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.
Saturday 21st September
Norwich vs Aston Villa 12:45
Norwich fell to a 2-0 defeat to Tottenham at White Hart Lane last weekend as they failed to contain a Spurs side bolstered by their new signings and the depth they have subsequently added to their squad this summer. Chris Hughton will be hoping his team can draw a line under this result as they head back to Carrow Road this weekend.
Chris Hughton will likely be looking for more from his star signing Ricky van Wolfswinkel after the striker’s somewhat difficult introduction to life in the Premier League. Van Wolfswinkel has so far only managed 3 attempts on goal in 360 minutes of Premier League football. He’s 17/1 with 888sport.com to score at any time this weekend.
Although being rightly touted as a rising attacking star of the future, Nathan Redmond has also shown a healthy willingness to pitch in when it comes to the defensive side of the game. According to the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index, he has attempted more tackles than any other Norwich player so far this season (19), winning a relatively solid 57.9% of them.
However, when it comes to the defensive lynchpin of this Norwich side, Michael Turner so far stands head and shoulders above his teammates. His 45 defensive contributions (blocks, interceptions, clearances, tackles won) represents the highest total in the Norwich squad.
Aston Villa will have been disappointed to have ended last weekend with nothing to show for their efforts after they fell 1-2 at home to Newcastle after a virtuoso display from Hatem Ben Arfa. A typically powerful Christian Benteke header saw Villa draw level but they were unable to kick on and eventually saw the match slip from their grasp.
Keeping hold of the man-mountain that is Christian Benteke was obviously of enormous importance to Villa during the summer transfer window, with the imposing Belgian transferring his quite incredible form of the last campaign into this season. According to the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index, Benteke has the best accuracy rate in front of goal of any player in the league who has attempted more than four shots. In total, 77.7% of his 9 attempts this season have worked the keeper, so you can expect him to be repeatedly adding to his total of 4 goals as the season progresses.
‘Concrete’ Ron Vlaar has quickly become something of a cult hero amongst Villa fans in his relatively short tenure with the club. His reputation appears to be well-earned, with Vlaar so far topping the Villa squad for both clearances (30) and blocks (4) this season.
Not content with unleashing ‘that tackle’ on One Direction’s Louis Tomlinson during last week’s match in aid of Stiliyan Petrov’s leukemia research charity, Gabriel Agbonlahor has also been displaying his newfound defensive robustness to his professional colleagues in the Premier League. Agbonlahor currently ranks 4th on the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index for fouls committed with 10.
Although noted for his distribution, Fabian Delph showcased the all-round aspect of his game last weekend, recording the joint-highest tackle success rate of any player in the league last weekend (87.5% from 8 attempted challenges). Delph is an industry-best 23/2 to score at any time this weekend with 888sport.com.
Liverpool vs Southampton 15:00
Liverpool old-boy Jonjo Shelvey was involved in all four goals as the Reds played out a 2-2 thriller at the Liberty Stadium. Brendan Rodgers returned once again to his old stomping ground and although he could only leave with a point would have been particularly pleased to see Daniel Sturridge maintain his record of scoring in every Premier League game so far this season.
Sturridge continues to impress, appearing more than capable of shouldering the substantial attacking burden left in the absence of Luis Suarez. He continues to jointly top the EA SPORTS Player Peformance Index for on target attempts on goal with 7 so far in this campaign.
Lucas Leiva is another player shining for the Reds, with no other Premier League player being able to match his slick work in defence. The Brazilian has won a league-topping 24 tackles this season, representing an incredible success rate of 82.8% from his 29 attempted challenges.
Although not necessarily someone who will consistently grab the headlines for spectacular efforts on goal, Jordan Henderson has so far shown himself to be more than capable when the ball has been presented to him in a shooting position this season. Despite only attempting 4 shots on goal, 75% of these have been on target representing the best shot accuracy economy of any player in the Liverpool squad. He’s 9/2 to score at any time this weekend with 888sport.com.
Simon Mignolet will be hoping for increased protection from his back-four, as despite impressing individually, his defence has seen him forced into 18 saves this season, the highest in the league according to the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index.
