Everton’s Gareth Barry dominated in a surprise area this weekend

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The midfielder posted 48 forward passes, a tally higher than any other player except Manchester City’s Fernandinho.

Everton midfielder Gareth Barry dominated a particularly surprising Premier League statistic this weekend.

As a defensive midfielder, it is no surprise to find Barry posting high numbers in areas such as interceptions, ball recovery or indeed tackles.

But, this time around, he came out on top of everyone when it came to forward passes, posting a league-high 48 for the weekend.

That put him ahead of the likes of fellow team-mate Ross Barkley, while his tally was double that of powerhouse Yaya Toure and considerably more than Arsenal’s creative star Santi Cazorla.

However, there was one player he couldn’t outpass, as Manchester City’s Fernandinho also posted 48 forward passes during his side’s 2-1 win over Norwich City.

Barry enjoyed a fine afternoon in his side’s 6-2 demolition of Sunderland, with him and James McCarthy controlling the Black Cats midfield and being given the time and space of the Goodison Park pitch all afternoon.

And the stats demonstrate that – with the nearest Everton player to him being Barkley, who only managed 27 forward passes in the game.

Well known for being a defensive-minded player, Barry clearly decided to switch things up for the game against the Black Cats and it must have had an effect given how often his side got on the attack.

Toffees fans will be hoping he can post similarly impressive stats when they face West Ham next time around. It’s a tactic the 34-year-old should definitely pursue.