Newcastle Vs West Ham - Premier League Head-To-Head Analysis

1. ATTACKING-MIDFIELD: Moussa Sissoko (NUFC) Vs Cheikhou Kouyate (WHUFC)

Moussa Sissoko arrived in England from France in January 2013 and, on occasion, the 6ft 2ins 28-cap France international has looked simply unplayable due to his power and pace. Cheikhou Kouyate is remarkably similar in playing style and technique, and the 17-cap 6ft 3ins Senegal international has been extremely impressive during his first Premier League campaign. A direct comparison between the two shows that Sissoko has made 33 Premier League appearances this season (all as a starter), scoring three times and assisting twice. Kouyate meanwhile has made 30 Premier League appearances (29 as a starter, one off the bench), and he has scored four times, assisting twice. Kouyate just about edges those stats then. Delving deeper into the stats and it becomes clear that, although both use their height, strength and pace to attempt to dominate the opposition, they excel at different things.

Sissoko leads the way in terms of dribbles per game (2.5 to 0.7), shots per game (1.3 to 1.1), key passes per games (1.3 to 0.5) and average passes per game (39.2 to 28.4) - suggesting he is better in attack. Kouyate though makes more tackles per game (2.6), is fouled more regularly (1.5 times per game to 1.3), has received fewer yellow cards (five to six), has been dismissed fewer times (zero compared to twice), and genuinely fares better in the defensive department. Both are big, powerful midfielders who love to get forward and try to contribute goals, but Sissoko is more active in attack (if less prolific), while Kouyate offers more defensively.

Verdict: This one is far more difficult than the previous two - and it would be a coinflip. Sissoko at his best - a level he has scarcely reached this season - is probably the better player although Kouyate offers more of an all-round game. Right now you'd probably plump for Kouyate just because Sissoko is so horribly out of form, but both are extremely similar - and neither has yet to reach their full potential. CLICK HERE to see 10 key match facts ahead of Newcastle United vs West Ham United.For all the latest NUFC News, Views and Transfers make sure to follow WhatCultureNUFC on Twitter and Facebook.