Pennant fulfilling potential

Opta take a look at Jermaine Pennant's impressive contribution this season.

With Birmingham City currently languishing in the Premiership danger zone, Blues fans will no doubt be bracing themselves for a nerve-wracking final act of the season. However, under-pressure boss Steve Bruce will take confidence from the performances of his revitalised wingman Jermaine Pennant.

The Nottingham-born youngster has struggled to fulfil his undoubted potential since bursting onto the scene as a supremely gifted teenager at Notts County. A subsequent high-profile move to Arsenal turned into a nightmare for the winger, with off-field discipline problems eventually leading to his departure from Highbury.

Despite initially blotting his copybook once again at Birmingham City, the gifted attacker now looks to have finally settled down at St. Andrews and is starting to produce the form and consistency deserving of his talent.

Although the England Under-21 international has yet to make the step-up to the senior national side, he compares very favourably to the current crop of players vying for a place on the right side of England's midfield.

Only Chelsea's Joe Cole, who usually features on the left for the national team, has scored more league goals than Pennant this season, while the Birmingham star's tally of five league goal assists can only be bettered by current England captain David Beckham.

Player	Pennant	Beckham	Wright-Phillips	Cole
Team	Birmingham City	Real Madrid	Chelsea	Chelsea
Appearances	25	20	19	22
Minutes On Pitch	2,079	1,682	705	1,533
Goal Attempts
Goals	2	1	0	5
Total Shots	21	22	10	34
Passing
Goal Assists	5	6	2	3
Crossing
Total Crosses	347	219	37	62
Cross Completion %	26%	22%	24%	19%