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 provided the most crosses and who last week put in a true captain’s performance? Then read on and let the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index arm you with enough stats to impress everyone but girly girls.
Saturday 12th January
QPR v Tottenham 12:45
QPR pulled off one of the most important victories in the recent history with a 0-1 win against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge. A Shaun Wright-Phillips strike grabbed a crucial three points for QPR that could prove to be vital in their bid to retain Premier League status.
Adel Taarabt continue to lead the creative line for QPR, even more so following Harry Redknapp’s arrival. The French magician has now had 22 more attempts on goal than that of his nearest teammate so don’t be surprised to see his score this weekend.
Armand Traore left Arsenal with something of a point to prove and it looks as though he now be back on track, pulling out some impressive statistics on the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index. He now has 67% tackle completion rate from 34 attempts, as well as 49 interceptions.
Nedum Onuoha is another Rs player who is playing to a high standard at the back for Harry Redknapp. He’s only conceded two fouls on his way to achieving a 91% tackle success rate from 22 challenges.
Stephane Mbia is for many, the strongman of the QPR midfield, breaking up play and allowing his teammates ahead of him to try and flourish creatively. The EA SPORTS Player Performance Index certainly backs up this perception, recording the Cameroon international as attempting 58 challenges this season.
A well earned 3-1 home victory over Reading underlined the seriousness of Tottenham’s challenge for a Champions League spot this season. The scoreline adeptly reflected Tottenham’s dominance of the game, and had they not spurned extra chances their lead could have been extended further. It was a display to give Andre Villas-Boas a great deal of confidence going into this weekend though.
Tottenham have one of the busiest offensive lines in the Premier League this season, given the willingness of their front players to have a go in front of goal.
Jermain Defoe and Gareth Bale sit second and third on the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index respectively for shots on target, racking up a huge 94 between them.
Indeed, rumours and rife that Gareth Bale will be leaving Tottenham in the summer and with his recent form it isn’t hard to see why the world’s biggest clubs and interested in his signature. His combined total of 95 dribbles and crosses is the highest in the Premier League and he is providing substantial end product as well, registering 9 goals and 3 assists.
Brazilian midfielder Sandro has been earning some stellar reviews for his solid displays in the middle of the park for Tottenham this season, especially since he leads the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index for successful tackles with an enormous 62. However his defensive judgement has at times been slightly lacking. He leads the Spurs squad for fouls committed with 33.
But against Reading, Spurs fans were treated to a typically hard-working displaying from their South American powerhouse, Sandro running for a squad high 6.08 miles on the day.
Classy Belgian defender Jan Vertonghen is demonstrating what a smart move on Tottenham’s part to secure his services in the summer. His defensive contribution total of 147 is the highest in the Spurs squad.
Aston Villa v Southampton 15:00
Aston Villa stemmed a tide of poor results against Swansea last week in a 2-2 draw, but will have left south Wales disappointed not to have claimed all three points after conceding a late equalizer. Villa’s strikers look to be finding their feet again, with Benteke and Weimann netting once each for Paul Lambert’s side, looking lively throughout.
Midfield talent Barry Bannan looks to be maturing at Villa Park this season. He leads the Villa squad for passes completed inside the opponent’s half with 276, evidence that he is willing and able to shoulder much of the creative and tactical responsibility in the middle of the park.
Ashley Westwood is catching the eye of many a pundit and opinion maker thanks to some of his performances in the earlier part of the season, not least for his defensive contributions. He’s racked up an 80% tackles success rate from 25 challenges and has only given away 5 fouls along the way.
Such has been Brad Guzan’s form of late, he’s even been able to keep the great Shay Given from making the Aston Villa starting line-up and according to the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index he’s had plenty of opportunities to show off his skills. He’s ranked as the second busiest keeper in the league, having made 115 saves, one every 15.9 minutes.
Paul Lambert will be looking for a some improved defensive displays from all-action midfielder Karim El Ahmadi in this next stage of the season. According to the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index he’s conceded more fouls that any other Villa player, with 29, and only has a 40% tackles success rate from 48 attempts.
