Once again, the weekend set of Premier League fixtures was dominated by the performances of both Manchester clubs. Both United and City are now the only two teams left with one hundred percent records and a pair of devastating displays swept aside Bolton and Wigan respectively. A look at the WhoScored Premier League XI of matchday four highlights their domination- eight of our eleven come from the two clubs. Here’s a rundown of some of the stand out performers:
Phil Jones, Manchester United. WhoScored rating 8.76
The young defender was shifted from centre half to right-back for the game at the Reebok, as Rio Ferdinand returned to the United first-team. Going forward, Jones –not exactly renowned for his ball-playing ability- stood out for Sir Alex Ferguson’s side; he had 4 successful dribbles, more than anyone else on the pitch.
He had 1 shot at goal, which resulted in an assist, as Wayne Rooney knocked in the rebound after Jussi Jaaskelainan had parried his effort. Jones made a total of 49 passes (with an 80% accuracy) and also fired in 3 crosses- he was a far more attacking threat than Patrice Evra at left-back, who had 39 passes and made no crosses, in comparison. Only Anderson (101) had more touches than Jones’s total of 88.
Defensively, the summer buy from Blackburn was solid; 2 tackles and 2 interceptions in addition to 5 clearances helped keep Bolton at bay. Jones also won 100% of his aerial duels in a display that highlights just how versatile a player he will be for the champions.
Leighton Baines, Everton. WhoScored rating 8.46
The left-back was outstanding in Everton’s 2-2 draw with Aston Villa. His importance to his side’s play is shown by Baines’ 99 touches- more than any home player as his team mates looked for him time and again. Baines made 52 passes with an 81% accuracy and fired in 14 crosses over the ninety minutes, though his corner kick duties played a part in this stat.
His creativity was incredible, though; Baines made a total of 9 key passes but due to inept Everton finishing, he failed to pick up a single assist. He also completed 3 successful dribbles down the flank- again, a tally higher than any team mate and with 1 shot, he scored from the penalty spot. Defensively, he contributed just 2 interceptions but his display going forward more than made up for any deficiencies at the back.
Sergio Aguero, Manchester City. WhoScored rating 9.64
After scoring two in his home debut with Swansea, Aguero went one better in his second game at the Etihad Stadium, netting a hat-trick in the 3-0 win over Wigan. Roberto Mancini’s decision to drop Edin Dzeko made no difference to City’s brilliant attacking play and the Argentine was the main beneficiary.
Before departing the proceedings after seventy-two minutes, Aguero made the least number of passes (27) for City and although he was safe in accuracy (89%), he did little creatively, with just 1 key pass to his name. Instead, he demonstrated an eye for goal throughout, with 5 shots the most of any player on the pitch; he scored with all 3 that were on target. Aguero also troubled the Latics with 2 successful dribbles, third behind David Silva (6) and Carlos Tevez (4) but has a minimal defensive contribution, with just 1 interception during the game. Given City’s total domination, it was barely needed.
Nani, Manchester United. WhoScored rating 8.60
He’s been in the shadow of Ashley Young since the start of the season, but Nani stepped up for United yesterday as Young made minimal impact. The Portuguese winger was his side’s chief creator, with 3 key passes seeing him pick up 2 assists in the Reebok rout.
Nani had 81 touches on the right flank, making a total of 52 passes with an 81% accuracy. His trickery on the wing saw him fire over 3 crosses and make 3 successful dribbles- a look at Young’s stats, with no key passes and 1 successful dribble shows how key Nani was to the performance. Surprisingly, he had just 1 shot at goal, and a defensive contribution of 1 tackle, however minimal, could not deflect from what was a brilliant performance from the winger.
Javier Hernandez, Manchester United. WhoScored rating 9.61
The Mexican made an instant return to form on his first start of the season. With Danny Welbeck injured, Hernandez’s partnership with Wayne Rooney saw the pair grab all 5 of United’s goals- Little Pea’s clinical eye for goal is highlighted by his 4 shots –the most of any player- and with 3 on target, he found the net on 2 occasions.
Distribution-wise, he played 36 passes with an 83% accuracy and had 1 key pass- Rooney made none, in comparison. His tendency to play on the shoulder of the last defender is illustrated by the fact that Hernandez was responsible for 4 of the 5 times United were caught offside by Bolton.
He also put in a decent defensive shift, with 2 tackles and 1 interception to his name and with such a strong return to form, Welbeck looks unlikely to reclaim his first-team place anytime soon.
