Stoke City travelled to the Etihad last week with the hope of capitalising on Manchester City’s recent defeat at the hands of Barcelona in the Champions League. The visitors, defending deep, coped well with the considerable attacking power of Man City and were unlucky not to take the lead when Charlie Adam had a shot palmed wide by keeper Joe Hart.
The Potters will be hoping to return to the form, which had seen them go 3 games unbeaten before their trip to the Etihad.
With 12 Attacking contributions (crosses, passes, shots on target and dribbles) The EA SPORTS Player Performance Index shows that Peter Crouch proved to be Stokes most dangerous player at the Etihad. Crouch completed 12 passes in the opposition half; more than any other Stoke player.
Marko Arnautovic played an integral role in containing City’s firepower upfront. With a tackle win percentage of 100%, equally important to the Potter’s stubborn defensive display was Ryan Shawcross. The EA SPORTS Player Performance Index shows that he made 12 defensive contributions during his sides defeat and has the highest number of defensive contributions at the club with 307.
Following his double strike which gave Stoke a rare win at Old Trafford, Charlie Adam will be hoping to build on his recent form and add to his current season which has seen him become Stoke’s top striker with a total of 6 goals