Southampton fans will have felt desperately unlucky after they failed to come away from their fixture against West Ham with all three points last week. Despite a host of chance Mauricio Pochettino’s side were unable to convert thanks to a spectacular set of saves from opposing stopper Jussi Jaaskelainen. The Saint’s front-line will be hoping for greater accuracy in front of goal against a Liverpool side flying high at present.
It would be difficult to think of a Southampton player with greater confidence than Rickie Lambert at the moment, the England striker continuing to lay claim to his berth in the national squad with 13 attempts on goal this season, the third highest on the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index. He is also the highest ranked English player in this regard and his strong performances whilst leading the line for Southampton will no doubt continue to catch Roy Hodgson’s attention. He’s 28/11 to score at any time with 888sport.com.
Victor Wanyama has taken little time to impose his physical style of play on the Premier League, however he has been drawing the attention of the officials a little more than he would have liked this season. He is currently the third highest ranked player on the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index for fouls committed with 11.
The burgeoning reputation of James Ward-Prowse has been done no harm by some of the youngster’s recent performances, the Southampton Academy product so far whipping in more deliveries than any other player in the league, with 10 crosses to his name.
As ever, tenacious midfielder Morgan Schneiderlin was once again in the thick of the action last weekend. He was the only player in the league to break into double figures for attempted tackles last weekend (11), doing so with a superb success rate of 81.9%.
Newcastle vs Hull 15:00
An excellent display from Hatem Ben Arfa propelled the Magpies to a 2-1 win over Aston Villa last weekend and gave Alan Pardew a timely reminder of how devastating the forward can be on his day. Newcastle fans will be hoping he can replicate this kind of form when their side returns to St James’ Park this weekend.
Such was his attacking intent last weekend, only one player in the entire league (Andros Townsend) could better Hatem Ben Arfa’s total attacking contributions against Aston Villa. The gifted Frenchman racked up an impressive 11 contributions (shot on goal, assist, cross, dribble) to his team’s overall offensive efforts.
Mathieu Debuchy endured a somewhat difficult start to life in the Premier League last season, however the Frenchman appears to have now found his feet on Tyneside. His 21 attempted tackles so far this season places him firmly within the top ten on the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index, but it is his defensive success rate that really separates him from the pack. His stellar 76.2% makes him the second highest rated player in the league for those who have attempted more than 20 challenges.
Moussa Sissoko’s importance to the Newcastle midfield has been quickly underlined by his position as their most successful passer in the opponent’s half. He is the only player to have moved into triple figures in this regard, his 111 successfully completed passes in opposition territory marking him out as the conduit through which Newcastle are launching their attacks this season.
Newcastle will need Papiss Cisse to start finding his range as the season progresses, with the striker struggling for form somewhat at the start of this campaign. Of his 9 attempts on goal this season, only 33.3% have been on target, a low return for such a talented frontman. Cisse is 11/10 to score at any time this weekend with 888sport.com.
In a battle of Premier League newcomers, Steve Bruce’s Hull were unable to find a real foothold as their encounter with Cardiff ended with honours divided after a 1-1 draw.
Hull fans will no doubt have been pleased with the performance of Sone Aluko last weekend, the Nigerian forward ranking third on the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index for the most attacking contributions (shots on goal, assists, crosses, dribbles) with 9. Aluko is 9/2 with 888sport.com to score any time this weekend.
Maynor Figueroa may prove to be a very shrewd signing for Steve Bruce’s side as the season progress, his experience of the top flight providing a crucial element of knowledge to the Hull dressing room. Figueroa has also apparently brought his tough-tackling style with him to his new club, leading the Hull squad as he does for both tackles attempted (14) and tackle success rate (78.6%).
Steve Bruce will be looking for Ahmed Elmohamady to kick on and continue to lead the Hull midfield forward this weekend. The Egyptian international last weekend became the first Hull player to break the 100-barrier for passes completed in the opponent’s half, and now sits on 108.
