Want to be the pub/terrace know-all this weekend? Want to know who has committed the most fouls? Or who has covered the most ground and put in a true captain’s performance? Then read on and let the welcome return of the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index arm you with enough stats to impress everyone but girly girls.
Data supplied by the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index. Select and manage your own team of stars with at http://fantasy.premierleague.com/ or with FIFA Ultimate team.
Liverpool vs Aston Villa
England’s Raheem Sterling has started the season in red-hot form and his performance at White Hart Lane two weeks ago was no exception. The teenager not only opened the scoring for the Reds but also earned himself man of the match for a second time this season in only three games. Sterling is renowned for his pace and he demonstrated this on Saturday hitting a top speed of 34.22km/h according to the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index. If he continues his form into the Villa game then the Reds may see themselves continue their title push and put pressure on their rivals.
All eyes were on Mario Balotelli on Sunday as the new Liverpool signing made his debut for the reds. With Balotelli having scored on his debuts for both Inter and AC Milan as well as for Manchester City, the pressure was on. The Italian seemed to impress Brendan Rogers and the Sturridge – Balotelli partnership seemed to gel as the game went on. Balotelli wasn’t afraid to have an attempt on goal, and found himself with a tally of five attempts according to the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index and the striker could pose a serious threat to the villa defence.
After being held responsible for letting Stephan Jovetic draw first blood at Manchester city, Alberto Moreno had a lot to prove at White Hart Lane and he certainly impressed. Moreno helped Liverpool maintain their clean sheet on Sunday by making a total of nine clearances according to the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index, and with an 87.7% pass completion Moreno certainly helped Liverpool build their attacks from the back, but his defensive skills will be tested against villa as Agbonlahor proved a handful for the Hull defence and getting himself on the score sheet for his persistency.
Aston Villa will also go into this game with heads held high after a win over Hull in their last fixture, and with Tom Cleverley brought in from Manchester United the Villa team and fans will have even more to be confident about.
Although Villa managed to pull of the win in the end, it was not an easy ride with their defence being tested regularly, Aly Cissokho will see his old team mates when they travel to Liverpool on the 13th and he will most likely face the deadly strike partnership of Sturridge and Balotelli which will prove a huge task, but making eight clearances in the game against Hull we know that Cissokho is defensively capable and he will need to be if Villa are to stand a chance against the deadly duo.
Ron Vlaar aided Cissokho in the defensive effort making a total of 5 clearances according to the EA Player Performance Index, showing that although the Villa defence was tested the defensive pair were up to the task and they will certainly need to be up to the task if they are going to hold off Liverpool in their up coming game.
Andreas Weimann has started the season in fine form. The Villa forward has earned a place in the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index team of the season, scoring two goals in his first three games. Paul Lambert will certainly be hoping his striker can continue his form that has helped see Villa go unbeaten over the first three games.
Sunderland vs Tottenham
The last time these two sides met Tottenham left by far the happier side, with an impressive 5-1 victory. However both teams are coming in to this game off the back of a defeat and both managers will see a win as vital, in order to kick on and not lose form so early on in the season.
In their last fixture Tottenham seemed to be keeping possession very well and with Eric Dier achieving a 83.3% pass completion rate and the defender also managed to get forward to make 3 crosses throughout the game, although it wasn’t enough to secure the final result they so desired, the effort was certainly made and it may pay off for them in their next fixture.
Dembele came on for Tottenham and played just over half an hour making an impressive 26 passes in the time he was on the field, with 91.9% of these passes reaching their desired destination. Dembele was doing his best to help Tottenham gain a foothold in the game but unfortunately for Spurs his efforts went un-rewarded. Should he continue to record statistics such as these then his hard work may pay off for his team and win him a place in the starting lineup.
Emmanuel Adebayor was the lone man upfront for Tottenham but was unable to find the net against Liverpool. According to the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index Adebayor still seemed to show a lot of attacking intent. The Togolese striker attempted seven dribbles, and although only three of these were successful, such positive play could prove rewarding this weekend against Sunderland.
Sunderland players also came out of last weekend’s fixtures with some impressive stats according to the EA Player Performance Index. Sunderland defender Santiago Vergini managed to complete 87.5% of his passes successfully, which wasn’t enough to help them to victory.
Sunderland’s Seb Larsson was certainly working really hard and if he continues to hit these figures then it is not unforeseeable to see see Sunderland come out victorious this weekend. Larson toped Vergini’s pass completion rate as he hit an impressive 89.1% pass completion rate. In addition, the midfielder also hit a top speed of 32.50kmph and so it’s highly likely he will make a positive contribution against Tottenham.
Patrick Van Aanholt is new to the Sunderland squad this season and from this week’s stats he is further displaying the pace that he brings to the team, reaching a top speed of 33.30kmph, according to the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index. The former Chelsea player will be looking to use his pace to get up and down the left hand side this weekend and cause problems.
