Stats the way forward for Fabregas
CESC FABREGAS may have only started seven games all season – but the statistics show he is one of the most influential players in the Premier League.
He has the best minutes-perassist record in the Premier League this season, with seven in only 729 minutes. Swansea’s Gylfi Sigurdsson, the top assistmaker with 11, has had more than three times the number of minutes on the pitch.
Fabregas has also completed more passes per game than any other top-flight player and his 81.1 per cent pass completion record is bettered by only one in the list of top assist-makers, Liverpool’s Adam Lallana.
He completed more passes than any Manchester United player despite coming on for only the last nine minutes of Monday’s FA Cup game. Antonio Conte, whose side visit Stoke today and could be 13 points clear at the top of the table tonight if they win, said: “Cesc has always had a great impact, whether he starts a game or comes on.
“He’s technically very good and can put the ball wherever he wants it. He’s a great player. Often he’s decisive with a pass, an assist and scoring a goal.
“Cesc gives you great quality and assists. It’s important to understand when it’s right to play with Cesc or Nemanja Matic. Nemanja is more physical, more technical, less fantasy. Cesc has more fantasy but is less physical.”
The stats show that Fabregas completes an average of 75.56 passes per 90 minutes, better than any other player in the Premier League, according to EA Sports. Liverpool’s Jordan Henderson is second with an average of 75.08, but he has had 2118 minutes on the pitch.
On average, Fabregas creates a chance every 24 minutes – better than any other player.
Stoke manager Mark Hughes has said he would love to sign John Terry but admits if Bruno Martins Indi’s move becomes permanent it will spike the deal. At 36 and 20 years with his only club, Terry will bring an end to his glittering Chelsea career this summer. But Hughes admits the chances are unlikely now as Martins Indi, 25, is set to turn his loan from Porto into a permanent switch.
He said: “I know John – I played with him when he was starting off his career – and it was a conversation after the Chelsea game in terms of what he’s going to do.
“You’d imagine he’s looking to have one or two seasons where he’s playing regularly, because that’s the key for him. So you look for opportunities that will give him that.
“We’ve gone a long way down the line with Bruno and when contracting players, that really impacts on whether you’re going to pursue anybody else.” ●Data Courtesy of EA SPORTS, the Lead Partner of the Premier League.