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EA Sports Player Performance Index Premier League Weekend 11th April
Friday, 10th Apr 2015 13:16

A look at the other matches being played in the Premier league on the weekend of 11th-13th April.

Swansea v Everton — 12:45, Saturday 11th April

Following on from Chelsea’s win in the League Cup and the prospect of either Arsenal or Liverpool winning the FA Cup, there is a high possibility that finishing seventh will be enough to secure a European berth. As such, Swansea’s remaining Premier League games take on extra importance, starting with a big match at home to Everton this Saturday.

Bafetimbi Gomis was the star of the show against Hull in Swansea’s last Premier League game, as he netted a brace to send the Swans on the way to a solid win. Gomis has shown an eagerness to hit the back of the net throughout the whole of this season with the Swans, as the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index shows that he has an average of a shot every 31 minutes. If you fancy Gomis to hit the back of the net against Everton this weekend, head to 888sport.com who have him at 2/1 to score at any time.

Garry Monk has constructively criticised Jonjo Shelvey at points this season, encouraging him to work harder for the team to compliment his excellent array of passing. Shelvey’s ability when the ball is at his feet has never been in doubt and the former Liverpool man was pulling the strings for the Swans last weekend, completing an impressive 41 passes in the opposition half — more than any of his teammates.

When pundits are analysing who the signing of the season has been, they would be unwise to completely discard Swansea midfielder Gylfi Sigurdsson. The Icelandic international has been a revelation since returning to Wales, laying goals and assists on for his team. What isn’t always appreciated, however, is his outstanding workrate — something that was on show again against Hull. The EA SPORTS Player Performance Index demonstrates that he covered 12.1km, which was more than any other Swansea player.

Everton look to be returning to form at the right time and will hope to push on to secure a top-ten place in the League. Their win against Southampton last time out was only their second against a top-ten team this season, a record they will hope to improve this weekend.

Everton may have had less possession than Southampton at the weekend, something which is very unusual for Roberto Martinez’s team, but that didn’t stop left back Leighton Baines bombing down the wing at every opportunity with the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index demonstrating that he swung in four crosses.

Ross Barkley has had a challenging season, after a very impressive campaign last year. He has, however, shown glimpses of what he can offer, something that was particularly evident in England’s fixture against Italy last week. A really positive aspect of his game is his direct approach, as he can run at defenders with pace, taking them on with ease. This skill of his was on show against Southampton, as he completed three dribbles — which was more than any of his teammates. If you fancy Barkley to hit the back of the net this weekend, head to 888sport.com who have him at 22/5 to score at any time.

Everton stalwart Leon Osman has been a big miss for the Toffess this campaign, as injury has ruled him out for most of the season. The England international offers drive and energy to the midfield and will always put in a shift for the cause. This was evident against the Saints as he covered 11.6km — more than any of his teammates.

Sunderland v Crystal Palace — Saturday 11th April, 15:00

Sunderland will be looking to exact a similar finish to the Premier League season as per their last campaign, and last week’s 1-0 win over arch-rivals Newcastle is the perfect platform for them to build on. Jermaine Defoe’s wonder strike means that Sunderland now have a three point buffer between themselves and the relegation zone, and they will hope to double that cushion with a second win on the spin this weekend.

Sunderland will be looking for a big performance from their skipper John O’Shea to help marshal the troops at the back. The EA SPORTS Player Performance Index can reveal that the Republic of Ireland centre back has played every minute of Premier League so far this term for the Black Cats, winning 42 tackles, 82.4% of his overall attempts, making 153 clearances, 56 interceptions and 19 blocks.

In the middle of the park, Sebastian Larsson is continuing his fine form, and the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index reveals one of the secrets to his success. Larsson has worked harder than any other Sunderland player on the pitch, completing a squad best 337.35km already this season, also winning a squad best 69 tackles, 65.7% of his overall tackles. On top of this, his skill and composure on the ball could also threaten Palace, having completed 577 passes in the opposition area, notching up four assists.

Sunderland will also be hoping that their winger Adam Johnson can hit top form this weekend. The EA SPORTS Player Performance Index can reveal that Johnson has completed a squad best 22 crosses this season, and scored four times from just nine shots on target, converting 44.4% of those chances in to goals. He is 23/5 to score anytime with 888sport.com.

