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 2nd February
QPR v Norwich 12:45
QPR fought hard to earn a 0-0 draw against Man City in midweek, largely thanks to a world-class display fo goalkeeping from Julio Cesar.
Brazilian stopper Julio Cesar has been garnering rave reviews since his move to Loftus Road, and has already made 86 save this season according to the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index.
Ryan Nelsen will be a huge miss for QPR following his departure to the MLS. The Kiwi defender contributed 107 interceptions and 28 blocks to the R’s cause this season.
Despite the influx of new signings, Adel Taarabt will continue to be the main creative outlet for Harry Redknapp’s side. The talented midfielder has provided 4 assists and taken on defenders with dribbles 33 times this season.
A vastly improved Norwich could only earn a point on Wednesday, as they were held to a 1-1 draw against Tottenham.
Robert Snodgrass has quickly established himself as the pivotal figure in Norwich’s midfield this season. According to the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index he’s completed 504 passes in the opponent’s half this season, 92 more than his nearest teammate.
Big frontman Grant Holt will be looking to improve his shot accuracy rate to help keep new signing Luciano Becchio at bay. The English striker has a 55% accuracy rate from 29 attempts.
The continued deliveries of Anthony Pilkington will also be crucial to the rest of Norwich’s season, the midfielder having whipped in 59 crosses this campaign according to the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index, the 2nd highest in the Norwich squad.
Everton v Aston Villa 15:00
Two goals from Leighton Baines gave Everton a 2-1 victory over West Brom as they continue their charge towards Champions League qualification.
While he was not the subject of any bids that we know of this January window, expect the list of suitors for Leighton Baines’ signature to grow come the summer. The Englishman continues to cement his position as one of the premier full-backs in world football, his reading of the game and dynamism on the flanks being exceptional this year. According to the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index he’s delivered a mammoth 88 crosses this season, as well as intercepting the ball 72 times.
Key to the Toffees’ fortunes will also be Marounae Fellaini, another who is expected to garner interest before the start of next season. The imposing Belgian has the versatility to cause any team problems, something he has been demonstrating this season. According to the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index he has a 70% shot accuracy rate from 50 attempts, as well as making 45 interceptions.
Phil Jagiellka has been the standout defender in the Premier League this season according to the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index. The consummate centre-half has an extraordinary 87% tackle success rate from 54 attempted challenges, conceding only 9 fouls, as well as making 156 interceptions.
Aston Villa were forced into the relegation zone following a 1-2 defeat at home to Newcastle on Tuesday evening.
Despite Paul Lambert being criticized for fielding a inexperienced side, some of his young charges have been stepping up to the mark to dispel the doubters. Matthew Lowton in particular has been in excellent form, completing 280 passes in the opponent’s half as well as establishing a 77% tackle success rate from 75 challenges.
While the goals have been leaking in for Villa at the back in recent weeks, blame cannot be laid solely at the feet of Bradley Guzan. The American keeper has made 130 saves this season, placing him joint 1st on the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index.
A revival in Villa’s fortunes will inevitably rest largely on the broad shoulders of Christian Benteke. Villa fans will be desperate to see him convert some of his play into goals, as despite being accurate with his shooting, he has been struggling to find the net on a consistent basis. The Belgian striker has a 72% accuracy rate from 68 attempted shots, yet has only registered 7 goals (nearly one every 10 attempts).
Cabaye-aye man
Newcastle v Chelsea 15:00
Goals from Papiss Cisse and Yohan Cabaye secured three points for Alan Pardew’s Newcastle, as they came out on top against Aston Villa following a 1-2 win.
Yohan Cabaye has been one of Newcastle’s standout performers since his relatively unheralded arrival from Ligue 1 and while he continues to be their primary creative outlet, Alan Pardew will be looking for a greater end-product in the next phase of the season. Cabaye has delivered a squad-high 44 crosses, yet has only notched up 1 assist.
Fellow Frenchamn Sylvain Marveaux has not been suffering from the same problem however, have registered 5 assists despite only playing 716 minutes according to the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index.
Should Fabriciio Collocini leave in the summer, he will leave a huge hole for Alan Pardew to fill. He has the best tackle success rate in the Newcastle squad, having won 79% of his 34 challenges.
Goals from midfield duo Juan Mata and Frank Lampard were not enough to claim a win for Rafa Benitez’s side as Chelsea drew 2-2 at the Madjeski.