Crystal Palace vs Burnley
Crystal Palace’s gained their first point last weekend from the 6-goal thriller against Newcastle, and sit level with Burnley who also picked up their first point against Manchester United. This fixture may be early on in the season, but could prove vital in the battle for survival this season. The game sees manager Neil Warnock make his first return to Selhurst Park since his last stint as manager.
Another player returning to Selhurst Park will be Wilfried Zaha. The youngster had a dream return for Palace and despite only being on the pitch for a mere 20 minutes, he still managed to have three attempts on goal, one of which he converted into a goal according to the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index.
Marouane Chamakh was also stand out again for Palace as he had an 85% pass completion rate which helped to build up to Palaces goals, his contributions might be greatly needed if his team are to break down the Burnley defence that managed to hold off the likes of Angel Di Maria.
With a top speed of 32.76kmph, Palace Skipper Mile Jedinak will be hoping to set the pace in the midfield against Burnley in their next game if they are to pull ahead of their opponents in the point table.
With Burnley achieving a 0-0 draw against Manchester United, even when they had new record singing Angel Di Maria on the field this surely praises Burnley’s defence and puts them in good stead against Crystal Palace’s attack who in their last fixture against Newcastle proved that they are not scared to score goals.
Burnley defender Jason Shackell lead the defence by example against United making a staggering 14 clearances throughout the whole game which helped secure his team a vital point against a top side, he will need to carry his defensive skills through to the game against Palace to keep off their attack who managed to gain three goal at St. James’s Park.
Midfielder Scott Arfield has covered the second most ground of any player this season in the division, racking up a total of 37.3km over the first three games. Dyche is likely to be impressed with Arfield’s work rate and will be hoping that he can continue to prosper against Palace this weekend.
Ben Mee was another standout star of the Burnley defensive unit that worked so effectively against United. Mee managed to rack up a total of eight clearances and two interceptions that rendered United’s attack powerless. If Burnley’s attack can match the performance of their defence in their last game then they wont remain in the relegation zone for long.
Chelsea vs Swansea
Saturday’s game at Stamford Bridge sees the only two sides with a 100% record in the Premier League meet. The teams occupy the top two spots in the table and both will be looking to continue their fine form. Chelsea are likely to be Swansea’s sternest test of the season, but with the Swans’ confidence sky-high, there is no reason they cannot overcome the blues.
Diego Costa, recently named the Premier League Player of the Month, recorded the most shots on target out of any player in the league according to the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index, with four. Costa managed to convert two of these, helping Chelsea to the 6-3 win, and the Spanish international will be hoping he can shake off a knock picked up on international duty to continue his scintillating form this Saturday against Swansea.
Costa’s partner in crime, Eden Hazard, remains the top dribbler in the premier league. The Belgian winger, now widely regarded as one of the best players in the world, has completed fifteen successful dribbles this season, six more than anyone else in the league, as illustrated by the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index. Hazard also picked up a knock on international duty but is likely to return this weekend, much to the Swansea defence’s dismay.
Branislav Ivanovic has started the season in fine form; possibly due to the increased competition for his place, with the signing of Filipe Luis allowing Cesar Azpilicueta to move over to his favoured right back position. The Serbian, however, has consigned the new signing to the bench by putting in strong performances both defensively and going forward. Ivanovic, alongside Dier, is the top goalscorer among Premier League defenders, having scored two goals in three games. Ivanovic made more clearances than anyone else on the pitch in the game against Everton (four) and is likely to be a vital cog in Chelsea’s side this Saturday.
Nathan Dyer will be the player hoping to provide the attacking threat for Swansea, and his manager’s claims that Roy Hodgson should be watching him may well be justified. The winger has scored three goals in the opening three games and is in the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index team of the season so far.
The other Swansea player in the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index team of the season is Gylfi Sigurdsson. The midfielder has covered more ground than any other player in the Premier League, managing 38.1km over the course of the three games, averaging out at 12.7km per game. He is likely to be worked again this weekend by the newly revitalised Chelsea midfield.
Ashley Williams remains the key man at the back for Swansea, and the captain has been setting a good example for Swansea this season. He has completed the second most clearances in the Premier League, with 35 so far this season. Despite the attacking threat Chelsea pose, Swansea could well prove difficult to break down, with Williams being the main reason.
Arsenal vs Man City
Saturday’s early kick-off sees Manchester City visit the Emirates in what is set to be a tasty clash. This game sees Samir Nasri, Bacary Sagna and Gael Clichy make a return to their former employers, whilst Danny Welbeck could be set to make his debut for the Gunners.
There have been doubts over the fitness of midfielder Aaron Ramsey this week, but Wenger will be hoping the Welshman will be fit to make a return, after becoming a key player in the Arsenal side. Ramsey has completed the most passes in opposition territory in the league this season, with 183, according to the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index.
