Comparing the Arsenal and West Ham midfielders’ performances this season.
Prior to his loan move to West Ham United, Barcelona midfielder Alex Song was linked with a return to his former club Arsenal.
In the end, that move did not happen, with the Hammers bringing the Cameroon international in for the season and watching as he settled instantly into Premier League football as if he had never been away.
As much as Diafra Sakho and Enner Valencia have been praised since their arrivals at Upton Park, so Song has been singled out for his brilliant contributions in the middle of the park. So how does he compare with Arsenal’s Mathieu Flamini?
As you can see from the table below, Song averages more key passes, more tackles and more duels won per game, and when you consider he has so far played considerably less than the Arsenal man it could be suggested that he will get even better over time.
That said, the Arsenal midfielder is clearly outperforming Song in other areas, averaging more clearances per game, more interceptions and more outfield blocks, while the Frenchman’s passing accuracy is exactly 10 per cent higher than the West Ham star’s.
| Key passes per game | Tackles per game | Clearances per game | Interceptions per game | Passing Accuracy | Dribbles per game | Outfield Blocks per game | Duel Won per game | Mins Played | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alex Song | 0.75 | 2.25 | 0.5 | 1.5 | 83% | 2.5 | 0.25 | 6 | 277 |
| Mathieu Flamini | 0.33 | 2 | 2.83 | 3.33 | 93% | 0.33 | 0.67 | 4.67 | 511 |
There are areas where both men are currently outdoing the other, but the way Song has settled into life at Upton Park, and given how he is already being hailed by fans and pundits alike for the solidity he brings to central areas, there are likely to be few Arsenal fans out there who would not have wanted him back at the Emirates Stadium given his availability this summer.
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