Statistical Betting Preview: West Brom vs Norwich

West Brom may have considered themselves unlucky to have succumbed to a defeat at the hands of Manchester City, particularly as they produced a resilient fight back once three goals down. 

With their silky and intricate playmakers, City boasted an impressive 59% of possession in the fixture, but the efforts of the West Brom midfield to win the ball back cannot be questioned. The EA SPORTS Player Performance Index highlights that Claudio Yacob and, surprisingly James Morrison, won 13 and 10 tackles respectively – this was the most in the league.

It was a pity for Saido Berahino that he couldn’t celebrate his new contract with a goal. In fact, considering Berahino’s record and high standards, his shooting was slightly more wayward than usual against the Citizens as despite taking three shots at goal (the most in the West Brom squad), he failed to hit the target once. Berahino is 21/4 with 888sport.com to score the first goal on Saturday.

Youssuf Mulumbu was suspended for West Brom against Manchester City, and considering the Citizen’s dominance of possession, it appears that the Baggies missed him. Mulumbu has a terrific ability to break up and slow down play, which is evident in the number of interceptions he has made this season (45).

James Morrison has only featured in 590 minutes for West Brom this term, but he has showcased his fantastic passing ability in this short time frame. The EA SPORTS Player Performance Index highlights that he has completed a pass in the opposition half at an impressive rate of a pass every 3.4 minutes.

It’s tough being a Norwich fan when facing Liverpool, as it seems that time and time again they are victims of the Suarez effect – Suarez has now scored 11 goals in four games against Norwich.

Things may not have totally gone to plan for Norwich on Wednesday, but a bright spark was winger Nathan Redmond. The EA SPORTS Player Performance Index demonstrates that Redmond was a menace down the flank, swinging in 3 crosses and registering an assist.

Alexander Tettey may have only played in 7 fixtures for Norwich so far this season, but in these games he has demonstrating his excellent defensive awareness. The EA SPORTS Player Performance Index shows that he has completed 22 interceptions – the most in the league. Tettey has also won an impressive 72% of his challenges.

‘Super’ Gary Hooper came to Norwich with an outstanding reputation, following his impressive goal record at Celtic. Although he hasn’t scored as many goals as he’d have liked this term, he still has a fantastic shots on target percentage of 75%. This does suggest that the goals will soon start to flow for Norwich’s number 11.

With the rise of Fraser Forster it will be interesting to see who Roy Hodgson regards as his number 2 goalkeeper. John Ruddy will be hoping to head to Brazil in this position, and the stats from the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index provide weight to the former Everton ‘Keeper’s case. Ruddy has made 48 saves this term, more than any other Englishman.