As Newcastle United prepare to take on QPR at St James’ Park in the Premier League, midfielder Jonas Gutierrez is going through a lean spell that is not dissimilar to that experience by Liverpool winger Stewart Downing last year. Here are the stats…
– Despite Demba Ba’s goal scoring efforts, Newcastle continue to slide perilously down the Premier League table after losing 3-1 reigning Premier League champions Manchester City in their last game.
– Only Luis Suarez has had more efforts at goal than Ba this season, with Suarez having had 85 shots and Ba 64. Ba’s on target percentage is exactly 50% compared to Suarez’s 52.9%, and Ba is the more dangerous finisher averaging 5.8 shots per goal compared to Suarez’s 8.5 shots per goal.
– Papiss Cisse has been less fortunate in front of goal this season.
– You can’t fault the Magpies effort, as last week saw them move up to fourth in the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index for distance covered as a squad, with 1050.3 miles so far this season.
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– Jonas Gutierrez will be hoping for a change in fortunes as much as any Newcastle player, having played 1445 minutes without a goal or an assist. Only Joe Allen among the Premier League’s midfielders has played longer without either scoring or creating a goal this season.
– QPR fans had cause for double celebration last weekend after a 2-1 win over Fulham gave them both their first win of the season and lifted them off the foot of the table.
– Talented midfielder Adel Taarabt was the catalyst, scoring twice to give QPR the win they so desperately needed.
– His goals clearly gave Taarabt a source of motivation as he went on to cover more ground for QPR than he has in any other game this season with 6.22 miles.
– Taraabt now has four goals to his name this season, but has been peppering the opposition goal having had 50 shots at goal in total, including 30 on target, the tenth highest in the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index
– Dijbril Cisse also gave Fulham cause for discomfort, having 8 efforts at goal with 5 on target, the most by a player in the last round of games and the 8th highest of the season so far.
Data courtesy of the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index, the official player rating index of the Barclays Premier League.