West Brom vs Sunderland 15:00
Gareth McAuley notched up West Brom’s first league goal of the season in their 1-1 draw with Fulham last weekend, his injury-time header seeing the Baggies leave London with a point for their efforts. Steve Clarke will be hoping his side don’t leave it quite so late this weekend as Sunderland visit the Hawthorns.
Jonas Olsson has continued in his role from last season as the bedrock of the West Brom defence. Indeed no player in the league can contend with his 48 recorded clearances so far this season.
Olsson’s performance last weekend also deserve a mention, his 20 total defensive contributions (blocks, clearances, interceptions, tackles won) representing the second highest total of any player in the last round according to the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index.
The Baggies appear to be struggling slightly without the imposing presence of Romelu Lukaku leading their line this season. So far James Morrison leads the West Brom squad for total attempts on goal with 5, but as yet no Baggies player has managed to establish a shot accuracy rate of greater than 50%. Morrison is 37/10 with 888sport.com to score at any time for West Brom this weekend.
Despite a Mesut Ozil midfield masterclass, Sunderland will have felt rightly aggrieved following their loss to Arsenal after a costly mistake from the referee saw Jozy Altidore denied a goal that could have pushed them on to win the match. Instead they found themselves on the wrong end of a 1-3 scoreline and now face a tough trip to the West Midlands this weekend.
Altidore turned in a typically muscular performance in attack for the Black Cats last weekend, his sheer strength managing to move Bacary Sagna off the ball in the lead-up to his goal that never was. It is probably unsurprising therefore that he is also currently Sunderland’s most effective man in front of goal this season, Steven Fletcher’s one on target attempt aside. The American international has so far seen 60% of his 5 attempts on goal test the keeper according to the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index. Altidore is 23/10 to score at any time this weekend with 888sport.com.
Somewhat surprisingly, it is Jack Colback who currently leads the Sunderland squad for passes completed in the opponent’s half, the defender racking up an impressive 69 in total so far this season.
Modibo Diakite appears to be the man with the qualities needed to help take some of the defensive responsibility away from captain John O’Shea this season. Diakite tops the Sunderland squad for total defensive contributions so far this campaign, with an excellent 44 to his name (tackles won, blocks, interceptions, clearances) according to the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index.
West Ham vs Everton 15:00
West Ham had Jussi Jaaskelainen to thank for rescuing a point for The Hammers following a series of dramatic saves during their 0-0 draw with Southampton. Sam Allardyce will be desperately hoping for a more clinical finishing in front of goal when the always dangerous Everton visit Upton Park this Saturday.
Until last weekend Jasskelainen had actually been one of the quieter keepers in the league, but his 5 saves against the Saints was the joint second highest total of any keeper in the last round of fixtures.
Few players can currently match the defensive work of James Collins so far this season, the Welsh defender sitting joint top of the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index for defensive contributions (blocks, clearances, interceptions, tackles won) with 60.
Mohamed Diame will be looking to improve his accuracy in front of goal this weekend. He has so far only managed a return of 16.7% on target attempts on goal from 6 total shots. Diame is 8/1 to score at any time this weekend with 888sport.com.
Mark Noble has once again been excelling in attacking positions this season, leading the Hammer’s squad as he does for passes completed in the opponent’s half with 86, giving him an average rate of one every 4.1 minutes he’s been on the pitch this season.
Everton managed to pull off a 1-0 win at home to Chelsea last weekend after a pulsating encounter at Goodison Park. Steven Naismith, celebrating his 27th birthday, popped up with a crucial header which proved the difference between the two sides after an excellent display of grit and tactical discipline from the Toffees as they held off a strong attacking performance from the Londoners.
Leon Osman’s value to the Everton midfield is well-known, the England international’s passing technique being a key attribute in the Toffee’s arsenal. His defensive work continues to need sharpening however, with Osman ranking second on the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index for tackles lost so far this season (10).
Gareth Barry was the talk of Goodison Park last weekend after a sterling performance against Chelsea which helped his side to a hard-fought three points. Sometimes the holding midfielder role necessitates putting in the hard challenges required in a Premier League engine room so it’s perhaps no surprise that Barry topped the league for fouls conceded in the last round of fixtures with 5.