Though Mesut Özil has only played in two games, the World Cup winner is not too far behind Ramsey. The former Real Madrid man has completed 112 passes in the opposition half, placing him fifth in the Premier League, despite playing one game less than those around him. Özil will look to continue to be involved in Arsenal’s attack this weekend and will want to start adding some assists and goals to that.
Much is being made of Arsenal’s pacey front line following the addition of Welbeck on deadline day, but it is in fact left back Kieran Gibbs who has clocked the quickest sprint speed this season. Unfortunately for Arsenal, the defender picked up an injury but the man who has deputised for him, Nacho Monreal, has been recorded running the next quickest time out of the Arsenal squad, at 32.7kmph according to the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index.
The man closest to Aaron Ramsey in the passing statistics is City midfielder Yaya Touré. With 185 passes in the opposition half, according to the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index, there is sure to be an interesting battle in midfield this weekend to see who comes out on top, especially if Ramsey recovers in time to line up against Touré.
Touré’s midfield partner Fernando has been recorded running the fastest speed for City this year. The Brazilian has burst on to the scene in the Premier League, recording a speed of 33.9kmph. Sat alongside Touré, the champions are clearly full of energy in the centre of the park, another intriguing facet of the midfield battle set to ensue.
Stefan Jovetic has started the season in good form, scoring two goals in the opening three games. The striker is not only a goal threat but contributes well to City’s attacking play. Jovetic has completed 84.4% of his passes this season, showing good ball retention and also an eye for a pass. Jovetic will be fighting for a place this weekend with Sergio Aguero and Edin Dzeko.
Stoke vs Leicester
Stoke welcome Leicester City to the Britannia this weekend as the two sides sit two points apart in the table. Leicester will be looking to get their first three points on the board, whilst Mark Hughes will be hoping to kick on after clinching an incredible win at the Etihad in the last round of fixtures.
Stoke’s Ryan Shawcross played a big part in the clean sheet against City and will be looking to continue his form in to the Leicester game. The central defender has managed 38 clearances according to the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index, the most of every Premier League player.
Defensive partner Marc Wilson is very close behind him, making the third most clearances in the Premier League, on 31, as per the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index. Such strong defensive work between these two is going to be imperative in order to keep Leicester at bay this weekend. Stoke are 41/20 with 888sport to win with a clean sheet.
Imposing midfielder Steven N’Zonzi has completed the joint-fourth most successful dribbles in the Premier League, completing eight of his nine attempted dribbles so far this season. N’Zonzi will be looking to put himself about again this weekend and use his dribbling ability to get at the Leicester midfield.
Leicester midfielder Dean Hammond has recorded the fourth greatest distance covered in any Premier League game so far this season, covering 12.97km against Arsenal according to the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index. His energy could prove important against Stoke this weekend.
The EA SPORTS Player Performance Index shows Riyad Mahrez to be joint-fourth most successful dribbler with his opponent N’Zonzi and he will be looking to use such ability down the flanks to take on the Stoke fullbacks and apply pressure to the defence.
Richie De Laet has made nine interceptions so far this season, the eighth most out in the entire division, according to the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index. De Laet is a former Stoke player and should he continue his form, it will be difficult for his former club to break the Leicester defence down.
Hull vs West Ham
Hull host West Ham this week, with new signing Diame set to make his debut for Hull against the club from which he recently departed. Both sides sit mid-table, a point apart and will see this game as an opportunity to really kick-start their season and begin a run of form.
Defender Andrew Robertson has completed nine successful tackles in the league so far, more than any of his Hull teammates according to the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index. In addition to making the most interceptions for his side (nine), the twenty year old has clearly made a big impact on the Hull side so far this season.
According to the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index, Jake Livermore has had the greatest influence in further up the field of any Hull player, making 66 passes in the opposition half. Livermore has formed a solid partnership alongside Tom Huddlestone and they will be hoping this partnership remains strong when they face West Ham.
Livermore has also covered the most ground out of any Hull City player over the first three games, totalling a distance of 35.2km so far this season. Livermore’s influence on the Hull side is growing each week and he is certainly someone the Hammers will need to watch out for this weekend.
West Ham left back Aaron Cresswell has made a decent start to his West Ham career, and has made the most clearances amongst the West Ham squad with 9, according to the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index. Allardyce will hope that Cresswell continues to vindicate his decision to sign the left back by putting in another solid performance against Hull.
West Ham’s Mark Noble, who some would argue was unlucky not to receive an England call-up in the recent squad, has covered the most ground out of any West Ham player. The midfielder has averaged 11.63km per game, according to the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index, and his work rate will be needed in order to match the likes of Livermore.
New signing Cheikhou Kouyaté has completed the most dribbles in the West Ham squad so far this season, according to the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index. The Senegalese enforcer has successfully completed five dribbles from midfield, and his partnership with Noble will likely put the Hull midfield to the test.
