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% |
| Dribbling | | | | |
| Dribbles & Runs | 221 | 12 | 89 | 125 |
| Dribble Completion % | 66% | 75% | 44% | 72% |
| Defending | | | | |
| Tackles Made | 61 | 38 | 23 | 52 |
| Tackles Won % | 69% | 89% | 65% | 77% |
Pennant's great strengths are his dribbling and crossing and in both of these categories he performs well, out-crossing Beckham and out-dribbling Cole and Wright-Phillips quite considerably. His willingness to work for his team-mates is also borne out by his total of 61 tackles made.
Compared to former club Arsenal's current wide midfielders, Pennant also impresses, providing more goal assists this season in The Premiership than both Freddie Ljungberg and Robert Pires added together. While, once again, his crossing, dribbling and tackling stats are also far superior to those of the Arsenal widemen.
| Player | Pennant | Ljungberg | Pires | Reyes | Hleb |
| Team | Birmingham | Arsenal | Arsenal | Arsenal | Arsenal |
| Appearances | 25 | 19 | 23 | 18 | 16 |
| Minutes On Pitch | 2,079 | 1,417 | 1,508 | 1,297 | 907 |
| Goal Attempts | | | | | |
| Goals | 2 | 0 | 4 | 3 | 1 |
| Total Shots | 21 | 18 | 24 | 40 | 4 |
| Passing | | | | | |
| Goal Assists | 5 | 1 | 2 | 9 | 0 |
| Crossing | | | | | |
| Total Crosses | 347 | 41 | 43 | 58 | 7 |
| Cross Completion % | 26% | 27% | 14% | 33% | 14% |
| Dribbling | | | | | |
| Dribbles & Runs | 221 | 106 | 113 | 162 | 97 |
| Dribble Completion % | 66% | 66% | 59% | 45% | 63% |
| Defending | | | | | |
| Tackles Made | 61 | 43 | 32 | 41 | 31 |
| Tackles Won % | 69% | 70% | 72% | 76% | 71% |
While Arsene Wenger will be looking to new signing Theo Walcott to provide The Gunners with some English flair in the coming seasons, Birmingham boss Bruce will be delighted that his very own young English star is finally flourishing at the highest level.
Bruce will now be hoping that Pennant can inspire his team to escape the relegation quagmire and secure another season in the top flight.