Creative dynamo Eden Hazard has acclimatized well in his short Premier League to date, the aggressive style of defending doing little to curb his attacking instincts. He’s joint 5th on the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index for dribbles with 27.
Ever-green midfielder Frank Lampard continues to perform at the highest level, despite uncertainties surrounding his future. Lampard has scored the joint highest number of goals for Chelsea this season with 8, and has an impressive 68% accuracy rate in front of goal from his 28 attempts.
Juan Mata’s impact on this Chelsea team cannot be underestimated according to the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index. The Spanish international is the conduit for all of Chelsea play, having completed 689 passes in the opponent’s half, as well as registering 11 assists and 8 goals.
Reading v Sunderland 15:00
Two late goals from substitute Adam Le Fondre ensured a dramatic finish as Reading drew 2-2 with Chelsea on Wednesday night.
Defender Adrian Mariappa has been crucial to Reading’s defensive efforts this campaign. He’s made 146 interceptions 23 blocks and 28 clearances this season, all squad-highs.
Adam Le Fondre has been quickly earning ‘super-sub’ tag for his goalscoring in recent weeks but according to the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index he deserves a more consistent run in the team. He’s scored 8 goals this season at a rate of one every 131 minutes.
Brian McDermott will be looking for his other attack-minded players to provide some support to Jobi McAnuff as we move towards the business end of the season. The Reading captain has provided 6 assists this campaign.
Sunderland shared the points as their midweek fixture with Swansea ended in a 0-0 draw.
Adam Johnson continue to be a creative revelation for Sunderland according to the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index. The winger has delivered 57 crosses for his teammates to get on the end of this season, whilst also notching up 6 assists.
Steven Fletcher will likely welcome the arrival of Danny Graham to The Stadium of Light, given that he sorely needs some help when it comes to providing the goals for The Black Cats. His 10 goals are only 6 less than those provided by the entire rest of the squad put together.
Sebastian Larsson’s all-round play will be vital to Martin O’Neill as he pushes his squad on towards the end of the season. The Swedish international has provided a squad high 389 passes in the opponent’s half but has not neglected his defensive duties either, notching up 53 interceptions and 7 clearances.
When the celebration is this bad maybe it’s best that you leave the scoring to others Kevin.
West Ham v Swansea 15:00
West Ham fell to a 3-1 defeat at the hands of Fulham at Craven Cottage on Wednesday, a solitary goal from Kevin Nolan providing scant consolation.
Kevin Nolan admitted this week that he is very keen to add to his goal tally for this season, given how large a part finding the net plays into his overall games. The EA SPORTS Player Performance Index seems to suggest that more goals aren’t too far off though, given that he has a 68% accuracy rate from 44 attempted shots.
No player has been committing his body more to the West Ham cause than James Collins, the defender having thrown himself into 21 blocks so far this season.
Mark Noble has been complementing his never-ending work-ethic with some solid play in the middle of the park this season. He’s made 44 crosses and 445 passes in the opponent’s half according to the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index.
Swansea were unable to claim more than a draw as they ended all square with Sunderland at 0-0 on Tuesday evening.
Even more pressure will be piled onto Michu following Danny Graham’s departure to Sunderland, with the Swans fans turning to him to continue his goal-scoring exploits. The Spaniard has found the net 13 times this season, but could do with improving the clinical nature of his shooting. He has only a 53% accuracy rate from 64 attempts.
Whilst Swansea captain Ashley Williams has been imperious in his reading of the game, his timing and aggressiveness in the tackle could use some improvement. He’s lost out on 55% of his 42 challenges, giving away 23 fouls in the process.
Michael Laudrup is fortunate to have a midfield who shares the creative duties equally between them. The quartet of Nathan Dyer (4), Wayne Routledge (4), Pablo Hernandez (5) and Jonathan de Guzman (5) have combine to provide 60% of Swansea’s assists this season.
Arsenal v Stoke
Arsenal came back from two goals down against Liverpool to earn a point in their race for the Champions League. Goals from Theo Walcott and Olivier Giroud completed an impressive comeback by the Gunners.
Walcott’s goal takes his tally in the Premier League this season to 10, one of only three English players and nine players overall to have hit the milestone so far this season. Of those nine players in the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index, only Steven Fletcher has a better shooting accuracy than Walcott. Walcott gets an impressive 69.6% of shots on target, supporting calls for him to be played in a more traditional striker role rather than on the wing.