Crystal Palace will come into this game equally filled with confidence, having taken all three points at home to defending champions Manchester City. The Eagles picked up all three points for the third match in a row, and another three points at the Stadium of Light could see them move level on points with ninth placed West Ham.

Palace will be looking to their centre back Joel Ward to lead the line once more, as the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index can demonstrate. Ward has won 81 tackles

so far this season, 78.6% of his overall attempts, also racking up 150 clearances, 54 interceptions and 12 blocks.

In the middle of the park, Palace captain Mile Jedinak has continued to prove his worth to the side, as demonstrated by the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index. Jedinak has won 68 tackles so far this season, 77.3% of his overall attempts, also raking up a squad best 69 interceptions in the process. He poses an equal threat going forward, having set up two goals and scored a further five himself as well.

The man of the moment for the Eagles is Jason Puncheon. The EA SPORTS Player Performance Index can reveal that the Palace winger has shown two sides to his game by completing a squad best 17 crosses, also completing a more direct 40 dribbles. Puncheon already holds seven assists to his name and netted his fourth goal of the season to deliver all three points for his side. He is 22/5 to score anytime with 888sport.com.

Tottenham v Aston Villa — Saturday 11th April, 15:00

Tottenham will be eager to get back to winning ways this weekend, having being held in a goalless stalemate against Burnley last weekend. Spurs are still in good form though, having won three of their past five matches and they’ll be looking to pick up another three points here to help them leapfrog fifth placed Liverpool.

Spurs will be hoping for another big performance from their shot stopper Hugo Lloris. The EA SPORTS Player Performance Index can reveal that the French international keeper has racked up 94 saves so far this season, at an average of 2.09 saves per goal conceded. He will be looking to further increase that ratio with his second clean sheet in a row this weekend.

In the middle of the park, Chrisitan Eriksen is having a fantastic season in the white of Tottenham. The Denmark international has completed a squad best 350.06km so far this term, helping him to rack up a squad best 934 passes in the opposition area. He has also been in great goal scoring form, racking up nine for the season so far, including five from outside the area.

Up top, Harry Kane has continued his brilliant season for Spurs, going from strength to strength. The EA SPORTS Player Performance Index can reveal that he has netted 19 times in the league this season, averaging a goal every 103 minutes. Hard work is also proving key for Kane, who has even won 31 tackles this season, 67.4% of his overall attempts. He is 43/50 to score anytime with 888sport.com.

Aston Villa will be relieved that a Christian Benteke hat trick prevented their relegation rivals QPR from picking up all three points on Tuesday night, and will look to build on the point gained. Villa will look to emulate the success that they had at the beginning of March, winning back-to-back games against West Brom and Sunderland, and look to build momentum once more at the crunch end of the season.

Villa will be hoping for a big performance from their shot stopper Brad Guzan. The EA SPORTS Player Performance Index can reveal that the American keeper has racked up 95 saves so far this campaign, at an average of 2.11 saves per goal conceded. He will be hoping to deliver a clean sheet in front of the Villa faithful to boost their hopes of survival.

At the back, Villa will be looking to their centre back Ciaran Clark to lead the line. The EA SPORTS Player Performance Index can reveal that he has won 39 tackles already this season, winning 84.8% of his overall attempts, whilst also amassing 194 clearances, making 45 interceptions and 23 blocks.

Going forward, Christian Benteke will be hoping for a repeat performance from Tuesday night. The EA SPORTS Player Performance Index can reveal that Benteke completed 75% of his 60 passes on Tuesday, winning both of his tackles and hitting the target with 60% of his five shots. More importantly, he converted all three of his shots on target, and will be hoping to deliver the goods again on Saturday. He is 23/10 to score anytime with 888sport.com.

West Brom v Leicester — Saturday 11th April, 15:00

The Baggies will be looking to get back to winning ways this weekend having suffered defeat to Queens Park Rangers last time out. They will be facing another side threatened with relegation this weekend, but will hope to pick up all three points to see them leapfrog Newcastle into 13th spot.

West Brom will look to their centre back Joleon Lescott to help guide them to a clean sheet. The EA SPORTS Player Performance Index can reveal that he has won 44 tackles so far this season, 80% of his overall attempts, also making 167 clearances, 66 interceptions and 28 blocks.

In the middle of the park, Craig Gardner has continued his impressive season, as demonstrated by the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index. Gardner has won a squad best 79 tackles so far this season, 68.1% of his overall attempts, also amassing 53 interceptions. On the ball, he is also key to the Baggies’ success, having completed 402 passes in the opposition area. Leicester will need to get close to him to stop him dictating the pace of the play.

