Sunday 17 December 2017 13:57, UK
Jermain Defoe's stunner at Crystal Palace last weekend was a timely reminder of his class. But it has been a slow start back at Bournemouth. Ben McAleer from WhoScored.com checks the stats to see what's going on...
In the run up to the festive period, Jermain Defoe delivered a Christmas cracker. His looping volley in Bournemouth's 2-2 draw with Crystal Palace last weekend was a goal-of-the-season contender.
But his double at Selhurst Park only took his Premier League tally to three goals in total this season. Goalless again as a 71st-minute substitute at Manchester United in midweek, Defoe has hardly been prolific in his 14 appearances back at Bournemouth.
His return over the summer was a welcome one for the south coast club, and badly needed, as Callum Wilson started the season sidelined with injury. With Defoe hungry to make the 2018 World Cup and coming off a campaign in which he had scored 15 times for relegated Sunderland, he was expected to provide Eddie Howe's side with a glut of goals.
That's not to say Bournemouth struggled for league goals last season - they scored more than Manchester United. They were also efficient in front of goal, finishing the campaign with the sixth-best conversion rate in the Premier League (11.7 per cent).
But the opportunity to strengthen their offensive options with an experienced campaigner like Defoe was too good to turn down for manager Eddie Howe, even though the length of the three-year deal for the 34-year-old raised eyebrows.
So why has it been a slow start for Defoe? The Cherries haven't exactly been underwhelming when it comes to chance creation. They average 7.6 key passes per game this season, which is a mid-table return, yet Defoe is mustering just 2.3 shots per 90, one of his lowest returns in a Premier League campaign.
The other concern is that when Defoe is not hitting the net - and his 16.7 per cent conversion rate is lower than Wilson's 23.1 - his all-round contributions are limited.
Bournemouth average around 49 per cent possession but the stats show Defoe has required 4.2 minutes per touch of the ball this season. That is the highest of Bournemouth players and, importantly, significantly longer than fellow forwards Wilson (2.7) and Benik Afobe (2.4). Isolation is a problem.
That being said, Defoe is one of the most instinctive finishers in the Premier League, as his brace against Crystal Palace suggests. Of the 58 players to score three or more top-flight goals this season, a goal every 56.3 touches is the ninth-best return.
Bournemouth have also failed to score in eight of 17 league matches this season, but only three of those have come in Defoe's eight starts. There is evidently a role for him to play in the team, but Howe must find the balance between Defoe's threat and the all-round work of his other attackers.
This was particularly evident in Bournemouth's 1-0 defeat to United on Wednesday. While Howe's side did not get the result they wanted, Wilson was a menace to the United defence all evening before being replaced with less than 20 minutes remaining. Defoe could have been disappointed not to start at Old Trafford after his brace last weekend and will push for a recall in Sunday's late kick-off against Liverpool, live on Sky.
But Defoe's record against the Reds is underwhelming, netting just five times in 23 Premier League outings, though four of those have come in home matches against the Merseyside outfit. Given Liverpool's defensive shortcomings this season, Defoe would fancy his chances of adding to that return, but if the Reds are given the chance to play the ball out from defence, then they can apply ample pressure to a Bournemouth backline that has kept just four clean sheets this season.
How to get the most out of the big-name striker while not detracting from the team's style and defensive demands? It's a puzzle Howe must solve.
