STATS: Sandro covers most ground for Tottenham Hotspur vs Aston Villa’s hard working El Ahmadi
Tottenham v Aston Villa, 15:00
– Tottenham recorded an historic 2-3 win away to Man Utd last weekend following a fine all-round performance. An early opener from Jan Vertonghen, as well as a great finish from Gareth Bale and another from Clint Dempsey secured the points for Andre Villas-Boas side.
– Jermaine Defoe continues to demonstrate a renewed confidence in front of goal. The EA SPORTS Player Performance Index ranks him joint first for shots on target this season with 17.
– Domineering midfielder Sandro has serious pace to go along with his imposing physical presence in the Tottenham midfield. He clocked in at a match-leading 20.28mph against Man Utd.
– He also complemented his all-round game with a healthy dose of stamina against Utd, covering more ground than any other Tottenham player at 6.12 miles according to the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index.
– Teammate Gareth Bale also looks to be coming back to his best as he is not far behind Defoe for accurate shots on goal, having racked up 13 this season.
– Aston Villa managed to come away from their match with Birmingham rivals West Brom with a point, thank to Darren Bent’s second half equaliser. Paul Lambert will have been pleased to see his side willing to express themselves in the first half, yet his will be seeking to rectify their seeming lack of composure in front of goal this weekend.
– Karim El Ahmadi really needs to sharpen up his defensive play for the rest of the season if he is not to cost Aston Villa in the long run. He ranks third on the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index for tackles lost with 21, having also given away 14 fouls.
– He can’t be faulted for his willingness to work hard for his team though. No player ran further than his 5.55 miles against West Brom according to the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index.
– El Ahmadi has also covered the most ground so far this season for Villa overall, notching up 35.9 miles
– Goals will definitely be on the way for Brett Holman if he continues to showcase the same pace as he did last weekend. He was Aston Villa’s quickest player at 20.05mph.