STATS: QPR vs Tottenham Hotspur
QPR v Tottenham, Saturday 12:45
– QPR pulled off one of the most important victories in the recent history with a 0-1 win against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge. A Shaun Wright-Phillips strike grabbed a crucial three points for QPR that could prove to be vital in their bid to retain Premier League status.
– Adel Taarabt continue to lead the creative line for QPR, even more so following Harry Redknapp’s arrival. The French magician has now had 22 more attempts on goal than that of his nearest teammate.
– Armand Traore left Arsenal with something of a point to prove and it looks as though he now be back on track, pulling out some impressive statistics on the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index. He now has 67% tackle completion rate from 34 attempts, as well as 49 interceptions.
– Nedum Onuoha is another Rs player who is playing to a high standard at the back for Harry Redknapp. He’s only conceded two fouls on his way to achieving a 91% tackle success rate from 22 challenges.
– Stephane Mbia is for many, the strongman of the QPR midfield, breaking up play and allowing his teammates ahead of him to try and flourish creatively. The EA SPORTS Player Performance Index certainly backs up this perception, recording the Cameroon international as attempting 58 challenges this season.
– A well earned 3-1 home victory over Reading underlined the seriousness of Tottenham’s challenge for a Champions League spot this season. The scoreline adeptly reflected Tottenham’s dominance of the game, and had they not spurned extra chances their lead could have been extended further. It was a display to give Andre Villas-Boas a great deal of confidence going into this weekend though.
– Tottenham have one of the busiest offensive lines in the Premier League this season, given the willingness of their front players to have a go in front of goal.
Jermain Defoe and Gareth Bale sit second and third on the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index respectively for shots on target, racking up a huge 94 between them.
– Indeed, rumours and rife that Gareth Bale will be leaving Tottenham in the summer and with his recent form it isn’t hard to see why the world’s biggest clubs and interested in his signature. His combined total of 95 dribbles and crosses is the highest in the Premier League and he is providing substantial end product as well, registering 9 goals and 3 assists.
– Brazilian midfielder Sandro has been earning some stellar reviews for his solid displays in the middle of the park for Tottenham this season, especially since he leads the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index for successful tackles with an enormous 62. However his defensive judgement has at times been slightly lacking. He leads the Spurs squad for fouls committed with 33.
– But against Reading, Spurs fans were treated to a typically hard-working displaying from their South American powerhouse, Sandro running for a squad high 6.08 miles on the day.
– Classy Belgian defender Jan Vertonghen is demonstrating what a smart move on Tottenham’s part to secure his services in the summer. His defensive contribution total of 147 is the highest in the Spurs squad.