NUFC vs West Brom: Premier League Head-To-Head Analysis

2. Midfielders - Ryan Taylor (NUFC) Vs Chris Brunt (WBA)

Every single person involved with Newcastle United Football Club was delighted to see Ryan Taylor return from his two-and-a-half-year injury nightmare against Manchester City in February - but unfortunately the midfielder has failed to hit his stride since his comeback. West Brom midfielder Chris Brunt, however, has been in brilliant form for Tony Pulis' men. Taylor has made 12 appearances since his return (nine starts, three as a substitute), while Chris Brunt has played in 31 games this season (30 starts, one as a substitute) - and they are not the only stats that are telling.

While Taylor have failed to provide even a single goal or assist, Brunt has scored once and he has provided nine assists for his teammates. Astonishingly, eight of those assists have come from set-pieces - and that is the highest in the entire Premier League. There is a theory on Tyneside that Taylor - who scored a wonderful free-kick that proved to be the winner in a Tyne-Wear derby a few years ago - is a set-piece specialist, but the statistics tell a rather-different story. Brunt on the other hand loves to whip balls into the box - and he proved it by providing the cross for Jonas Olsson's goal last week. Not only is Brunt more-effective in an attacking sense - he has also provided 1.5 key-passes-per-game compared to Taylor's 0.8 - he also gives his team more in some defensive areas. Taylor has been used to screen the Newcastle defence, yet he makes just 1.7 tackles-per-game on average, while Brunt makes 2.2.

Verdict: Unfortunately for Taylor, the stats speak for themselves on this one. Not only does Brunt provide his side with plenty of assists from set-pieces, he also makes more tackles and more key-passes-per-game than Taylor. The Northern Irishman doesn't even shade this one - he runs away with it. And, with set-pieces set to be crucial this weekend, that is of serious concern for Newcastle.