This weekend sees Jack Wilshere return to the Emirates Stadium as West Ham take on Arsenal in their third Premier League game of the season.
Perhaps a prime example of a player with bags of potential suffering at the hands of persistent injuries is, in fact, Jack Wilshere. The 26-year-old failed to secure a regular place in the Arsenal starting XI due to fitness problems, despite showing bags of talent when fully fit.
Can Wilshere prove to Arsenal they made a mistake in letting him go? How do his statistics compare to others at Arsenal? Let’s take a look.
Player Profile
After 17 years of rising working through the ranks of Arsenal’s youth system, Jack Wilshere finally joined the Hammers as a free agent in pursuit of regular first-team football this summer.
The move was one of many impressive deals secured by West Ham during the recent transfer window, following the likes of Felipe Anderson, Andriy Yarmolenko, Lucas Perez, and more.
Wilshere has played all 90 minutes in each of West Ham’s two games so far this season, and will likely start again against his former club – especially given the injury to Mark Noble.
Comparison
While it may be difficult to compare these four midfielders due to their differing styles of play, the statistics certainly show where Wilshere shines best.
The 26-year-old emerges on top in the average successful take-ons per 90 metrics with 3.36, which isn’t surprising given his direct style of play. The player with the next highest is Aaron Ramsey, who averages a measly 1.32 per 90 metrics.
In terms of the average number of assists per 90 metrics, the statistics again portray Wilshere in a positive light. He comes second with 0.25 per 90 metrics, behind only Aaron Ramsey with 0.39.
Next, with the average key passes per 90 metrics, Wilshere, unfortunately, lands bottom of the pile. But the results are close nevertheless.
Wilshere tallied 0.84 key passes per 90 metrics in the 2017/18 season, while Aaron Ramsey again sits on top with 0.98.
Finally, in terms of the average number of successful tackles per 90 metrics, Wilshere sits in third with 0.59. Meanwhile, Arsenal’s partnership of Ramsey (1.32) and Xhaka (1.52) sit at the top.
Conclusion
It’ll be interesting to see just how well Jack Wilshere copes against his former club. The midfielder clearly wasn’t in Unai Emery’s plans upon his arrival, but he still has the ability to perform at a high level in the Premier League.
Wilshere had all the potential to become a star at Arsenal – perhaps even a future captain. He has shown glimpses of the player Arsenal fans grew to love in the past few seasons. Now, at a new club, it’s time for him to have a fresh start and hopefully revert back to his finest form.
