STATS: Southampton vs Manchester City – Fastest players, hardest workers, most shots
Southampton v Man City, Saturday 17:30
– Southampton will have been left disappointed with a 2-2 draw after they fought back against Wigan only to be denied all three points by a last minute goal by the Lactics.
– At 17 years old, defender Luke Shaw continues to draw admiring glances from many of the Premier League’s top sides. Southampton fans will be hoping he returns quickly from his ligament injury sustained on international duty with the England U21s so he can build on his excellent total of 84 interceptions and 10 clearances.
– Fellow young defender Nathaniel Clyne has also been showcasing his talent to potential suitors this season in both defence and attack. He’s established an excellent 72.6% tackle success rate from 73 attempts, as well as providing 3 assists according to the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index.
– Adam Lallana is in line to make his return from injury this weekend, a welcome boost for the Southampton midfield. Despite the layoff, he’s still provided more crosses than anyone in the squad with 37 and is joint second for assists with 4.
– Midfield workhorse Morgan Schneiderlin has certainly been stepping up to the plate in Lallana’s absence, racking up a squad-high 483 passes in the opponent’s half this season.
– In a game marked by two special goals, one in particular from an outrageous angle by Sergio Aguero, Man City battled to a 2-2 draw with Liverpool at The Etihad last Sunday.
– Man City will be extremely pleased to have the services of Yaya Toure at their disposal once again following his return from the African Cup of Nations. Despite his absence he still leads the City squad for completed passes in the opponents’s half with 916, one every 2.2 minutes he’s been on the pitch, placing him 2nd on the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index.
– Not far behind him in this regard is David Silva, who looks to be nearing something like his best form. Roberto Mancini will be looking to see him use his touch and vision to add to his total of 9 assists and 821 completed passes in the opponent’s half.
– Gael Clichy has quietly established himself as one of City’s most solid defenders this season, compiling a squad-high tackle success rate of 77.1% from 48 challenges.
– Much of the attacking responsibility will as usual fall on the shoulder of Carlos Tevez this weekend, something he has been welcoming with open arms this season. The Argentinian has registered either a goal or an assist once every 79.7 minutes according to the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index.