EA SPORTS reveal combined Manchester XI based on PPI

Manchester City host Manchester United this weekend

EA SPORTS have revealed a combined Manchester XI based on the statistics from the Player Performance Index. City are the defending league champions, and considering United’s massive slump last season, some people do believe that there has been a shift in power towards the blue side of the city.

There are totally six key indices on the basis of which the ratings are calculated. They are Winning performance, Player’s performance per match, Appearances, Goals scored, Assists and clean sheets. The team is dominated by the defending champions, but there are a few surprises too.

Joe Hart (GK)

Rafael (RB)

Vincent Kompany (CB)

Martin Demichelis (CB)

Gael Clichy (LB)

Angel Di Maria (LM)

David Silva (CAM)

Yaya Toure (CDM)

James Milner (RM)

Sergio Aguero (ST)

Robin van Persie (ST)

As you can see from the eleven, only Robin Van Persie, Angel Di Maria and Rafael represent the red side of Manchester. The six key indices are explained in detail below:

1. Winning Performance

Players receive points for time on the pitch in a successful team. Players will receive more points if they play the full 90 minutes in a winning team. This index shares league points won by a team between the players according to the minutes they are on the pitch. Only time on the pitch and points scored are taken into account in this first index.

2. Player's Performance per match

Players receive points for positive influences on a winning performance (shots on target, tackles, clearances, saves etc). Players have points taken away from their score for negative actions such as shots off target and receiving yellow and/or red cards.

3. Appearances

Players receive points for minutes on the pitch. The number of points won by ALL teams in the Barclays Premier League are divided among the players according to the number of minutes they have played. This does not take into account the result of a match, it awards points purely for playing time.

4. Goals scored

Players are awarded points for scoring goals. These points are only given to the goalscorer.

5. Assists

Players are awarded points for assists. These points are only awarded to players that make the assist.

Assists are awarded to the player from the goal scoring team who makes the last touch before the goal is scored.

If after this touch, an opposing player touches the ball outside the penalty area altering the intended destination of the ball, then no assist is given, except if this intervention directly results in an own goal.

In the event of a penalty or free-kick, the player earning the penalty or free-kick gets an assist if a goal is directly scored, but not if he takes it himself, in which case no assist is given.

6. Clean sheets

Allocates points for clean sheets to the whole team. The proportionate split of the points is weighted according to the player's position. Therefore a goalkeeper will be awarded a greater proportion of the points for keeping a clean sheet than a striker. The points are also awarded proportionately to the time spent on the pitch.