Belgian striker Christian Benteke may have struggled to find the net in his last few outings but he remains Aston Villa’s biggest threat on goal this season. He’s had a squad-high total of 58 attempts on goal, 58& of which have been on target. Southampton will have been similarly disappointed not to have claimed a much-needed three points after their 1-1 draw with Arsenal. Nigel Adkin’s side were in great form and outplayed their more lauded opponent’s for much of the game. It was a result, and a performance, to give them confidence against an Aston Villa side who have admittedly struggled against some of the free-flowing sides in the Premier League in recent weeks.
Southampton will do well to fend off the inevitable wave of interest in their teenage prodigy Luke Shaw come the summer transfer window. According to the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index, the young left-back has notched up 108 defensive contributions and has an 85% tackle success rate from 27 challenges.
Steven Davis managed to pip perennial hardest-worker Morgan Schneiderlin to the title of Southampton’s hardest worker against Arsenal last week. He pushed for 7.09 miles, just 0.04 than his French teammate.
Jason Puncheon is quietly stabling a reputation as one of the most consistent performers at Southampton with his recent form. He’s made a combined 38 crosses and assists this season, along with 5 assists.
His midfield partner Adam Lallana continues to shoulder much of the responsibility for making Southampton tick though, having successfully completed 339 passes in the opponent’s half according to the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index.
Everton v Swansea 15:00
Everton triumphed away to Newcastle last week thanks to goals from Victor Anichebe and a stunning Leighton Baines free-kick. Newcastle took the lead after only two minutes but it was the Toffees who dominated for much of the match, further solidifying their credentials as genuine contenders for a European place come the end of the season.
Leighton Baines’ reputation as one of the world’s best fullbacks continues to grow apace thanks to his recent performances. He’s won 75% of his challenges this season as well as delivering 80 crosses for his teammates according to the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index.
Marouane Fellaini’s services are likely to be highly sought after this summer, but the Belgian powerhouse may have to tidy up his defence should he wish to secure a move to pastures new. He sits second on the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index for fouls conceded with 40.
Striker Nikica Jelavic has been earning solid reviews for the way he has led the Everton line this season, despite apparently being somewhat wasteful with the chance he’s being presented with in front of goal. He’s only been on target with 51% of his 51 shots on goal but still don’t count against him finding the net against the Swans.
Phil Jagielka and Sylvain’s Distin’s collective reading of the game has been crucial to Everton’s continuing success. Their central defensive partnership has combined for a mammoth 241 interceptions this campaign.
Indeed all the facets of Jagielka’s game have been on top form this season. According to the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index the England international has won an incredible 86% of his 49 attempted tackles, made 34 clearances and 16 blocks.
A late Swansea goal grabbed a point for Michael Laudrup’s side last time out against Aston Villa. Michu was once again in rare form for the Swans in the early stages, and despite not managing to find the net in the first half, Swansea managed to resist a spirited Villa display.
Michu continues to look like the bargain buy of the season, with his stellar early performances for Swansea showing no signs of abating. According to the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index he has the highest shots of target rate of any Swansea player this season with 31.
However some of his defensive efforts have left something to be desired. Michael Laudrup will be looking for a more subtle approach for the remainder of the season, his star frontman having conceded 31 fouls and lost out on 60% of his 72 attempted challenges.
Jonathan de Guzman has proved to be another inspired signing for the Swans, already proving himself to be the fulcrum around which their midfield is operating. No other Swansea player can boast a higher pass total in the opponent’s half than his 440 this season.
Ashley Williams continues to be Swansea’s defensive rock this campaign, despite seeing his discipline falter at times. Although he’s given away 23 fouls, he’s also contributed with a combined total of 64 clearances and blocks.
Angel Rangel was once again Swansea’s hardest grafter last time out against Aston Villa. The EA SPORTS Player Performance Index recorded him running for 6.62 miles.
Fulham v Wigan 15:00
Fulham secured an excellent 1-2 away win against West Brom last time out, Dimitar Berbatov and Alex Kacaniklic registering for the Cottagers. It was a very important win for Martin Jol’s improving side, as they became only the third side to win at the Hawthorns this season, the Baggies having established their home turf as something of a fortress.