Up top, the Baggies will be looking to England U21 international Saido Berahino to deliver the goods for them. The EA SPORTS Player Performance Index can reveal that he has netted his 12 goals this season by hitting the target 25 times this season, 67.1% of his overall attempts. His direct style of play will threaten the Foxes backline, and Berahino has completed 24 dribbles already this term. He is 8/5 to score anytime with 888sport.com.

Leicester, although currently sitting bottom of the Premier League, will be buoyed by their victory over West Ham last weekend as they look to intensify their fight for

survival. The Foxes will be looking to get back-to-back wins and move themselves within a point of Burnley and QPR, the two sides that hover perilously above them.

Leicester will look to their ever-present captain Wes Morgan to lead the defence this weekend. The EA SPORTS Player Performance Index can reveal that he has won 38 tackles so far this season, 92.7% of his overall attempts. He has also amassed an impressive 217 clearances, 71 interceptions and 39 blocks, and will look to add to those stats to help keep West Brom at bay.

In the middle of the park, Leicester will hope that Riyad Mahrez will be at his creative best. The EA SPORTS Player Performance Index illustrates what he is capable of, having completed 19 crosses this season and also completed 57 dribbles; both of which are squad bests. Mahrez will be looking to add to his four assists this weekend, and the man he will look to provide will likely be Leonardo Ulloa.

The EA SPORTS Player Performance Index tells us that Ulloa has had a solid first season in the Premier League, netting seven goals so far from just 12 shots on target, converting 58.3% of those chances. One of the keys to his success has been his hard work, having won 43 tackles so far this season, 71.7% of his overall attempts. He is 29/10 to score anytime with 888sport.com.

Manchester United v Manchester City — Sunday 12th April, 16:00

Manchester United will come into this game looking to exact revenge for the derby day defeat that they suffered earlier on in the season at the Etihad. United have won their last five games on the bounce and will be looking to make that six with victory this weekend, to help them keep pace in the race for second with Arsenal, and to keep pressure on runaway leaders Chelsea.

United will be hoping for another big performance from their shot stopper David de Gea. The EA SPORTS Player Performance Index can reveal that the Spain international keeper has racked up 80 saves so far this season, at an average of 2.86 saves per goal conceded. He will be looking to further increase that ratio with his fourth clean sheet in six this weekend.

In the middle of the park, United will hope for more of the same from their record signing Angel di Maria. The EA SPORTS Player Performance Index can reveal that the former Real Madrid man has completed a squad best 44 dribbles, as well as completing 25 crosses. His delivery and eye for a pass have seen him rack up 12 assists so far this season, and he will be hoping that he can add to this tally, as well as his three goals for the season so far.

Up top, Wayne Rooney has been in top form for United once more, and the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index can reveal one of the tricks to his game; hard work. Rooney has covered a squad best 296.53km already this season, helping him to complete a squad best 771 passes in the opposition area. His passing in dangerous

areas of the pitch has seen him accumulate four assists, and he also holds 12 goals to his name. He is 9/5 to score anytime with 888sport.com.

City come into this weekend’s derby on a run of mixed form; but that all goes out of the window on derby day. City know that they have already triumphed over their Manchester rivals this season and that a win at Old Trafford will see them leapfrog their rivals and could see them sitting in second place in the Premier League come the end of the 90 minutes.

City will be looking for their big names to deliver in the derby for them, and City certainly possess some of the brightest talents in the Premier League. Two of those in particular in the middle of the park are David Silva and Yaya Toure, and the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index tells us just how vital they are to City.

Siva has completed 1,130 passes in the opposition area, completing 92% of his overall 1,362 passes this season. He has also racked up six assists and netted 11 times. Toure has completed a squad best 1,241 passes in the opposition area and will be the man to set the tempo of City’s passing play. He has also completed 40 dribbles and can be more direct when he so wishes, and will be a threat when looking for his ninth goal of the season.

Up top, Sergio Aguero will pose the main threat ahead of the two centrally located midfielders. The EA SPORTS Player Performance Index can reveal that he has racked up 17 goals so far this season at an average of a goal every 112.8 minutes. Aguero has hit the target an impressive 47 times so far this term, and he will look to add to that tally this weekend once more. He is 8/5 to score anytime with 888sport.com.

