Given their performances so far this season, no one can argue that intricate playmakers such as David Silva and Juan Mata are a more than welcome addition to the Premier League. As the big clubs increasingly looks to artistry and grace to make a telling difference at the top, the culture change in England is slowly shifting towards a less physical approach, with the former Valencia duo prime examples of the growing trend for diminutive creators, artists who can dissect the most compact of back-fours with a killer pass in the blink of any eye.
The diverse nature of the division, though, means there will always be a limit to the evolution. It’s what makes the Premier League so unique, to a certain degree. While the playmakers quite rightly pick up the plaudits, WhoScored turns our attentions instead to a type of player so synonymous with the British game - the target man. From Peter Crouch to Kevin Davies, from Andy Carroll to Nicklas Bendtner, we take a look at a handful of forwards who’ve been a menace in the air this season and ascertain just what effect they are having on their respective sides.
Peter Crouch
When it comes to successful aerial duels, there’s no surprise to see the summer signing from Tottenham leading the way. With 4.7 per game, Crouch is the ideal target man for Tony Pulis’ battle-hardened side- in comparison, strike partner Jonathan Walters has won 2.2 per game, less than half Crouch’s tally.
The new boy has failed to translate this to any substantial attacking threat, however, scoring just 2 goals from his nine games, with an average of 2.2 shots per game. He’s also picked up just 2 assists; with 0.9 key passes per game- clearly he is winning the ball in areas that are not overly threatening his opponents.
Stoke have averaged 23 crosses per game, the eighth best in the Premier League, and with Matthew Etherington and Jermaine Pennant producing 1.9 and 2.4 successful crosses per game respectively, Crouch’s aerial ability is better utilised at the Britannia- he’d averaged 4.1 at Spurs last season, in comparison. So far, though, his presence in the side hasn’t been too successful- Stoke have won two, drawn one and lost six of the games Crouch has started and with a WhoScored average of 6.56, he’s been far from effective.
Andy Carroll
The January signing from Newcastle is the third most impressive for aerial duels, with 3.6 per game for Liverpool. Carroll’s efficiency in the air has dropped hugely since moving from St James’ Park- last term while at Newcastle he won 7.1 aerial duels per game, almost double this season’s average.
Kenny Dalglish’s side seem to stutter whenever Carroll is a first-team pick, though, and tend to revert to playing high balls to the centre forward, rather than looking for a more inventive option. As a result, Liverpool have made more crosses (27) than any other team in the Premier League but with just 2 goals from a total of 27 attempts so far, Carroll is clearly not producing the goods for the Merseyside team.
His successful headers and flick-ons are rarely proving beneficial, with just 0.6 key passes per game (and no assists) indicative of his lack of creative output. Stewart Downing and Charlie Adam supply plenty of successful crosses, with 1.6 each per game, but all too often, Carroll is unable to convert the chances created. A WhoScored average of 6.56 sums up his season so far, with Carroll’s place in the Liverpool first-team looking less guaranteed as the games go by.
In terms of successful aerial duels, Davies (3.1) is the sixth best forward in the Premier League. His raw, physical power up front has been a feature of Bolton’s play for a number of seasons now but when compared with the previous campaign, Davies’ influence seems to have dimmed considerably- he won 6.4 per game, more than double the amount this time round.
Surprisingly, given Davies’ ability, this may be partly down to the number of crosses Bolton make per game- with an average of 16, they have attempted the least of any team in the Premier League- far from what you’d perhaps expect, given their reputation. With his strike partner Ivan Klasnic winning just 0.6 aerial duels per game-compared to Johan Elmander’s 2.4 in 2010/11- the drop in Davies’ success is particularly significant to their threat up front.
While Owen Coyle is trying to change the way his side play, it’s perhaps detrimental to their efficiency overall; with just nine points on the board so far, they’re sitting third-bottom. As a result, Davies’ ability to set up goalscoring chances for others has dramatically slumped, too- last season’s 2.4 key passes per game has fallen to 1.3 this time, another example of his diminishing influence for the Trotters.
His goal attempts have dipped slightly, from 1.6 to 1.3 per game, though with the supply from wide men Martin Petrov and Chris Eagles (with 1.9 and 1.5 successful crosses respectively) an upturn in output could still be foreseeable. At 6.63 per game in the WhoScored ratings compared to 6.85 last time round, an improvement is clearly needed.
Nicklas Bendtner
The on-loan Arsenal man has been a relative success so far this season for Sunderland. Last season, Bendtner was afforded just three starts and fourteen sub appearances by Arsene Wenger and as a result of such limited pitch time, averaged just 0.8 successful aerial duels per game. This term, he is seventh top forward in the Premier League, with an average of 3.
His success in the air is helped by the fact that, in Seb Larsson, the Black Cats have the second most impressive crosser in the league- the Swede produces 2.6 per game, with Sunderland’s team average of 25 bettered only by Wolves (26) and Liverpool (27). His presence has considerably boosted Sunderland’s aerial ability up front- Connor Wickham (0.6) and Stephane Sessegnon (0.8) have been poor in comparison.
The big Dane’s ability to lay off chances for team mates means he has averaged 2.1 key passes per game and picked up 3 assists- more than any Sunderland player, despite playing just eight games. Bendtner has also bagged a couple of goals, averaging 2 shots per game, and is proving that he’s more than capable of making an impact in the Premier League if given the first-team opportunity. Bendtner’s overall displays mean he is the top-rated Sunderland player in the WhoScored rankings, scoring 7.18 per game.
