In-depth player stats: Fulham vs Manchester United
Fulham v Man Utd
– Fulham celebrated a great week in which Mohammed Al Fayed announced the club was now debt free with a 3-1 win over West Ham which sees them 8 points clear of the relegation zone and 10 points of sixth place
– Dimitar Berbatov, Hugo Rodallega and an own goal forced by Mladen Petric earnt three points for the Cottagers.
– Berbatov has undergone a return to top form while playing regularly at Fulham, and his goal against West Ham was his 7th in the Premier League this season. His goals have come from 48 shots with 58.3% on target, averaging just over 7 shots per goal.
– Once branded a selfish or lazy player, Berbatov has completed a pass in the opposition half 492 times this season. That’s the 17th highest overall in the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index and the 2nd highest by a striker.
– While Joey O’Brien was credited with the own goal for Fulham’s third, Mladen Petric’s shot may already have been going over the line. If it had been credited to Petric it would make his goals per minute rating the 5th best in the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index at a goal every 115 minutes 20 seconds. As it is, he remains in a nonetheless impressive 10th place with a goal every 138 minutes 24 seconds.
– Rodallega has struggled more for Premier League goals, with his strike against West Ham just his second in the league, but having had 39 efforts at goal with an impressive 69.2% on target more will surely follow.
– At the other end of the pitch, Mark Schwarzer has been the joint third busiest goalkeeper in the Premier League this season, making 126 saves, averaging one every 16 minutes
– Manchester United remain top of the Premier League after coming from behind to defeat Southampton 2-1 last weekend.
– Wayne Rooney scored his 6th and 7th goals of the season to make it 101 career goals at Old Trafford. Rooney’s goals have come at a rate of one every 7 shots, with 67.3% of his shots on target this season.
– Rooney has also contributed 7 assists this season, and is the 5th ranked striker in the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index for passes completed in the opposition half.
– Patrice Evra is enjoying one of his finest season’s for Manchester United, and set up one of Rooney’s goals with a fine header across goal. Evra has completed 462 passes in the opposition half this season. Only Leighton Baines has completed more among the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index’s defenders.