DEFOE'S JERMAIN MAN
With the influential Paolo Di Canio certain of starting berth against Arsenal, Opta focused their attentions on the battle between Freddie Kanoute and youngster Jermain Defoe to see who would prove the most effective candidate to partner the Italian, based on this season's form.
The more experienced Frenchman notched five goals in eight starts prior to suffering a hamstring problem and has tested opposing 'keeper with a further dozen efforts at goal. During Kanoute's five-game absence Paul Kitson and Defoe were the only two Hammers to find the back of the net, sharing a six-goal haul between them.
Following a successful loan spell at Bournemouth last season - where scored in 10 consecutive matches - the 19-year-old predator has been thrust into the limelight at Upton Park and duly bagged four goals in 13 appearances for the East End club, although he has played just three Premiership games in their entirety.
Defoe has been successful with a quarter of his efforts - seven percentage points better than Kanoute, who is the first to admit that the England under-21 international offers a variation from his own individual style.
"He is a goalscorer; sometimes he doesn't get many chances, but when he does, he scores. Maybe my game is a bit different; I get the ball more and I can do other stuff." Indeed, Defoe has hit the target with an impressive 56% of his shots this season - fully 16 percentage points better than his fellow frontrunner and an equal rate to that of goal machine Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink.
Neither hitman has turned provider for the London outfit this term and it is Defoe who has used the most of his possession by picking out a claret-and-blue shirt with a superior 72% of his distribution. Kanoute's pass completion rate is currently below the Premiership average, yet his strength lies in running at defenders.
The former Lyon forward embarked on more dribbles than any other top-flight player last season and has already completed more than half-a-century of penetrative runs this term - twice as many than Defoe.
While the duo are renowned for their blistering pace, Defoe is proving to be the more clinical finisher at the present time with his winner at Old Trafford making it three strikes in five games. Given match practice Kanoute should return to his former ways, but with Di Canio firing blanks of late, Defoe looks the most likely scorer and has certainly shown enough to warrant a starting place against the Gunners.
