Passing

– Paul Scholes has our best passing accuracy, completing 92.5% of all his attempted passes. Only Per Mertesacker and Mikel Arteta have been more accurate this season, both with 92.6%. After Scholes is Rio Ferdinand with 91.3% (7th), then Tom Cleverley with 90.4% (13th).

– Michael Carrick has attempted more passes than anyone else in our team with 1646 (3rd), behind Yaya Toure with 1732 and Mikel Arteta with 1702. Both Toure and Arteta have had more minutes on the pitch than Carrick though, so when comparing pass per minute, Carrick (0.949/min) has a better passing rate than Arteta (0.946/min) and Toure (0.919/min).

– Carrick passes the ball forwards with 35.24% of his passes. When looking at the players in the top 10 for passes completed, Carrick is 3rd, behind David Silva (36.23%) and Ashley Williams (35.85%), but ahead of the likes of Steven Gerrard (35.23%), Joe Allen (31.87%), Toure (30.02%), Santiago Cazorla (28.2%) and Arteta (27.03%).

– Scholes has been accurate with 711 of his 769 passes (92%) with 21% of them going forward. He has been accurate with 81% of his passes in the final third. He has created a total of 8 chances with 1 of those an assist. Anderson has been accurate with 255 of his 279 passes (91%) with 22% of them going forward. He has been accurate with 87% of his final third passes. He has created a total of 5 chances with 1 of those an assist. Cleverley has been accurate with 665 of his 736 passes (90%) with 23% of them going forward. He has been accurate with 83% of his passes in the final third. He has created 9 chances but has 0 assists. Carrick has been accurate with 1455 of his 1646 passes (88%) with 35% of them going forward. He has been accurate with 76% of his passes in the final third. He has created a total of 25 chances with 4 of those assists.

– Most passes completed per game: 1. Scholes completed 135/148 (91%) vs Spurs. 2. Carrick completed 119/134 (89%) vs Aston Villa. 3. Carrick completed 115/126 (91%) vs Southampton. 4. Carrick completed 110/116 (95%) vs West Ham. 5. Carrick completed 98/111 (88%) vs Norwich (88%). 6. Scholes completed 97/106 (92%) vs Aston Villa. 7. Carrick completed 93/108 (86%) vs Spurs. 8. Scholes completed 92/95 (97%) vs Everton.

– Carrick has completed more final third passes than any of our other players (338), followed by Van Persie (231). Anderson and Kagawa have been the most accurate with their final third passes though, completing an impressive 87% of all attempted in this area, followed by Danny Welbeck (86%).

– For comparison: Yaya Toure has completed 495 final third passes, David Silva 460, Eden Hazard 407, Juan Mata 346, Gareth Barry 299, Oscar 222, Kyle Walker 217, Aaron Lennon 213, Mousa Dembélé 176, Sandro 161, John Obi Mikel and Gareth Bale 147,

– Carrick has been accurate with more long ball passes than any of our other players with 133/176 (76%). Anderson has a long ball accuracy rate of 97% (31/32), followed by Fletcher with 94% (17/18) then Kagawa with 92% (12/13).

– Van Persie has passed in to the penalty area more than any of our other players (60), followed by Carrick and Rooney (52).

– Our players have completed 10,033 of an attempted 11,541 passes this season (87%). Manchester City 9910/11497 (86%), Arsenal 9836/11368 (87%), Chelsea 8056/9547 (84%), Tottenham Hotspur 7369/8821 (84%).

Crossing

– Valencia and Van Persie have attempted more crosses than any of our other players this season (99) and have been accurate with 19% and 21% respectively. Van Persie’s 21 completed crosses is the most of any of our players.

– Wingers’ accurate crosses: 1. Young with 23% (16/70), 2. Ryan Giggs with 20% (6/30), 3. Valencia with 19% (19/99), 4. Nani with 15% (6/39).

– Our players have completed 123 of their attempted 572 crosses this season (22%).

– Van Persie has taken 61 corners this season, attempted to deliver 53 directly in to the box, and has been accurate with 14 (26%). Rooney has taken 22, attempted to deliver 18 directly in to the box, and has been accurate with 7 (39%). Young has taken 21, attempted to deliver 17 directly in to the box, and has been accurate with 7 (41%). Nani has taken 12, attempted to deliver 9 directly in to the box, and has been accurate with 2 (22%). Giggs has taken 10, attempted to deliver 8 directly in to the box, and has been accurate with 0.

For comparison: Gareth Bale has accurately delivered 23/54 (43%), corners in to the box, David Silva 18/57 (32%), Juan Mata 9/35 (26%), Kyle Walker 7/25 (28%), Carlos Tevez 6/17 (35%), Eden Hazard 4/37 (11%).

– Our players have been accurate with 31 of the 107 corners they attempted to deliver directly in to the box (29%). City 53/141 (38%).