Walcott has also taken the second fewest shots to get his ten goals with 46. Again, only Steven Fletcher has scored his goals with more efficiency having needed just 38 shots.
Walcott has now contributed to or scored 19 goals this season. Only four players in the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index can boast better numbers – Robin van Persie, Luis Suares, Carlos Tevez, and Juan Mata.
In comparison, Olivier Giroud’s goal was his eighth of the season, having come from 53 shots at goal with 52.8% on target.
As in the game against West Ham, Aaaron Ramsey was a controlling force from midfield and he completed 54 passes in the opposition half in that game, more than any other player in the midweek round of games.
Much has been said of Arsenal’s defensive frailties since the game against Liverpool. However, despite recent errors, the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index shows Arsenal’s centre backs to be statistically sound. Thomas Vermaelen has won 64.2% of the 53 tackles he has attempted this season and has made 22 clearances, 31 interceptions and 13 blocks.
Stoke’s last game was a 2-2 draw against Wigan, thanks to goals from Ryan Shawcross and Peter Crouch.
Peter Crouch was the subject of some speculation on transfer deadline day, but remains at the Brittania, a fact which Potters fans should be pleased about. Crouch has 4 goals this season, but has netted them from just 25 shots at goal making for an efficient strike rating of a goal every 6.25 shots, while his shots on target rating is an equally impressive 68%.
Shawcross’ goal was his first of the season, as the tough tackling midfielder has focused more on stopping goals than scoring them. He’s attempted 56 tackles winning 60.7% of them. Shawcross is ranked 12th overall in the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index for defensive contributions having won 34 tackles, made 33 clearances, 119 interceptions and 24 blocks
Di santo: Finally getting the hand of this scoring lark.
Wigan v Southampton
Wigan drew 2-2 with Stoke in their last league outing thanks to goals from James McArthur and Franco di Santo.
Di Santo’s goal was his fourth of the season, having come from 44 shots at goal with 54.5% on target. While Latics fans may hope for a better shot conversion rate, di Santo has also played a vital supporting role this season completing 225 passes in the opposition half and contributing three assists.
McArthur’s goal was his first of the season, with the midfielder focusing more on defensive duties. McArthur has attempted 62 tackles this season, enough to put him in the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index’s top 30 for tackling. He will, however, need to work on winning those tackles more frequently as he has come away with the ball in just 51.6% of those tackles.
Fellow midfielder James McCarthy has made 20 clearances this season, the second highest by a midfielder in the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index.
Meanwhile, Wigan goalkeeper Ali Al Habsi has been the third busiest goalkeeper in the EA SPORTSP layer Performance Index, making 126 saves, just 4 behind the league’s busiest keeper Simon Mignolet who has made 130.
Southampton took a shock lead against league leaders Manchester United in their last league game before eventually falling to a 2-1 defeat.
Jay Rodriguez scored that opener for the Saints, with just his second goal of the season. Rodriguez has needed 26 shots at goal for his 2 goals, getting exactly 50% on target. While Rodriguez has also contributed 2 assists, he will need to bring his strike rating closer to team mate Rickie Lambert to help the Saints beat the drop.
Lambert has 10 goals from 51 goals this season, and while his on target rating is just 47% his chance conversion averages just 5.1 shots per goal compared to Rodriguez’s 13 shots per goal.
Fulham v Man Utd
Fulham celebrated a great week in which Mohammed Al Fayed announced the club was now debt free with a 3-1 win over West Ham which sees them 8 points clear of the relegation zone and 10 points of sixth place
Dimitar Berbatov, Hugo Rodallega and an own goal forced by Mladen Petric earnt three points for the Cottagers.
Berbatov has undergone a return to top form while playing regularly at Fulham, and his goal against West Ham was his 7th in the Premier League this season. His goals have come from 48 shots with 58.3% on target, averaging just over 7 shots per goal.
Once branded a selfish or lazy player, Berbatov has completed a pass in the opposition half 492 times this season. That’s the 17th highest overall in the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index and the 2nd highest by a striker.