Whilst speed over the ground may wane with age, speed of thought clearly doesn’t if Sylvain Distin is anything to go by. He’s racked up 12 interceptions this season, making him the oldest player to have broken into double figures so far this term.
Nothing seems to be fazing Ross Barkley as he continues his excellent form so far this season, the youngster continuing to lead the Everton squad for attacking contributions to the cause (shots on goal, dribbles, assists, crosses) with 25 according to the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index. Barkley is 23.5 to score at any time this weekend with 888sport.com.
Chelsea vs Fulham 17:30
Chelsea host local rivals Fulham this weekend, and both teams will be looking to bounce back from disappointing results last time out.
Striker Samuel Eto’o was one of the chief culprits for Chelsea failing to find the net, and the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index demonstrates exactly why. The former Barcelona & Inter Milan striker took a total of 6 shots, but failed to hit the back of the net once. Only Andros Townsend had a worse record at the weekend, as he had 7 attempts but also failed to score.
Samuel Eto’o’s arrival at Chelsea has not been the only talking point at Stamford Bridge in recent weeks, Jose Mourinho’s hesitancy on starting Juan Mata has come under scrutiny too. Chelsea’s Player of the Season was at the heart of the action on Saturday, making an impressive pass in the opposition half every 2.28 minutes – a better record than any of his teammates.
One of the pretenders for Mata’s position this campaign has been Eden Hazard. The Belgian has started every game for Chelsea so far this season, and has completed 136 passes in the opposition half – the most of any Chelsea player. You can find Hazard at 17/11 to score at any time with 888sport.com
John Obi Mikel may have his critics, but the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index highlights his worth to the Chelsea team. He completed 8 tackles against Everton, the second most in the league.
Chelsea’s defensive plaudits this season must go to Branislav Ivanovic. The Serb has made 12 more defensive contributions (interceptions, tackles, blocks and clearances) than any of his teammates.
Fulham’s slow start to the season continued against West Brom, as the match ended as a stalemate.
The Cottagers have only found the net three times this season, and Bryan Ruiz will have to up his game to alter Fulham’s fortunes. The silky midfielder had 4 attempts on Saturday but failed to hit the target once. 888sport.com have Ruiz at 18/1 as first goalscorer on Saturday.
Fulham’s inability to find the net is also evident when examining the number of crosses that they attempted on Saturday. The EA SPORTS Player Performance Index highlights that throughout the whole 90 minutes, only 2 crosses were swung in.
A shrewd piece of Summer business for Martin Jol might well be Scott Parker. The former Spurs man has made a total of 115 attacking contributions (passes in the opposition half, crosses, dribbles and shots). This is 16 more contributions than any other Fulham player.
Sunday 22nd September
Arsenal vs Stoke 13:30
There appears to be a lot more optimism around the Emirates following the closure of the transfer window. As well as keeping all of their key players, they recruited German sensation Mesut Ozil in a club record deal.
Looking at the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index on the back of Arsenal’s victory at Sunderland it is clear top see why Arsene Wenger invested so much money in the German. Ozil completed 59 passes in the opposition half, more than any other player in the league. The German is yet to score this season, but 888sport.com have Ozil at 15/2 to score the first goal of the match.
The Ruhr-born man also topped the league in the number of attacking contributions made (based on passes in opposition half, crosses, shots and dribbles), with 63.
Hot on his heels was rejuvenated midfielder Aaron Ramsey. The Welshman continued his impressive start to the season by making 57 attacking contributions. He has made 167 attacking contributions so far this season, which is more than anyone else in the league.
Ramsey has also been incredibly impressive defensively. Only Lucas Leiva has made more tackles than Ramsey’s 27.
On the other hand, Santi Cazorla will be desperate to improve his defensive record this campaign. The Spanish maestro has attempted 16 tackles this season, but only been successful in one of them.
Mark Hughes was brought in to alter Stoke’s style of play, and thus far this season it appears to have been successful with the Potters sitting pretty in seventh.