Dimitar Berbatov has been grabbing many of the headlines for Fulham since his arrival from Man Utd, but his strike partner Hugo Rodallega has actually been proving himself the more accurate in front of goal. The Colombian has an on-target rate of 68% from 38 attempts, to Berbatov’s 57% from 47 attempts. Steve Sidwell has certainly been active in the centre of the park for Fulham so far this season, having made a total of 106 attempted challenges and 77 interceptions this season according to the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index.
Alex Kacaniklic achieved the quite rare distinction against West Brom of passing the 7 miles in one game marker, according to the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index.
Aaron Hughes has been Fulham’s most successful player from a defensive perspective this season, having successfully contributed 190 times, that’s one every 10.1 minutes.
Full-back Sascha Reither has certainly been willing to mix up his standard defensive duties with an eagerness to get higher up the pitch. He’s currently the joint 3rd highest rated defender in the Premier League for crosses delivered with 39.
Wigan were unable to resist a dominant Man Utd last week, as the Red Devils punished some lackluster defending in a 0-4 win. The Lactics will be keen to put this loss behind them quickly against Fulham this weekend, as they look to rise out of the league’s bottom three.
Ivorian Arouna Kone arrived at the DW Stadium as a relative unknown but has quickly made his presence felt in the Premier League. He’s Wigan’s top goalscorer this season with 6, at a very solid rate of one goal for every 8 attempts he’s had on goal.
Jean Beausejour will be looking to test Fulham’s aerial ability in defence this weekend, given his willingness to whip balls in for his strikers. He’s currently ranked 4th on the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index for crosses delivered with 71.
Wigan can be a great team to watch on their day and James McCarthy is always central to the fluidity of their game. The young midfielder is the highest ranked player in the Wigan squad for passes completed in the opponent’s half with 511. Maynor Figueroa has been something of an unsung hero for Roberto Martinez’s side this season, quietly establishing himself as one of Wigan’s defensive rocks with 128 interceptions, 21 clearances and 15 blocks.
On target: Robert Snodgrass
Norwich v Newcastle 15:00
Norwich fell to a controversial 2-1 defeat away to West Ham last week, a late Russell Martin goal providing scant consolation. The result continues a worrying run of form for Chris Hughton’s side, and although the Hammers’ disputed penalty was pointed to as the turning point, the hosts struggled to pose a consistent threat on West Ham’s goal.
Norwich’s strikeforce would do well to take their lead from Robert Snodgrass, one of the Canaries’ leading offensive lights this season. He’s had the most on target attempts of any Norwich player this season with 25.
Snodgrass has also been contributing positively in defence for Chris Hughton this season. He’s won 42 attempted tackles, the most of any Norwich player, giving him a 65% success rate overall.
Bradley Johnson continues to be Norwich’s enforcer-in-chief, leading him to unsurprisingly continue to rack up the fouls. He currently sits joint third on the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index with 39.
Alexander Tettey is clearly keen to build on his recent performances for Norwich following a hard working performance against West Ham. He’s ran for an impressive 6.29 miles.
Frenchman Sebastian Bassong’s all-round defensive contribution continues to be excellent for Norwich. He’s successfully contributed defensively to the Norwich cause once every 12 minutes this season.
A very early goal from Papiss Cisse was not enough to prevent the Magpies suffering a 1-2 defeat to Everton at St James Park. It was an effort to build on for Alan Pardew’s side however, his team creating a number of chances only to be thwarted by a solid Everton defensive effort.
Whilst the Newcastle defence have been relatively solid in terms of their discipline this season, Papiss Cisse has been transgressing at the other end of the pitch more than any other Newcastle player. The EA SPORTS Player Performance Index shows him notching up 26 so far.
Davide Santon has been flourishing on Tyneside this season and is also adding some offensive strings to his bow. He’s dribbled with the ball 12 times and delivered 21 crosses.
No Newcastle player has been throwing their body on the line more than Mike Williamson this campaign. His 12 blocks is the highest in the Magpies’ squad.
Newcastle’s main ball wizard continues to be Hatem Ben Arfa though, who pushes Santon into second place for most dribbles with 27, a figure that also places him joint 3rd on the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index.
Vurnon Anita is slowly proving to be a shrewd buy by Newcastle given some of the numbers he’s generating on the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index. No Newcastle player has successfully completed more passes in the opponent’s half than him, having recorded 246 so far this season.