Goals

– Robin van Persie is the top scorer in the league with 16 goals in 21 games (18 starts), which is 30% of our goals this season. Javier Hernandez is the 8th highest scorer in the league with 8 goals in 13 games (5 starts). Wayne Rooney is the 14th highest scorer in the league with 7 goals in 14 games (12 starts).

– Van Persie averages 3.9 shots per game (3rd) and Rooney averages 3.6 (4th). Luis Suarez averages 6 shots per game (1st).

– Javier Hernandez has the best minutes/goal record in the league this season with a goal, on average, every 74.8 minutes. Robin van Persie has scored, on average, every 112.57 minutes (8th). Of the top ten scorers in the league, only Edin Dzeko (every 88.75 minutes) has a better goal per minutes rate.

– Van Persie has had more shots on target than any of our other players (32) with a shooting accuracy of 51%. Kagawa has had a shooting accuracy of 67%, Scholes with 60%, Hernandez with 59% and Rooney with 56%.

– Alexander Büttner has the best shooting accuracy of every player in the league, with one shot, one goal, and a 100% chance conversion

– Rooney is (joint, with Juan Mata) top of the assist charts in the league with 7, Van Persie is 3rd with 6, Antonio Valencia and Carrick are 15th with 4.

– Van Persie has created more chances than any of our other player (39), followed by Rooney (27) and Carrick (25).

Defending

– Nemanja Vidic has won 6 of his 7 tackles this season (86%) and 24 of his 34 aerial duals (71%), making a successful challenge every 13.7 minutes. He has successfully cleared 32 of his 52 attempted clearances (62%). Patrice Evra has won 44 of his 52 tackles this season (85%) and 48 of of his 66 aerial duals (73%), making a successful challenge every and 10.2 minutes. He has successfully cleared 68 of his 104 attempted clearances (65%). Phil Jones has won 5 of his 6 tackles this season (83%) and 7 of his 8 aerial duals (88%), making a successful challenge every 11.2 minutes. He has successfully cleared 7 of his 12 attempted clearances (58%). Chris Smalling has won 9 of his 11 tackles this season (82%) and 15 of his 24 aerial duals (63%), making a successful challenge every 15.7 minutes. He has successfully cleared 28 of his 54 attempted clearances (52%). Rio Ferdinand has won 19 of his 25 tackles (76%) and 27 of his 49 aerial duals (55%), making a successful challenge every 16.9 minutes. He has successfully cleared 77 of his 130 attempted clearances (59%). Rafael da Silva has won 40 his 53 tackles this season (75%) and 22 of his 39 aerial duals (56%), making a successful challenge every 9.7 minutes. He has successfully cleared 36 of his 71 attempted clearances (51%). Jonny Evans has won 20 of his 27 tackles this season (74%) and 35 of his 64 aerial duals (55%), making a successful challenge every 12.4 minutes. He has successfully cleared 62 of his 132 attempted clearances (47%).

– Minutes per successful tackle: 1. Rafael (9.7 minutes), 2. Evra (10.2 minutes), 3. Phil Jones (11.2 minutes), 4. Jonny Evans (12.4 minutes), 5. Nemanja Vidic (13.7 minutes), 6. Chris Smalling (15.7 minutes), 7. Ferdinand (16.9 minutes).

– For comparison: Pablo Zabaleta (8.75 minutes), Benoit Assou-Ekotto (12.27 minutes), Branislav Ivanovic (14.12 minutes), Ashley Cole (14.3 minutes), Kyle Walker (14.43 minutes), Vincent Kompany (14.63 minutes), David Luiz (16.16 minutes), Joleon Lescott (17.23 minutes), William Gallas (25.22 minutes),

– Rooney has a successful tackle completion rate of 100%, winning all 12 of his attempted 12 tackles, as does Nick Powell (2/2), Büttner (1/1), and Darren Fletcher (1/1).

– Carrick has won the ball more times in the defensive third than any of our other players (63), followed by Evra (55), Evans (50) and Ferdinand (48).

– For comparison: Vincent Kompany (67), Ashley Cole (59), David Luiz (52), Kieran Gibbs (49), Per Mertesacker (46), Branislav Ivanovic (40), Yaya Toure (38), Ramires (33), Gareth Barry (25).

– Carrick has won the ball more times in the midfield third than any of our other players (81), followed by Evra (42), Valencia (35), Rooney and Cleverley (31).

– For comparison: Mikel Arteta (90), Yaya Toure (69), Santiago Cazorla (67), John Obi Mikel (59), Gareth Barry (52), Juan Mata (41).

– Van Persie has won the ball more times in the attacking third than any of our other players (10), followed by Hernandez, Rooney and Valencia (8).

– For comparison: Santiago Cazorla (15), Carlos Tevez, Juan Mata, Fernando Torres (10), Jermaine Defoe, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Mikel Arteta (7).

– Powell has the best minutes per tackle rate, with a successful tackle every 4.83 minutes he’s been on the pitch.

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Stats taken from WhoScored.com and EPL Index Opta Stats Centre

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