Friday 17 April 2020 13:25, UK
Daniel Sturridge came off the bench to clinch England's 2-1 win over Wales at Euro 2016 on Thursday - and a detailed statistical breakdown from Pro Soccer Development shows why the Liverpool striker should keep his place over the out-of-form Raheem Sterling.
Manchester City winger Sterling was criticised for his underwhelming performance in England's 1-1 draw with Russia, and he endured another difficult afternoon against Chris Coleman's side in Lens.
Sterling was withdrawn at half-time after Gareth Bale's free-kick had given Wales a 1-0 lead, and substitute Sturridge had a match-winning impact after the break, providing the cross Jamie Vardy's equalising goal and scoring the last-gasp winner.
As the debate rages about who should start in England's final Group B game against Slovakia on Monday night, PSD compares the numbers behind Sturridge and Sterling's performances against Wales…
Goalscoring
While Sterling's only shot on goal was his glaring miss from Adam Lallana's cross in the seventh minute, Sturridge attempted six in his 45 minutes on the pitch.
Two of Sturridge's efforts were blocked and another three flew wide of the target but he was a constant threat from all goalscoring areas. His determination to break through Wales' defence paid off for the winning goal.
He was heavily involved in the build-up, patiently dribbling and waiting for the opportunity to thread the ball into Vardy before latching onto Dele Alli's flick and coolly finishing past Wales goalkeeper Wayne Hennessey from close range.
Where Sterling had struggled, Sturridge brought the purpose and composure that made the difference.
Attacking play
Sturridge fared better than Sterling in just about every attacking department, according to PSD's data. The Liverpool striker came out on top in seven of his eight attempted one-on-ones while Sterling succeeded with only one out of six, while Sturridge completed 10 dribbles compared to Sterling's four.
Wales defenders found it difficult to take the ball off Sturridge, who attempted to disguise his dribbles far more frequently than Sterling. He also succeeded with six of the eight tricks he attempted while only one out of five came off for Sterling.
Receiving the ball
Sturridge was far more involved than Sterling, with his intelligence allowing him to receive the ball nearly twice as many times as the City winger. Sturridge took up dangerous positions in the channels and between Wales' defensive lines, receiving the ball in attacking areas 30 times compared to Sterling's 17.
Sturridge's ball retention and close control was another major strength. He successfully controlled 23 of the 25 passes he received on the ground, while Sterling managed to control only 10 out of 12.
Passing and distribution
Sturridge was also more efficient at finding his team-mates, completing 18 of 22 passes, giving him a success rate of 82 per cent. Sterling, by contrast, completed only eight passes out of 12, giving him the lowest success rate (67 per cent) of any of England's starters.
Sturridge showed great variety in his passes, playing it short to combine with his team-mates in the attacking third and switching play to the wide areas with accurate long-range passing to Kyle Walker and Danny Rose.
While Sterling's passes were mostly played sideways or backwards, Sturridge attempted play the ball in behind Wales' defence. Only one of his four attempted through-passes found a team-mate, but it showed the directness that helped England turn the game around.
Conclusion
The stats emphasise Sturridge's match-winning impact. The striker provided attacking impetus at a point when England needed someone to step up and save their Euro 2016 campaign. Hodgson will need more of the same in order to go deep into the competition. It seems Sturridge is the man for the job - and Sterling should be the man to make way.