West Ham vs Stoke - Saturday 11th April, 15:00

West Ham have only won once in their last ten games, and will be hoping to return to their early season form that led to some believing they could compete for a spot in the top four.

Diafra Sakho is West Ham’s top scorer this season having scored 10 goals in 22 appearances. The Senegalese forward has scored 0.53 goals per 90 minutes, averaging out at better than a goal every other game. In total, 44% of Sakho’s shots have been on target, and 20% have resulted in a goal. Sakho is 9/2 to score first on Saturday with 888sport.com.

The main supplier of the goals this season has been Stewart Downing. The midfielder has laid on nine goals for his teammates, which is the fourth highest total in the Premier League. This is largely down to Downing’s crossing ability, where he currently ranks as the fourth most successful crosser in the league, finding his man on 39 occasions this season.

At the other end of the pitch, Winston Reid has been outstanding for the Hammers over the course of the campaign. According to the EA SPORTS Player Performance

Index, Reid has made 247 clearances, which is the sixth most in the entire division. Reid has also won 74.5% of his tackles and made 41 interceptions in his 26 Premier League appearances.

Stoke come in to this game having fallen to a defeat at the hands of table-toppers Chelsea, despite putting in a spirited performance. Stoke are equal on points with hosts West Ham and a win would see the Potters climb above them.

Victor Moses has impressed this season on his loan from Chelsea, and despite missing a considerable chunk of the season through injury, the winger still has by far the most successful dribbles in the Stoke squad. Moses has recorded 63 successful dribbles, 18 more than anyone else in the side, also ranking in at 11th within the Premier League. Moses is 13/1 to score first with 888sport.com.

Stoke captain Ryan Shawcross has been a rock at the back this year and has some impressive statistics according to the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index. Shawcross has completed the fourteenth most clearances in the Premier League with 190, in addition to making 41 interceptions.

Steven N’Zonzi has been lauded by his boss Mark Hughes this season, and the EA SPORTS Player Performance shows just why. N’Zonzi has covered the third most ground in the Premier League, totting up a total distance of 345.63km, averaging out at 11.15km per game thus far.

Burnley vs Arsenal - Saturday 11th April, 17:30

Burnley come in to this game off the back of a 0-0 draw with Tottenham, and will be looking to build on that and pick up the three points against the red side of North London.

George Boyd continues to sit at the top of the charts for distance covered in the Premier League this season. Boyd has covered 351.1km in total, averaging out at 12.1km per game. Boyd has also won the most tackles in the division with 102, the only player to have surpassed a century, according to the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index.

Kieran Trippier is another player to be ranked first in the Premier League in a certain field. Trippier has put in more successful crosses than any other Premier League player, managing 56 overall. Trippier has a crossing success rate of 25.7%, according to the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index, and this has led to him assisting his teammates on four occasions.

Burnley goalkeeper Tom Heaton has certainly been a busy man this season. The Clarets’ stopper has denied his opponent 97 times thus far, and with an average of 3.12 saves per game, Heaton may well pass the 100-mark this weekend. Burnley are seeking their third clean sheet in a row but Heaton will have to be on top form to

keep the Arsenal attack at bay. Burnley are 19/2 to win with a clean sheet this weekend with 888sport.com.

Arsenal have now recorded seven wins on the bounce and are mounting a late title challenge to Chelsea, having overtaken the previous main challengers, Manchester City. A win against Burnley would help to close the gap and apply pressure before Chelsea play QPR on Sunday.

Olivier Giroud has been in scintillating form of late, and added to his goal tally to become Arsenal’s joint top goalscorer alongside Alexis Sanchez on 14, having scored ten goals in his last ten games. Giroud has 26 shots on target in 20 starts, and has scored with 30.4% of his shots, according to the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index. Giroud is 7/2 to score first with 888sport.com.

Santi Cazorla has featured in more Premier League games than any other Arsenal player this season (30). The Spaniard has repaid his managers’ faith by recording eight assists for his teammates. Cazorla has completed the fifth most passes in the opposition’s half out of any Premier League player, with 1036, according to the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index.

Arsenal possess two of the top four dribblers in the Premier League in the campaign so far. Alexis Sanchez has completed the second highest number of successful dribbles in the Premier League with 98. Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain meanwhile has completed 81, three more than fifth placed Phillipe Coutinho, according to the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index.

