Stewart Downing’s impressive form continued against Manchester United.
Stewart Downing’s season just seems to get better.
Despite Manchester United’s 2-1 win against West Ham yesterday, the 30-year-old produced another lively performance – and can now boast a rather impressive statistic after six games.
Indeed, Downing has created the same number of chances as Chelsea’s Cesc Fabregas so far this season – which is the joint-highest tally in the Premier League.
| Team | Pos | Chances Created | Apps | Mins | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stewart Downing | West Ham | MF | 20 | 6 | 539 |
| Cesc Fabregas | Chelsea | MF | 20 | 6 | 531 |
| David Silva | Man City | MF | 16 | 6 | 503 |
| Eden Hazard | Chelsea | MF | 15 | 6 | 505 |
| Gylfi Sigurdsson | Swansea | MF | 14 | 6 | 532 |
| Raheem Sterling | Liverpool | MF | 14 | 6 | 464 |
As Opta stats show, 20 is an impressive number, with the likes of David Silva, Eden Hazard, Gylfi Sigurdsson and Raheem Sterling far below that tally by comparison.
Against United, meanwhile, Downing shone with another stat…
| Team | Pos | Accurate Crosses | Successful Final-Third Passes | Chances Created | Apps | Mins | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stewart Downing | West Ham | MF | 8 | 13 | 4 | 1 | 90 |
| Jason Puncheon | Crystal Palace | MF | 4 | 12 | 5 | 1 | 90 |
| Steven Davis | Southampton | MF | 3 | 14 | 2 | 1 | 90 |
| Steven Gerrard | Liverpool | MF | 3 | 9 | 2 | 1 | 90 |
| Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain | Arsenal | MF | 3 | 17 | 3 | 1 | 90 |
| Raheem Sterling | Liverpool | MF | 3 | 21 | 6 | 1 | 90 |
| Mesut Ozil | Arsenal | MF | 3 | 37 | 2 | 1 | 90 |
At Old Trafford, the West Ham United star completed eight accurate crosses, twice as high as his nearest competitor Jason Puncheon on the day. Downing also made 13 successful final-third passes and created another four chances.
It is just a pity for the 30-year-old that Sam Allardyce’s forwards couldn’t quite convert enough of his chances to secure a result.
Downing’s form has come as a surprise to many this term and West Ham co-chairman David Gold admits he has been ‘a revelation’ since moving into midfield.
The positional change has been key to Downing’s progress, which can be considered a tactical accomplishment of Allardyce’s this season. Now to keep it up for the duration of the campaign.
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