Statistical Preview: West Ham Head North To Tackle Hull City

A superb volley from Sone Aluko handed Hull all three points against Newcastle last weekend in one of the most back-and-forth fixtures of the round.

Robbie Brady has been one of the outstanding performers for Hull so far this campaign, and he was on form again against Newcastle completing more passes in the opposition half than any of his teammates. 888sport.com are offering an industry best 14/1 for the Irishman to open the scoring at the weekend.

Brady also managed to complete more dribbles, and swung in more crosses than any other Hull player.

Hull will need to ensure that their defence is watertight this year if they are to stay up, and they’ll need Curtis Davies to maintain his current level of performance. The former Birmingham defender has made 76 defensive contributions this season (based on interceptions, blocks, clearances, and tackles), which is the third most in the league.

Fellow centre half James Chester is just behind Davies in the rankings, having made a total of 73 defensive contributions.

Ahmed Elmohamady is a player that Steve Bruce holds in high regard, having signed him both for Sunderland and Hull. The EA SPORTS Player Performance Index highlights exactly why Bruce rates him so highly, as the Egyptian has swung in 8 crosses so far this season. This is the most of any Hull player and the fifth most in the league.

West Ham slumped to a home defeat by Everton in the last round of Premier League fixtures, but may feel slightly unlucky as two of the goals were courtesy of Leighton Baines superb free kicks.

Mohammed Diame will be hoping to improve on his shooting, as against Hull he didn’t manage to test the goalkeeper once despite having three shots. No other player in the league took more shots without hitting the target.

In contrast, however, Diame was as solid as rock in the tackle. The EA SPORTS Player Performance Index shows that the former Wigan man completed 7 tackles, with a 100% success rate.

West Ham have been criticized by their style of play at times over the last few years, but Mark Noble appears to be refuting these criticisms. He has completed 104 passes in the opposition half so far this season, at a rate of a pass every 4 minutes. It appears that West Ham will miss the academy graduate, as he completes his suspension.

It is pretty unsurprising to see that Matt Jarvis has swung in more crosses than any other West Ham player. The former Wolves man has swung in 6 crosses this season, the fourth most in the league. You can also find Jarvis at 15/1 with 888sport.com to open the scoring on Saturday.

The understanding between centre backs is paramount in any team, and Sam Allardyce has underlined the importance of this understanding by starting Winston Reid and James Collins in every league game so far this season. Collins, in particular, has been highlighting his worth to the West Ham team as he has made the second most defensive contributions in the league.