Reading v West Brom 15:00
Reading‘s troubled season continued with a 3-1 defeat at the hands of Tottenham on new year’s day their last Premier League outing, with Pavel Pogrebnyak scoring their only goal. However, they were able to reverse that scoreline in the FA Cup, knocking out previous giant killers Crawley with Adam le Fondre scoring a brace and Noel Hunt also on the score sheet.
Le Fondre has scored five goals in the Premier League this season, averaging one every 200 minutes 12 seconds and taking an average of six chances for every goal scored.
Brian McDermott has urged the club to seal a new contract for defender Alex Pearce, who is out of contract at the end of the season. Pearce has played just 899 minutes for Reading in the league this season, but has won 65.2% of tackles he has attempted, made 19 clearances and 50 interceptions.
Adrian Mariappa has also been one of the busiest defenders in the league this season, averaging a defensive contribution (tackle won, interception made, clearance or block) every 6 minutes 54 seconds, the 4th busiest defender in the league this season.
Midfielder Mikele Leigertwood, meanwhile, has won the third highest number of tackles in the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index with 60, 63.8% of all tackles attempted overall.
Reading have had their share of bad luck this season, with both goalkeepers Adam Federici and Alex McCarthy suffering injuries at differing stages. McCarthy has best minutes per save rating in the league, having been called into action once every 13 minutes 41 seconds.
West Brom will be hoping for a return to early season form, as their last Premier League outing saw fall to a 2-1 defeat to Fulham, with Romelu Lukaku scoring their solitary goal, while they face an FA Cup third round replay after drawing with QPR last weekend. Shane Long scored the opening goal for the Baggies in that one.
Lukaku has been an inspired signing since joining from Chelsea on loan, have contributed a goal or assist every 25 minutes and 3 seconds this season, the fourth highest in the league behind only Chicarito Hernandez, Luis Suarez and Wayne Rooney.
Shane Long seems to have also benefited from the presence of the powerful Belgium striker alongside him, having scored 5 goals from 24 efforts at goal with 13 of those on target.
Since then QPR have bid for West Brom defender Jonas Olsson, with the Baggies turning down a reported £5 million bid. Olsson has been in incredible form this season. Outside of players for the top four teams, only Leighton Baines, Phil Jagielka and Ashley Williams rank above Olsson among the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index’s defenders.
This has been underpinned by Olsson’s dominance in the air, which sees him lead the tables for clearances with 55 so far this season. He has been supported in that respect by fellow defender Gareth McAuley who is in third place having made 45 clearances.
None shall pass: Ryan Shawcross
Stoke v Chelsea 15:00
Stoke haven’t had a great start to 2013, with a 3-0 loss at the hands of Man City in the league and a 0-0 draw in the FA Cup against Crystal Palace. One highlight, however, will be the signing of a new contract by Ryan Shawcross.
Shawcross has attempted 53 tackles this season, winning an impressive 64.2% of them, and made 110 interceptions, making him the 9th most effective defender in the league when you combine tackles won, interceptions, clearances and blocks. That includes 23 blocks, the second highest in the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index.
Stoke have looked impressive in defence this season and have conceded just 20 goals, a return bettered only by Chelsea and Man City. They have conceded just 7 goals at home, the best in the league. Part of that must go down to goalkeeper Asmir Begovic who has been in impressive form this season. Begovic has made 112 saves this season, the third highest number in the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index, and is the third ranked goalkeeper overall after England number 1 Joe Hart and Chelsea’s Petr Cech.
Jonathan Walters has also been quietly impressing this season, and is the second highest ranked striker in the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index outside of the top 6 teams having contributed 5 goals and 3 assists this season from 30 shits at goal. Walters may need to sharpen up though, having hit just 13 of those 30 shots on target.
Chelsea have had a difficult start to 2013, with a 1-0 defeat to West London neighbours QPR and a 2-0 league cup defeat to Swansea falling either side of a 5-1 thrashing of Southampton in the FA Cup.
One highlight for Chelsea fans will be the seamless transition that new signing Demba Ba has made to the team. Ba scored twice on his debut in the FA Cup and looked dangerous when brought on against Swansea, so Stoke will need to watch out for the former Newcastle hitman. Ba is joint second in the race for the Premier League golden boot having scored 13 goals at a rate of one every 137 minutes, and coming from 81 shots at goal with 41 of those on target. In comparison, Luis Suarez and Michu, who are both also on 13 goals, have taken 140 and 141 minutes respectively to score their goals, and taken 104 and 54 shots to score them.
