STATS: Routledge’s shooting accuracy for Swansea vs Jenkinson’s tackles for Arsenal
Swansea v Arsenal, Saturday 15:00
– A tight affair saw Swansea fall to a 2-1 defeat away to West Brom. Luke Moore’s first half-goal gave Swansea the lead but Michael Laudrup’s side left The Hawthorns frustrated not to have picked up at least a point after seeing a goal disallowed for offside.
– While Michu has been grabbing the headlines for Swansea this season, Wayne Routledge has also been enjoying something of a renaissance. He is the owner of the best shot accuracy rate of any player in the Swans squad, with 86.4% of his 22 efforts testing the goalkeeper according to the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index.
– While Ashley Williams has been deservedly praised this season for his leadership of the Swansea defence, the accuracy of his tackling could actually use some improvement. He’s only been successful with 48% of his 50 challenges this season.
– Jonathan de Guzman is tied for highest squad assists for Swansea this season with 6, unsurprising given he has so far whipped in a squad-leading 47 crosses with the imposing figure of Michu to aim at.
– Arsenal’s last foray into the league saw them lose a thrilling London derby 2-1 away to bitter rival Tottenham. Another Per Mertesacker gave the Gunners some hope of a comeback but Arsene Wenger’s side could not quite muster enough clear chances to take something from the game.
– The inspired Santi Cazorla continues to lead the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index for passes completed in the opponent’s half, his nearest rival, Yaya Toure, now 77 passes behind him.
– Lukas Podolski may not have been as deadly in front of goal this season as some people might have hoped, but he is consistently finding ways to test the opposition goalkeeper. His shot accuracy rate is one of the best in the Gunners’ squad, with 69.2% of his 39 efforts testing the goalkeeper.
– Ask any Arsenal fan for their most improved player this season and the majority will likely say right back Carl Jenkinson. The 21 year old showcased he can handle some of the best attackers in the world against Bayern Munich in midweek and has been in similarly impressive form in the league, racking up a 69% tackles success rate from 42 challenges.