QPR vs Chelsea — Sunday 12th April, 13:30

QPR host their West London neighbours this weekend in a bid to move closer to survival. The R’s drew 3-3 last time out against Aston Villa and as such have shown they have enough attacking threat to cause Chelsea problems.

Charlie Austin is a player who without doubt has the ability to break Chelsea’s resolve down. Austin now has 17 goals in 29 appearances, which remarkably makes him the next top scorer in the league behind leaders Diego Costa and Harry Kane. He’s had more shots on target than any other player with 47, which makes up an impressive 67.1% of his shots. Austin is 15/2 to score first with 888sport.com.

Steven Caulker has been impressive at the opposite end of the pitch, proving vital for QPR at times this season. Caulker has completed 324 clearances, the third most in the Premier League, as well as ranking third in the division for number of blocks, with 33, according to the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index.

Rob Green has been the busiest goalkeeper in the top flight this year. Green has made 115 saves so far, more than any other keeper. The Englishman’s saves average out to 3.7 per game, according to the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index. Only Costel Pantilimon has more saves per game (4.1).

Chelsea have taken a step closer to the Premier League title and now sit seven points clear of Arsenal in second place with a game in hand. Chelsea need 15 points from their remaining eight games, and a win at QPR would put them well on their way.

The Blues will be without star striker Diego Costa but French striker Loïc Rémy is likely to step in. Remy has done well whenever called upon for Chelsea and has scored five goals this season, a goal every 127 minutes on average. Remy has managed to place 54.2% of his shots on target in over the course of the season. He is 18/5 to score first with 888sport.com.

Eden Hazard yet again added to his tally and is surely one of the favourites for the PFA Player of the Year award. Hazard has scored 12 goals in 30 appearances. Hazard has 28 shots on target, the second most in the Chelsea side after Diego Costa. In addition, Hazard is second in the entire league for number of passes in the opposition half, only bettered by his teammate Cesc Fabregas.

Nemanja Matic remains a regular at the heart of Chelsea’s midfield and he is likely to be key to any Chelsea win this weekend. Matic has made the second most successful tackles in the Premier League with 98, only bettered by Burnley’s George Boyd. Despite being predominantly a holding midfielder, Matic is also inside the top 20 for dribbling, completing 46 successful dribbles, which is an impressive 67.6% of his overall attempts.

Liverpool vs Newcastle — Monday 13th April, 20:00

Liverpool have lost their last two games in a row and their hopes of finishing in the top four are diminishing, as they trail Manchester City by seven points. A win against Newcastle is a must for Liverpool if they are to stand any chance of Champions League qualification.

Phillipe Coutinho has been the star in the Liverpool side of late. The attacking midfielder has four goals and five assists this season, and he has a great influence in opposition territory and has made 683 passes in the opposition half this season, ranking him 16th in the Premier League, according to the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index.

Coutinho is also fifth for successful dribbles in the Premier League with 78, but his teammate Raheem Sterling beats him in that aspect. Sterling is third in the division on successful dribbles with 90, 53.9% of his overall attempted dribbles, according to the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index. Sterling is 51/10 to score first with 888sport.com.

Liverpool midfielder and vice-captain Jordan Henderson has covered more ground than any other Liverpool player this season. Over the course of Henderson’s 30 games, he has covered 329.4km, which is the ninth highest total in the entire division. Henderson averages 10.98km per game, according to the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index.

Newcastle are 13th in the Premier League and appear to be all but safe from relegation. Given a run of good form, Newcastle could still potentially achieve a top half finish.

Newcastle’s Moussa Sissokho has recorded the fastest running speed of any player in the Premier League this season, clocking in at 35.36km/h (21.97mph). He has put his speed to good use, completing 1496 sprints this season, the 22nd highest total in the division, according to the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index. Sissokho is 22/1 to score first with 888sport.com.

Jack Colback came up against his former club Sunderland last weekend, and the central midfielder has shown his old side what they have been missing this year. Colback has made 71 successful tackles, ranking him inside the top 20 in the division, winning 72.3% of his overall tackles, according to the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index.

Daryl Janmaat has put in more crosses than any other Newcastle player this season with 104, the 11th most in the Premier League. Eighteen of Janmaat’s crosses have found their desired target which, according to the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index, makes him the 19th most successful crosser of the ball in the Premier League.

Data supplied by the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index. Select and manage your own team of stars at fantasy.premierleague.com or with FIFA Ultimate team.


Photo: Action Images



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