Stoke’s defence, however, has maintained much of the steely grit that was characteristic of Tony Pulis’ tenure. They have only conceded two goals so far this season, and much of the credit should go to Marc Wilson. His 26 tackles are more than any other defender in the league according to the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index.
Geoff Cameron is another Stoke defender who has impressed this campaign, and he continued his fine form against Manchester City. He made 7 tackles against Pellegrini’s men – more tackles than any of his teammates. 888sport.com are offering odds of 13/2 for Stoke to keep a clean sheet against the Gunners.
A player that Stoke did well to hang on to over the Summer was Asmir Begovic, and, so far this season, the Stoke shotstopper has cemented his status as a top class goalkeeper. According to the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index, only Simon Mignolet has made more saves.
Steven N’Zonzi has been at the heart of the Hughes’ revolution, featuring in every minute of Stoke’s league campaign so far. He has underlined how important he is to the ‘new’ Stoke, by completing a pass in the opposition half every 2.9 minutes this season.
Crystal Palace vs Swansea 13:30
Both Crystal Palace and Swansea faced tough tasks in the last round of Premier League fixtures, playing Manchester United and Liverpool respectively. However, both teams may feel slightly aggrieved with not coming out of their fixtures with more than a loss and a draw.
Ashley Young won a dubious penalty against the Eagles, and after defending so resolutely, the South London boys will be desperately disappointed. Damien Delaney was a rock at the heart of Palace’s defence, making a total of 18 defensive contributions according to the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index.
Ian Holloway’s defence has been protected well by holding midfielder Mile Jedinak. The Australian has had a phenomenal season, making more defensive contributions, (tackles, blocks, interceptions, clearances) than any other player in the league.
Jedinak has been equally influential for Palace offensively, making 74 passes in the opposition half – this is more than any of his teammates.
A player who is desperate to make an impression for Crystal Palace is on-loan striker Marouane Chamakh. He appeared short of confidence at Arsenal, and it appears that he may be suffering a hangover from last season. The EA SPORTS Player Performance Index shows that in his four appearances thus far this season, he has only had one shot at goal. 888sport.com have the Moroccan at an industry best 31/10 to score at any time on Sunday.
This is in contrast to Premier League new boy Dwight Gayle. He certainly isn’t afraid to take shots at goal, as no other Eagles player has taken as many shots as the former Peterborough man.
A real Jekyll and Hyde performance from Jonjo Shelvey against his former club was the main talking point in Swansea’s draw against Liverpool. He scored, and assisted 3 other goals, 2 of which were Liverpool’s, but according to the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index, this doesn’t give his performance on Monday full justice. The midfielder completed 40 passes in the opposition half – more than any player on either side.
The EA SPORTS Player Performance Index also highlights how dominant the Swans were against Liverpool, as in addition to Shelvey, Ben Davies and Leon Britton were in the top 15 of players who completed passes in the opposition half.
Wilfred Bony may have only scored once so far this season for Swansea, but it is unlikely that defenders will be able to contain him for much longer. The striker has had 9 attempts at goal so far this campaign, despite only playing 199 minutes. His eye for goal can be put into context when looking at Michu’s record, as the Spanish superstar has mustered 10 attempts at goal in 360 minutes. You can find Bony at 13/10 with 888sport.com to score at any time against the Eagles.
Ashley Williams’ performance at the weekend demonstrated just how important he is to Swansea. The EA SPORTS Player Performance Index shows that his 22 defensive contributions, measured on blocks, tackles, interceptions and clearances, was more than anyone else in the league.
Cardiff vs Tottenham 16:00
Cardiff host Tottenham and will be hoping to maintain the form which has led them to a 3 game unbeaten run.
Don Cowie gave Hull a headache at the weekend, and Malky Mackay will be hoping that the Scottish winger causes Tottenham similar problems. The EA SPORTS Player Performance Index shows that Cowie swung in the third most crosses in the league in the last round of fixtures, registering an assist in the process.
Jordan Mutch is doing much to confound the critics who claim that this country does not produce enough young talent. The 21-year old has completed a pass in the opposition half at an average of a pass every 4 minutes.
