Stat Attack: Tottenham vs Southampton

Tottenham head into this fixture looking to bounce back following a bitterly disappointing defeat to North London rivals Arsenal and on the back of a 2-2 draw in Benfica. They host Southampton, buoyed by their victory over strugglers Norwich.

Tim Sherwood claimed that his side were robbed, stating that Arsenal were ‘outplayed’ by Tottenham and the stats from the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index go some way to backing up the manager’s claims. Andros Townsend, Younes Kaboul and Kyle Naughton led the way with the trio completing an impressive 28 passes in the opposition half each.

Townsend also showcased his undeniably brilliant dribbling skills against the Gunners, with his probing runs down the flank causing headaches for Arsene Wenger’s men all game. His 3 dribbles took his tally for the season to 61, the second most in the Spurs squad and the most of any Englishman in the league.

Emmanuel Adebayor headed narrowly off target as Tottenham desperately searched for an equalizer, and considering his excellent shooting record this season, it was a surprise not to see him hit the target at the very least. The EA SPORTS Player Performance Index shows that he boasts an excellent shot accuracy record this term, hitting the target with an impressive 69% of his efforts.

Tim Sherwood will be pleased that Younes Kaboul is returning to full fitness, as he is undeniably an excellent central defender. His tackling has been a particular highlight, as he has won an impressive 86% of his attempted challenges this term.

An exhilarating end to Southampton’s victory over Norwich involved four goals in the space of 18 minutes, but despite the late drama, the Saints held on to snatch the three points.

Pochettino described his team as ‘superior’ to the Canaries, and the performance of Morgan Schneiderlin certainly adds substance to the Argentinean’s claims. The EA SPORTS Player Performance Index shows that the Frenchman completed 46 passes in the opposition half – more than any other Southampton player and the fourth most in the league.

Another player who impressed with his passing was young Englishman James Ward-Prowse. The promising midfielder has been one of the Saints’ standout players this term, and he completed a pass in the opposition half at an excellent rate of a pass every 2.7 minutes.

Compatriot Jay Rodriguez has been another shining light for Southampton this campaign with the former Burnley man’s threat down the left flank a key asset for the Saints’ offensive play. In addition to his goal, Rodriguez completed 4 dribbles on Saturday which was the second most in the league, and took his tally for the season to an impressive 37.
Rickie Lambert will consider himself unfortunate if he misses out on Roy Hodgson’s World Cup squad this Summer as he has had an excellent campaign, and hasn’t let England down whenever he’s been called upon. The EA SPORTS Player Performance Index demonstrates his effectiveness for the Saints this term as it shows that he has made a total of 17 goalscoring contributions (based on goals and assists) – the most in the Saints squad.

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