Ba will enjoy playing in front of a supremely talented Chelsea midfield. Juan Mata has been one of the stars of the season, and has contributed a goal or assist every 9 minutes 12 seconds this season, one of the best ratings in the league. Mata has completed 587 passes in the opposition half this season, the 6th highest in the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index and two places above team mate Eden Hazard who is in 8th with 531 passes completed.
His midfield team mate Frank Lampard has been at the centre of most conversations around Chelsea this month with contract negotiations ongoing. Lampard has six goals in the Premier League this season, averaging one every 96 minutes 40 seconds, a rate only beaten by United’s Chicarito Hernandez which demonstrates his ongoing value as a goal scorer in the Premier League.
Sunderland v West Ham 15:00
Sunderland are another team who will be hoping for better results than their year started with, having suffered a 3-0 loss at the hands of Liverpool in their last game and being forced to a replay in the FA Cup by Bolton.
Martin O’Neill has suggested that Conor Wickham may become the natural strike partner for top scorer Steven Fletcher this season, as the Black Cats seek to find goals in other areas of the pitch. Finding a foil for Fletcher, who is the top ranked striker outside of the top six teams in the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index, will be key to improving Sunderland’s season. Fletcher has scored 8 of Sunderland’s 21 goals this season, taking exactly 4 chances to score each of his goals.
Wickham has played just 218 Premier League minutes this season, and is yet to score his first Premier League goal having had 7 shots at goal with 5 on target.
At the other end of the pitch John O’Shea has been the 5th busiest defender in the league this season, having averaged a tackle won, clearance, interception or block every 7 minutes 25 seconds this season.
Goalkeeper Simon Mignolet has been another stand out performer for Sunderland this season, making 112 saves, the third highest in the league.
Things are looking positive at Upton Park for 2013, with prodigal son Joe Cole returning to the club through which he first learned his trade. Cole made an instant impact in the FA Cup draw against Manchester United, while West Ham also had Premier League joy this month with a 2-1 win over Norwich thanks to a Mark Noble penalty and Joey O’Brien goal.
Noble has been a key player for West Ham this season. His goal against Norwich was his fourth of the season, having come from an efficient 7 shots on target. Noble has also delivered 42 crosses, but has only been credited one assist, and must be craving a return of the aerial threat of Andy Carroll to convert his deliveries.
O’Brien has also enjoyed a good season with two goals and two assists to his name this season and winning exactly half of the 44 tackles he has attempted while completing 71 passes in his opponent’s half.
West Ham have also signed Marouane Chamakh on loan from Arsenal for the rest of the season to bolster their striking options. Chamakh is yet to feature for Arsenal in the league this season, but last term contributed just one goal in 220 minutes of Premier League football, coming from 9 efforts at goal.
Sunday 13th January
Evra continues to defy the critics.
Man Utd v Liverpool 13:30
Man Utd thrashed Wigan 0-4 at the DW stadium last week to maintain their advantage at the summit of the Premier League. Two braces from Robin van Persie and Javier Hernandez ensured all three points returned to Old Trafford in a fixture which underlined just how ruthless their rivals can expect them to be as they attempt to regain the league title.
Robin van Persie continues to rightly grab all the headlines for Man Utd, having now put clear distance between himself and the other highest scorers in the league. Somewhat surprisingly though, his shot on target percentage rate is only 57% from 69 attempts.
It is sometimes easy to forget the array of attacking talents that Sir Alex Ferguson has at his disposal. Whilst RVP and Wayne Rooney often steal the show, Javier Hernandez has a goal per minute ratio to rival almost anyone in the league. The EA SPORTS Player Performance Index shows the Mexican finisher as finding the net once every 82.3 minutes this season, with many of the appearances coming off the bench.
Patrice Evra continues to defy the critics who say at 31 he is approaching the end of his peak years. Only Michael Carrick has bettered his total of 436 passes completed in the opponent’s half in the Man Utd squad this season.
