Wigan v Tottenham 15:00
- Wigan fell to a 2-0 defeat away to West Ham last weekend as they remained in the bottom three going into their final five matches of the season.
- Maynor Figueroa continues to enhance his already glowing reputation as the season draws to a close. Not only has the Honduran defender completed a superb 291 defensive contributions this season, he’s also completed more passes in the opponent’s half than any other player in the top 20 for this defensive category.
- Midfielder Jean Beausejour is another who has been cementing a solid reputation under Roberto Martinez this season. He currently sits 3rd on the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index for crosses delivered with 111, one of only four players to have broken the 100-cross barrier this season (the others being Snodgrass, Baines, and Bale).
- Whilst Arouna Kone continue to grab the headlines for some impressive performances whilst leading the line for Wigan, the best shot accuracy rate in the squad actually belongs to James McCarthy, his 69.6% from 23 attempts on goal proving Kone has plenty of competition for the tag of Wigan sharp-shooter. McCarthy is 6/1 to score at any time against Tottenham with 888sport.com.
- A breathless few minutes of football saw Tottenham claim all three points against Manchester City at the Lane on Sunday, goals from Clint Dempsey, Jermaine Defoe and Gareth Bale securing a much-needed three points.
- Winger Aaron Lennon is likely to be available for selection this weekend following his return from injury and will bring his usual combination of pace and vision to the table. However, it is not just in his outstripping of defenders that Lennon has showcased his value to Andre Villas-Boas this season. Somewhat surprisingly perhaps, the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index shows the England winger as having one of the best tackle success rates in the Spurs squad, at 70.7% from 41 challenges.
- Even more at home at the back has been Steven Caulker this term, the promising defender having had something of a break-out season. He’s completed 125 defensive contributions this campaign, at a squad-best rate of on average one every 12.8 minutes he’s been on the field of play.
- All Spurs fans will be desperate to see the club hang on to star man Gareth Bale come the summer, the Welshman proving to be the dynamic force the club have been searching for as they push for automatic Champions League qualification. Bale’s made more attacking contributions that any other player in the league (all shots, assists, crosses, dribbles). All this has been done at a quite astonishing rate of on average one every 10.8 minutes, again, the best in the league. Bale is 11/10 with 888sport.com to once again get himself on the score sheet this weekend.