The former Sheffield Wednesday man has shone since joining Nottingham Forest.
Stuart Pearce can do no wrong at the City Ground right now.
Seven games into the Championship season, his Nottingham Forest side are top of the table, one point clear of nearest rivals Norwich City and two clear of third-placed Watford.
And not only do Forest boast the top goalscorer in the division in Britt Assombalonga, they also have the man who has registered the most assists so far.
Indeed, Michail Antonio has proved an absolute bargain since joining from Sheffield Wednesday for a fee of £1.5 million this summer.
| Team | Goals | Dribbles Won | Successful Final-Third Passes | Accurate Crosses | Assists | Appearances | Mins Played | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Michail Antonio | Nottingham Forest | 4 | 12 | 50 | 7 | 5 | 7 | 521 |
| Paul Anderson | Ipswich Town | 0 | 2 | 55 | 15 | 3 | 6 | 439 |
| Tom Cairney | Blackburn | 2 | 7 | 112 | 8 | 3 | 7 | 630 |
| Craig Conway | Blackburn | 0 | 6 | 54 | 14 | 3 | 7 | 591 |
| Daniel Tözsér | Watford | 1 | 5 | 73 | 12 | 3 | 7 | 551 |
| Wes Hoolahan | Norwich | 1 | 13 | 127 | 6 | 3 | 7 | 568 |
As Opta stats show, the 24-year-old has made five assists so far this season, two more than anyone else in the Championship – and very almost averaging an assist a game.
With four goals to his name, too, Antonio is also rather high up the top scorers list, while he is no stranger to beating his man with the ball at feet. Indeed, the winger has won 12 dribbles so far this season, also making seven accurate crosses and 50 final-third passes.
In every possible sense, then, the former Wednesday man has flourished since joining Forest, with boss Pearce appearing to be getting the very best out of him.
With that kind of talent, it is perhaps surprising no Premier League clubs moved for Antonio over the summer. But, as things stand, he might be playing top-flight football this time next year, anyway…
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