While Joey O’Brien was credited with the own goal for Fulham’s third, Mladen Petric’s shot may already have been going over the line. If it had been credited to Petric it would make his goals per minute rating the 5th best in the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index at a goal every 115 minutes 20 seconds. As it is, he remains in a nonetheless impressive 10th place with a goal every 138 minutes 24 seconds.
Rodallega has struggled more for Premier League goals, with his strike against West Ham just his second in the league, but having had 39 efforts at goal with an impressive 69.2% on target more will surely follow.
At the other end of the pitch, Mark Schwarzer has been the joint third busiest goalkeeper in the Premier League this season, making 126 saves, averaging one every 16 minutes
Manchester United remain top of the Premier League after coming from behind to defeat Southampton 2-1 last weekend.
Wayne Rooney scored his 6th and 7th goals of the season to make it 101 career goals at Old Trafford. Rooney’s goals have come at a rate of one every 7 shots, with 67.3% of his shots on target this season.
Rooney has also contributed 7 assists this season, and is the 5th ranked striker in the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index for passes completed in the opposition half.
Patrice Evra is enjoying one of his finest season’s for Manchester United, and set up one of Rooney’s goals with a fine header across goal. Evra has completed 462 passes in the opposition half this season. Only Leighton Baines has completed more among the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index’s defenders.
Sunday 3rd February
Jonas Olsson: The Baggies’ defensive rock
West Brom v Tottenham 13:30
A Shane Long goal was not enough to prevent West Brom sliding to a 2-1 defeat on Wednesday.
Jonas Olsson continues to be Steve Clarke’s defensive rock this season. The big defender has contributed positively in defense 243 times according to the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index, a squad-high.
Look for Chris Brunt to play a major role in West Brom’s push for European qualification come May. He’s already registered 5 assists and provided 41 crosses this season, the highest ion the Baggies’ squad.
Striker Shane Long has many virtues but his tackling still requires some improvement. He’s conceded 31 fouls this season, the most of any West Brom player, and has only a 30% success rate from 46 attempted tackles.
A quite stunning solo effort from Gareth Bale rescued a point for Tottenham as they drew 1-1 with Norwich in midweek.
Gareth Bale looks to be continuing his surge towards the upper echelons of football, with players and pundits alike begin to speak of his in the same breath of some of the world’s best player. The rampaging Welshman has whipped in 80 crosses this season, as well as having 50 on-target attempts on goal, the highest of any Premier League midfielder.
Despite being out injured in recent weeks, Moussa Dembele continues to be one of the main players in Andre Villas-Boas’ midfield. No Tottenham player has completed more passes in the opponent’s half this season than Dembele with 456.
Jermaine Defoe’s ten goals have been the product of both his instincts and his industry to get himself into the necessary positions around the box. He’s had an enormous 89 attempts on goal this season, of which 63% have been on target.
Man City v Liverpool 16:00
Roberto Mancini will be looking for a far more clinical performance this Sunday after his side could only muster a 0-0 draw against the league’s bottom club in QPR.
Upon his return from the African Cup of Nations, Roberto Mancini may well be looking for greater defensive discipline from Yaya Toure. He’s given away more fouls than any other player in the City squad this season with 33.
City are still not short of world-class options up front following Mario Balotelli’s departure to Milan, not least that of Carlos Tevez. The Argentinean has provided more assists than anyone in the Premier League this season with 13, as well as chipping in with 7 goals.
Gael Clichy has quietly established himself as one of the stalwarts of the Man City defence and the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index helps provide some insight into why. He’s made more interceptions than any other member of the City squad with 56 and has an excellent 76% tackle success rate from 41 attempted challenges.
A dominant Liverpool could not close out the game against Arsenal as they let a two goal lead slip to earn a 2-2 draw at the Emirates.
Whilst Daniel Sturridge is a top quality addition to the Liverpool attacking line, Luis Suarez is still undoubtedly the main man at Anfield. His balance and driblling skills consistently place him in positions to have a shot on goal, which might go some way to explaining his enormous 70 on target attempts this season.
Captain fantastic Steven Gerrard continues to compile the incredible statistics on the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index this season. The Liverpool legend has completed 733 passes in the opponent’s half this season, as well as providing 74 crosses and 12 assists.
Brendan Rogers will be pleased to see Jose Enrique back approaching something close to his best after a dip of form earlier in the season. The Spaniard has re-established himself as one of Liverpool’s top defenders, with a 80% success rate from 30 challenges.
