Arsenal vs Aston Villa 2015
Arsenal Stat Attack
A resolute and disciplined display from Arsenal, accompanied by a man-of-the-match display from Santi Cazorla, saw the Gunners defy the odds to beat Manchester City 0-2 at the Etihad and rejuvenate their top four ambitions.
Spanish midfielder Santi Cazorla was the standout player on the pitch last time out against Manchester City and the Gunners will likely look to get him on the ball as much as possible against Aston Villa to make the most of his vision and passing range. According to the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index he’s completed a pass in the opponent’s half on average once every 2.2 minutes he’s been on the pitch this season, a total he will no doubt be looking to add to this weekend.
Alexis Sanchez’s incredible start to life in the Premier League continues apace as the Chilean shows no signs of slowing down. His close control has been particularly on show this season, a fact demonstrated by his ranking third in the Barclays Premier League this season for total dribbles with 72.
The Chilean though faces a late fitness test on a reported hamstring injury that Wenger states will make him a doubt for Sunday, which will bring Villa some relief.
Midfield enforcer Francis Coquelin has emerged as a key figure in the Arsenal engine room in recent weeks, demonstrating to the Arsenal fans that he has what it takes to start every week for the Gunners. His defensive record so far this season is excellent, the Frenchman winning 80% of his 20 tackles so far this season, conceding just eight fouls.
Aston Villa Stat Attack
Despite an improved performance after the break, Aston Villa were unable to find a solution to going 1-0 down to Liverpool, with the match eventually finishing 0-2 to the Reds, leaving Villa three points above the bottom three.
Keeper Brad Guzan will likely be in for a busy afternoon on Sunday if his Villa side find the Gunners in good form but his EA SPORTS Player Performance Index statistics show him to be more than up to the task if that is the case. He ranks as the sixth most active shot stopper in the Barclays Premier League this season with 69 saves to his name.
Fabian Delph’s all-around game has been of huge important to Paul Lambert’s this season, particularly when he gets the chance to turn and run at the opposition. No Villa player has completed more dribbles than Delph, who currently has 28 to his name.
Alan Hutton has been more than solid for Villa this term, providing exceptional defensive stability when called upon. He is Villa’s leading tackler this season, winning an exceptional 80.4% of his 51 challenges this campaign whilst conceding just 12 fouls.
Data supplied by the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index. Select and manage your own team of stars at http://fantasy.
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