The Southampton and West Ham stars shone once again on Saturday, despite enduring mixed fortunes.
And so the Saints keep marching on. Their incredible form over the last few weeks was continued yesterday afternoon, when Shane Long’s double ensured another win – and clean sheet – against Leicester City.
For high-flying West Ham United, however, Saturday was a more frustrating occasion, as Sam Allardyce’s side were held to a 0-0 draw at home by Aston Villa.
Neither side lost, though, and, despite their difference in fortunes, two individual stars shone yet again in one key area.
| Team | Chances Created | Appearances | Mins Played | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dusan Tadic | Southampton | 7 | 1 | 90 |
| Stewart Downing | West Ham | 6 | 1 | 90 |
| Jesús Navas | Man City | 5 | 1 | 90 |
| Eduardo Vargas | QPR | 5 | 1 | 90 |
| Diego Costa | Chelsea | 4 | 1 | 89 |
| Wayne Rooney | Man Utd | 4 | 1 | 90 |
Indeed, as Opta stats show, Dusan Tadic and Stewart Downing topped the Premier League on Saturday in terms of the number of chances they created.
This is no new trend but merely a continuation of the creativity they have each shown thus far this season.
Between them, the duo created 13 chances, which is more than some Premier League teams over the course of a match. Serbia midfielder Tadic topped the leaderboard with seven and Downing one behind on six.
The fact that neither midfielder registered an actual assist, meanwhile, is more down to their team-mates not finishing off those particular chances – and certainly not through a lack of trying.
An international break now gives the pair a rest from the top flight. Such has been their form, though, that they probably won’t want it.
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