s lost out in 75% of his 24 tackles so far, giving away 11 fouls in the process
– Fellaini can’t be faulted for effort though. He’s ran the furthest of any Everton player this season clocking up 17.99 miles
– Steven Pienaar’s consistent involvement in Everton’s play continues to be a great asset for the Toffees. He ranks 6th overall for passes in the EA SPORTS Player Index with 98
– The South African midfielder has also been one of Everton’s most regular threats in front of goal. He has the highest number of shots on target of any Everton player this season with 6
– Leighton Baines continues to be the model of consistency at the back for Everton. Alongside his 75% successful tackle rate, he’s also drilled in 12 crosses this season, the 3rd highest on the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index
– Newcastle may struggle to get any change out of the Everton defence this week. Their centre back partnership of Sylvain Distin and Phil Jagielka have been in a domineering mood at the beginning of the season, racking up 37 interceptions and 19 clearances between them
– Newcastle were spared defeat at the hands of Aston Villa with a spectacular strike from mercurial midfielder Hatem Ben Arfa securing the point
– Hatem Ben Arfa’s stunning effort against Villa is just one way he has been tormenting opposition this season. He’s also delivered 8 crosses and 5 trademark dribbles in his opening matches
– It’s been a typically hard-working start to the season for Jonas Gutierrez. He’s covered more ground than any Newcastle player this season with the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index clocking him at 17.08 miles
– Demba Ba was Newcastle’s fastest player against Aston Villa, recording a speed of 19.58mph
– Yohan Cabaye proved there is more to his game than just elegant passing. He was Newcastle’s hardest working player against Villa as the diminutive Frenchman clocked up 5.94 miles in the Newcastle engine room
The EA SPORTS Player Performance Index is the official playing rating index of the Premier League. Click here for more information.
