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Wissa had three shots on target last time out
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Watkins not as prolific away from Villa Park
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Munetsi excelling in new advanced role at Wolves
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Brentford v Aston Villa
Saturday 8th March, 17:30
Live on Sky Sports (UK)
Match Ups - Wissa to have more shots on target than Watkins
At face value this feels like a coin-flip.
Both strikers have led their respective lines brilliantly all season, Wissa firing 13 goals to this point, Watkins 12. Each scored twice across February.
As for shots on target there is very little to separate them, the Villa forward just edging it by averaging 1.5 per 90 to Wissa's 1.4.
Perhaps then it's wise to open things up and look to the contest itself but that too has a 50/50 feel to it. The hosts may be priced up at 13/102.30 but Villa head south on a high after walloping Club Brugge in the Champions League. Furthermore, the Bees are winless in six at the Gtech.
Back to the player stats we go then...
Player vs Player
English Premier League
11
Yoane Wissa
Brentford
English Premier League
11
Ollie Watkins
Aston Villa
Appearances
35
38
Goals
19
16
Shots
90
84
Shots on target
43
40
Assists
4
8
Chances created
29
25
Passes
563
415
Fouls
34
29
Fouls won
51
33
Yellow cards
5
2
Red cards
0
0
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What jumps out from the figures above are the four games fewer that Wissa has played, the forward struggling with an ankle problem last autumn. Extending from this are all manner of interesting details, not least that Wissa boasts a superior shot accuracy, 51% to 47%.
If both men have the goal in their sights Wissa would be backed every time over his counterpart to trouble the goalkeeper.
Moreover, when we dig a little deeper into the stats a persuasive fact emerges. Wissa has scored ten of his 13 league goals this term at the Gtech. Watkins has only scored four of his 12 on the road.
Lastly - and arguably most convincing - there is their recent form to consider.
In his last league outing at Selhurst Park, Watkins failed to muster a single attempt on goal, on target or otherwise. Indeed, that's been the case in two of his last five league appearances.
Contrasting this, Wissa posted three SOT last time out, his highest tally for a while.
Back Wissa to have more Shots on Target than Watkins
Wolves v Everton
Saturday 8th March, 20:00
Live on TNT (UK)
Match Ups - Munetsi to have more shots on target than Doucoure
Like many of his team-mates, Abdoulaye Doucoure is a player revived under David Moyes, pushed further forward and clearly enjoying it up there.
In his last three league showings he has accrued three goal involvements.
The French-born Mali international missed Everton's last fixture due to attending the birth of his child but he is expected to return for a trip to Molineux that would have been billed as a relegation dog-fight a short while ago.
In the Midlands, the attacking midfielder will be hoping to carry on where he left off, taking on two shots on target vs Manchester United, scoring from one.
Last time out, he was statistically Everton's best player.
Why then, you may be wondering, is Marshall Munetsi being tipped to outshoot his opposite number this Saturday? He is after all a player still settling into English football after joining Wolves from Reims a little over a month ago. He is still finding his way.
Well, read on to find out.
Player vs Player
English Premier League
5
Marshall Munetsi
Wolves
English Premier League
16
Abdoulaye Doucouré
Everton
Appearances
14
33
Goals
2
3
Shots
22
31
Shots on target
7
10
Assists
1
2
Chances created
9
28
Passes
201
875
Fouls
19
49
Fouls won
10
5
Yellow cards
0
4
Red cards
0
1
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When Munetsi arrived from Ligue 1, fans speculated as to where he might be deployed by Vitor Pereira. For Reims he was principally a box-to-box midfielder, a number eight. For his country he tends to sit and protect the defence, a number six.
There has been a few eyebrows raised therefore at what has transpired, with Munetsi exclusively played across Wolves' front three.
So far, it has to be said, the experiment has largely worked. The 28-year-old presses tigerishly, unsettling the opposition rearguard. He cleverly finds space where space is at an absolute minimum. He gets into the right positions at the right times, on two occasions in recent weeks deceiving his marker and receiving the ball with the goal at his mercy.
It's just his finishing that has let him down to date, finding the target once from six attempts.
What we're betting on here is for Munetsi to correct that failing versus Everton.
A goal every four games in France - when stationed much deeper - suggests this is merely a temporary shortfall.
Back Munetsi to have more Shots on Target than Doucoure