Player Focus: Papiss Demba Cisse (Newcastle)

Over the weekend Robin van Persie was presented with the PFA Player of the Year award after a phenomenal season in front of goal. The Dutchman is the top scorer with 27 goals this season, but of late the goalscoring exploits of Newcastle's Papiss Demba Cisse have overshadowed the Gunners' captain, and every other striker in the league for that matter.

Since a £10m move from Freiburg in January, the Senegalese international couldn't have wished to make a better name for himself at St. James' Park, fast joining a long line of iconic number 9s in the North East. With 11 goals in 10 league appearances, Cisse's striking statistics across the board are exactly that – striking - and virtually unparalleled in the division.

The tall forward has proven to be the perfect target man for The Magpies, with compatriot Demba Ba seemingly filling that role prior to the African Cup of Nations. Cisse has exceeded Ba's lofty standards from the first half of the season though, helping to bring the best out of the likes of Ben Arfa and Cabaye in the process.

Statistical Superiority

When it comes to touches per goal, Thierry Henry only trumps Cisse this season, though the Frenchman only made 4 substitute appearances in his brief return to Arsenal. Where the 34-year-old netted a goal every 26 touches, Cisse has needed just 34 per strike on average, ahead of Everton duo Anichebe (35) and Vellios (37), as well as his namesake Djibril Cisse at QPR (41).

When analysing the minutes per goal ratios in the league, Henry again comes out on top having played just 94 minutes (47 per goal) but Cisse is next up once more, having netted every 68 minutes on average. This figure is just ahead of Dimitar Berbatov (72) and the aforementioned Everton pairing of Vellios (82) and Anichebe (84).

A look at the best conversion rates of Premier League strikers shows that - you guessed it - Thierry Henry leads the way having scored from 2 of just 4 shots in the league (50%). Cisse again takes his place in the top 5, however, having netted 41% of his efforts thus far, this time behind Anichebe (45%) and Berbatov (44%), along with fellow January signing Pavel Pogrebnyak, who has hit the ground running at Fulham to score with 43% of his shots so far.

Proof of the theory that if you don't hit the target, you don't score - if it were ever needed - is shown by the continued repetition of the same front men in the top 5, though for once Henry is not among them. Cisse, however, is, having worked the keeper with 59% of his efforts. This time Vellios (67%) leads the way from Bent and Wilbraham (60%) when it comes to shot accuracy.

It will be immediately apparent that of those players who feature heavily in the above analysis Cisse, who has played just 10 times, has had the highest involvement in terms of minutes played this season. Therefore, the table below shows the respective averages of the league's top 3 scorers in the categories analysed, along with Newcastle teammate Ba, who is joint-4th in the scoring charts with 16.

Cisse's averages are not only better than the likes of van Persie, Rooney and Aguero, but almost make them seem insignificant, as if it were possible. He has taken half as many touches per goal as Ba, with Rooney's 79 perhaps unsurprisingly the worst here given his tendency to drop deep from front.

The Newcastle number 9's 68 minutes per goal average is markedly better than top scorer van Persie's 113, while his conversion rate is more than twice that of any of the league's top marksmen this season.

Ba, Humbug!

Many have noticed the slump in Demba Ba's form since Cisse's arrival, with his connections with the forward via the national team ironically one of the key factors in the move. Having struck 15 times prior to departing for the African Cup of Nations, Ba has scored just once since he returned alongside Cisse, and has been forced into a wider role as a support man to the former Freiburg striker.

What is remarkable, however, is the fact that Ba's shots per game average has actually risen marginally since playing alongside Cisse, from 3.16 to 3.18, despite his failings in front of goal.

However, in all other aspects previously analysed in this piece, it is clear to see that Ba, individually at least, has suffered since Cisse's signature was sealed. His touches per goal average before Cisse's debut against Aston Villa has exploded from 40 to 417, with his minutes per goal average replicating the slump having struck every 97 minutes on average in the first half of the season compared to 932 since returning from international duty.

A dramatic dip in shot accuracy has certainly been a big contributing factor to his recent goal drought, having tested the keeper with 50% of his efforts before February compared to 31% since. In turn, the most telling drop has been in Ba's chance conversion rate, down from an excellent 25% to under 3% in his last 11 games.

The fact that Newcastle are now top of the form guide having won their last 6 matches will mean that Pardew won't be too concerned about Ba's lack of contribution to goals recently. However, if the Toon stick to a 4-3-3 one could assume that they may want to look for more balance to their attack with a natural creator, like Ben Arfa on the opposite flank, perhaps the way forward.

It begs the question as to whether Cisse's success could see Newcastle cash in on the compatriot who was such a key figure in his signature?