In one of the performances of the season, Everton drew 1-1 at the Emirates on Sunday, and if anything were unlucky and disappointed to do so.
Everton’s outstanding performance on Saturday was most evident in the fact that they boasted more possession than Arsenal, which is almost unheard of from the away side at the Emirates. Central midfielder Gareth Barry was integral to this, as he completed 40 passes in Arsenal’s half – this was more passes than any other player on the pitch.
Ross Barkley was many pundits ‘man of the match’ on Sunday, as he underlined his limitless potential with an incredibly impressive offensive display. This was probably most evident in his rate of passes in the opposition half, as according to the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index, he completed a pass in Arsenal’s half every 2.5 minutes. Barkley is 19/2 with 888sport.com to score the first goal on Saturday.
Ross Barkley’s dribbling was also outstanding against Arsenal, with many pundits comparing him favourably to Paul Gascoigne in his pomp. Barkley’s dribbling has been first class all season, as he has completed a total of 38 dribbles – this is the third most in the league.
Many Evertonians were cursing their luck when Leighton Baines broke his toe in the Merseyside derby, an injury that is set to keep him out for 6 weeks. However, they will have been pleasantly surprised by the impact that his replacement Bryan Oviedo has had since he’s been given a chance in the first team. Prior to facing the Gunners he had scored two goals in two games, including the winner at Old Trafford, but it was at the other end of the pitch that he really made his mark on Sunday. The EA SPORTS Player Performance Index demonstrates that he won every tackle he attempted on Sunday.
Rene Meulensteen recorded his first victory as Fulham manager, as the Cottagers overcame Aston Villa 2-1 to register all three points.
Dimitar Berbatov was instrumental for the Cottagers as he appeared to be hitting top form again. He was busy, always looking for the ball, and scored a penalty to top off an impressive all-round performance. He also demonstrated his ability to hit the target, as the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index shows that he forced the keeper into action with 80% of his efforts.
One of the first moves that Meulensteen has made since taking the job has been to bring winger Ashkan Dejagah back into the fold, and the Iranian has been a standout performer since his return. He followed up a goal against Tottenham with an impressive all-round offensive performance against Villa where he made 48 attacking contributions (based on shots, crosses, passes in the opposition half and dribbles). This was more than any other player in the Fulham squad.
Fulham have Phillippe Senderos to thank for keeping Villa at bay on Sunday, as he made a total of 20 defensive contributions (based on blocks, interceptions, clearances and tackles won). This was more than any other Fulham player.