Pride Park
Saturday 8th September,
2001West Ham
United3Games2 ATTACKING 3Goals
scored11.00Ave goals per game0.5038%Shooting Accuracy44%19%Goals to
shots %6% PASSING 935Passes62072%Pass
completion %75% DEFENDING 78%Tackle
success rate %68%4Goals conceded21.33Ave goals conceded per
game1.00 DISCIPLINE 40Fouls397Yellow
cards18Red cards08227Opta Index Score7606
Derby County v West Ham United
Now that the excitement has died down upon the start of the season, and the 'Ravanelli Spaghetti' has been disposed of, it is time for Derby County to get back to the business of staying in the Premiership for a seventh successive campaign. A win at home to West Ham would certainly be a step on the right track, although with the Hammers more than struggling themselves, they may well provide tough opposition this weekend.
It has not been a bad start to the campaign for the Rams, with one of each result from their first three matches, including a good opening day win over Blackburn. Their newest striking addition has certainly proven to be an inspired signing already - the rest of the team should take lessons from Fabrizio Ravanelli, who has scored with both of his shots on target, and sent just two others wide.
The Hammers have had the start to the season that many predicted - a tough one. Having lost a number of their star players over the past months, they have seemingly failed to replace them as yet, although they were faced with one of the toughest starts to the campaign of any team - away to Liverpool and home to Leeds. Nonetheless, from 16 attempts on goal they would have hoped to have done better than a single goal from the spot so far.
The Londoners have been the more accomplished passing unit in the matches played thus far, with 75% of their attempted passes finding a colleague. This is three percentage points more impressive than Derby's own ratio, and the likes of Joe Cole, Michael Carrick and new signing Don Hutchison will be hoping to play their way to victory this weekend.
However, while the Hammers have the edge with the ball at their feet, the Rams have been far more likely to dispossess their opponents before they have had the chance to find a colleague. An impressive 78% of Derby's opponents this season have lost out when Jim Smith's men have attempted a challenge - a ratio that will reap benefits in the long term if they can combine it effectively with improved distribution.
To their credit, the two sides have been among the cleaner teams in the Premiership during the start of the campaign. Derby have committed one extra foul with 40 in all, but as they have played an extra game to the Hammers they have on average been the more disciplined side. They have however joined the list of clubs to receive an early-season red card - defender Brian O'Neil having lasted just 32 minutes into the defeat by Ipswich at Portman Road.
This is unlikely to be a high-scoring affair on the face of it, unless Ravanelli can conjure something up to delight the home supporters. www.WHUFCBet.co.uk are offering 20/1 on a 1-0 home win, with the silver-haired Italian grabbing his third of the campaign.
Chris Green.
Matchday Referee: Clive Wilkes
Another referee with a busy couple of games under his belt already this season, Gloucester official Wilkes will take charge of a match at Pride Park for the first time since a Worthington Cup tie last November. He has already dismissed two players this term and booked nine others, in a match in each of the top two divisions - straight back into the swing of things then.
Referee's Name FoulsPenaltiesYellow CardsRed CardsAve
Disc pointsC Wilkes4003155.00
PLAYER HEAD-TO-HEAD
click below for in-depth comparisonJohnson v Carrick
TEAM NEWS
To follow....
MATCH BETTING
click on links below to place a wager
Match Result
Derby11/10Draw12/5West Ham15/8 Correct
Score
Derby 1-06/1Derby 2-08/1Derby 2-17/1Derby 3-016/1Derby
3-116/1Derby 3-225/1Derby 4-040/1Derby 4-133/1Derby 4-250/1Derby
5-0100/1Derby 5-1100/1Draw 0-017/2Draw 1-16/1Draw 2-216/1Draw
3-350/1West Ham 1-07/1West Ham 2-012/1West Ham 2-110/1West Ham
3-033/1West Ham 3-125/1West Ham 3-228/1West Ham 4-0100/1West Ham
4-180/1West Ham 4-280/1West Ham 5-0100/1West Ham
5-1100/1 Double Result
Derby/Derby5/2Derby/Draw16/1Derby/West
Ham33/1Draw/Derby4/1Draw/Draw4/1Draw/West Ham11/2West
Ham/Derby28/1West Ham/Draw16/1West Ham/West
Ham4/1 First Goalscorer
M Christie11/2F Ravanelli11/2D Burton6/1L Morris7/1C
Burley14/1S Johnson16/1G Kinkladze16/1S Eranio20/1D
Powell25/1Boertien25/1H Carbonari25/1D Higginbotham33/1B
Bragstad33/1P Murray40/1Y Mawene40/1C Daino40/1C Riggott40/1C
Blatsis50/1No Goalscorer17/2F Kanoute6/1D Hutchison13/2S
Todorov13/2P Di Canio13/2J Defoe7/1J Cole14/1T
Sinclair16/1Carrick16/1S Moncur20/1Mccann25/1H
Foxe25/1Courtois25/1S Schmemel40/1C Dailly50/1R Song50/1N
Winterburn50/1R Soma50/1
For all these bets + much more go now to www.WHUFCBet.co.uk
By Road:
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