His central midfield partner Aron Gunnarson appeared to be doing the dirty work against Hull. Whilst Mutch may gain admirers for his incisive passing, Gunnarson made the third most interceptions in the league in the last round of fixtures.
Steven Caulker raised some eyebrows when he decided to leave high-flyers Spurs for Premier League new boys Cardiff. He has certainly been showing his worth, as he’s made 7 blocks so far this season. 888sport.com are backing Cardiff to remain resolute in defence by offering 10/1 for Mackay’s boys to win 1-0.
Andre Villas-Boas will be hoping that his Spurs team can pick up where they left off against Norwich.
Gylfi Sigurdsson scored a goal in each half to secure the three points for AVB’s men, but the winger on the other flank was actually busier in front of goal. Andros Townsend took 7 shots against Norwich, the most in the league. Townsend is an industry best 13/1 with 888sport.com to score the last goal of the match on Sunday.
The English youngster is firmly on Roy Hodgson’s radar and it is easy to see why. In addition to his impressive shooting figures, Townsend also completed the second most dribbles in the league – second only behind compatriot Ross Barkley.
Tottenham’s dominance over Norwich is underlined by the passes completed by Kyle Walker, Paulinho and Mousa Dembele. The trio were in the top 5 of players who completed the most passes in the opposition half in the last round of fixtures, completing 59, 52 and 47 passes respectively.
Kyle Walker’s passing statistics are particularly compelling, as, according to the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index, he has completed 156 passes in the opposition half. This is more than any other defender.
Walker’s compatriot Michael Dawson has been a rock at the heart of Tottenham’s defence so far this season. Roy Hodgson may be currently overlooking the former Nottingham Forest man, but Dawson has made more defensive contributions (59) than any of his teammates.
Manchester City vs Manchester United
For both Manuel Pellegrini and David Moyes this will be the first time they experience a Manchester derby. Both teams will be looking to take the bragging rights after unconvincing performances in the last round of fixtures.
David Silva was a big miss for Manchester City in their game against Stoke, and it was clear that the Citizens missed his creative spark. The EA SPORTS Player Performance Index shows that the Spanish international has completed a pass in the opposition half at an amazing rate of a pass every 1.8 minutes. The Spaniard is an industry best 23/2 with 888sport.com to score the final goal of the match on Monday.
Yaya Toure’s infamous marauding runs were an essential component of Roberto Mancini’s title winning side, and although he is now playing slightly deeper he is still making his mark. He has completed 163 passes in the opposition half this year, which is more than any other player.
Toure has also been influential defensively for Manchester City, making a total of 18 tackles – no other City player has made more.
Pablo Zabaleta’s stock has risen considerably over the past couple of years. Last year he was voted the Player of the Year by the City faithful, and he has continued in the same vein this season. The EA SPORTS Player Performance Index has shown that his 34 defensive contributions (blocks, interceptions, tackles and clearances) is the most of any player in the City ranks.
Sergio Aguero was sorely missed on Saturday because of his ability to scare defenders with his pace. The Argentinean has completed more dribbles than any of his teammates.
Wayne Ronney’s return to form was showcased again on Saturday, as the England man struck a superb free kick to seal the three points for Moyes’ men.
His influence in the game is evident in his passing, as no other United player completed more players in the opposition half. He completed 33 passes in Crystal Palace’s half, more than any other Red Devil player. Rooney is 6/1 with 888sport.com to score the first goal at the Etihad.
Rooney’s strike partner Robin Van Persie was the lynchpin in United’s offensive play last year, and his eye for goal has been evident again this campaign. The EA SPORTS Player Performance Index shows that no other player has had as many shots as the Dutchman.
Another United player who tops the individual stats league is Michael Carrick. He has made 25 interceptions, 11 more than his closest competitor Mile Jedinak.
Managing the workload of ageing centre halfs Nemanja Vidic and Rio Ferdinand was a task Sir Alex Ferguson performed meticulously, but so far this season Moyes has played the duo in every minute of every league game. Based on Vidic’s performance last week it isn’t hard to see why. The veteran cleared the ball 13 times, which was the third most in the league.