Man Utd know what they’re going to get from Antonio Valencia and Sir Alex Ferguson clearly appreciated the stability he gives his side on the flank. He’s delivered a solid 43 crosses this season according to the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index.
Tom Cleverley has been encouraged to step up this season and start to fulfill his eventual role as Man Utd’s midfield dictator. If last week is anything to go by he certainly can’t be faulted for a lack of effort, having ran for a very impressive 6.98 miles.
A fine 3-0 victory over Sunderland showcased the progress made by Liverpool under Brendan Rogers since the start of the season. Two goals from Luis Suarez and one from youngster Raheem Sterling capped a strong team performance from the Reds, in a game where they showed they may be coming back to somewhere near top form.
It will be a clash of two of the most talented strikers in the Premier League on Sunday as Robin van Persie and Luis Suarez square off. Suarez may be 3 goals behind RVP in the race for the golden boot but the Uruguayan has been the busier in front of goal, racking up 58 shots on target to Van Persie’s 39. One would think more goals won’t be far behind.
Brendan Rogers will still be looking for continual improvements in Suarez’s discipline though, his talisman having given away more fouls than any other Liverpool player with 29.
Steven Gerrard has continued to dictate play for Liverpool this season, as he has done for much of the last decade. He sits fourth on the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index for assists with 9 and has seen his dazzling array of passing give him a successful pass total of 626.
Right-back Glen Johnson if often criticized for his slight defensive lapses, which sit in stark contrast to his ability going forward. However the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index shows him as having successfully completed more tackles than any other Liverpool player with 32, something his detractors should bear in mind.
Slovakian defender Martin Skrtel has been repeatedly getting in the way of the Liverpool goal and oncoming danger this season. His 35 clearances is a squad high according to the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index.
Arsenal v Man City 16:00
Arsenal fell to a lethargic 1-1 draw against Southampton at the Emirate last week, in a performance that will have done little to quell criticism that this talented team struggles to maintain consistent form. Arsene Wenger will be looking to his players to step up to the plate against the reigning champions this weekend, a match in which his players should not lack in motivation given the ex-teammates they could likely be squaring up against.
Theo Walcott looks set to sign a new contract and his recent form has been key to his negotiating position. The pacy striker has been flourishing a more central role this season, establishing himself as the club’s top scorer with 8 and a accuracy rate of 73% for 33 shots.
Should he be able to remain fit, Kieran Gibbs is set to play a big role at Arsenal in coming seasons. The 23-year-old is flourishing this season, with a 74% tackle success percentage and only 9 fouls conceded.
Jack Wilshere may have been injured for almost a year but he’s clearly intent on making up for lost time. The midfield prodigy has completed 351 passes in his opponent’s half this season, at a rate of one every 2.5 minutes according to the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index.
His midfield partner Santi Cazorla remains the driving creative force in the Arsenal line-up however, the Spanish magician compiling an incredible 793 successful passes in the upper half of the pitch, to complement his 14 dribbles, also a squad record.
Despite being a virtual ever-present since his arrival from Everton, Mikel Arteta continues to be Arsenal’s weakest link from a disciplinary perspective, having racked up 46 fouls and 2 yellow cards so far this season according to the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index.
Man City secured a comfortable victory over a typically dogged Stoke in a 3-0 win at the Etihad last week. Pablo Zabaleta, Edin Dzeko and Sergio Aguero all chipped in for City in a performance which suggests their defence of their title is still alive and well.
Although his playing time has been restricted this season, Edin Dzeko is managing to edge out his striker colleagues in the battle for City’s most accurate frontman. He has a shot on target rate of 63% from 35 attempts, compared to 61% from 54 for Sergio Aguero and 62% from 60 attempts for Carlos Tevez.
Yaya Toure continues to be statistically the most influential midfielder in the league, having compiled an enormous 916 total of passes completed in the opponent’s half this season according to the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index.
Carlos Tevez has been scoring and providing goals at a better rate than almost anyone in the Premier League this season according to the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index. He’s ranked second for combine goals and assists with 17.
Controversial striker Mario Balotelli has been taking up a fair few column inches this season but Roberto Mancini will be looking for him to improve his accuracy in front of goal and truly establish himself as one of the better strikers in the league. He currently only has one goal from 13 on target shots, and an accuracy rate of 43% from 30 attempts.
