Stat Attack: Spurs v Arsenal

A brace from the in-form Harry Kane and an early strike from Christian Eriksen sent Tottenham on their way to a 3-0 victory over West Brom that moved Spurs up to fifth in the table. They will be full of confidence as they welcome fierce local rivals Arsenal to White Hart Lane this weekend.

There is no doubting who Spurs’ man of the moment is and Harry Kane shows no signs of slowing down his incredible run of form. The EA SPORTS Player Performance Index shows us that he has racked up 40 attempts on goal leading to his 10 league goals so far this campaign. This means he is averaging a goal every 125 minutes so far this term, a ratio that could well help Tottenham into the Champions League come the end of the season.

Behind Kane, Christian Eriksen has been the one pulling the strings in the Tottenham midfield, as well as popping up with some crucial later goals in recent weeks. The Dane has so far completed a standout 700 passes in the opponent’s half this season, placing him 7th overall in the Barclays Premier League in this category.

Expect Jan Vertonghen to lead the charge when it comes to repelling Arsenal’s inform attack this weekend. He’s been Spurs’ defensive rock so far this season, compiling a squad-best 211 defensive contributions (blocks, interceptions, clearances, tackles won) so far this term.

Arsenal thrashed Aston Villa 5-0 at The Emirates last weekend, moving them level with Southampton on 42 points. All five goals were scored by different players and Arsene Wenger’s men will all need to be on form this weekend as they take on an in-form Tottenham side in their own backyard.

Hector Bellerin scored his first goal for the Gunners last weekend but it was his all-round performance that had impressed prior to his late strike. Another accomplished outing should have come as no surprise though given his performances in recent weeks. According to the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index, Bellerin has won a remarkable 85% of his 20 challenges so far this season whilst conceding only one foul.

Another one of the Gunners’ standout performers against Villa was Francis Coquelin, once again assuredly shielding his back four and anchoring the Arsenal midfield. Clearly he is relishing his newfound responsibility, his statistics showing that he has made a defensive contribution once every 6.6 minutes he has been on the pitch this season, as well as 102 completed passes in the opponent’s half.

Santi Cazorla has begun to find some of his best form in recent weeks, combining his passing range and vision with some superb defensive work. His commitment to the Arsenal cause can be seen by his sheer workrate on this pitch, given that he has covered 222.1km so far this season, the highest total in the Arsenal squad.

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