Canaries star makes it into Championship Team of Midweek
Emi Buendia in action for Norwich at the Brentford Community Stadium Picture: Paul Chesterton/Focus Images - Credit: Paul Chesterton/Focus Images Ltd
Emi Buendia is gradually finding form for Norwich City – and his progress has been recognised with a place in the Championship Team of Midweek following Tuesday’s 1-1 draw at Brentford.
The official divisional selection is informed by statistics from WhoScored.com, with the creative midfielder following on from midfielder Lukas Rupp being the first City player of the season to make it into one of the divisional teams, following the 1-0 home win over Birmingham last week.
Grant Hanley was also included after the weekend’s games, after a 2-1 win over Wycombe.
Buendia was rated at 8.0 out of 10 for his performance against the fellow promotion hopefuls by the statistics website, with Kenny McLean the next highest rated Canaries player on 7.4 after coming off the bench in the 68th minute and scoring a late equaliser, with the help of a big deflection.
Bees goal-scorer Ivan Toney, who also forced Tim Krul into an excellent save with one header and set up Henrik Dalsgaard for another chance which Krul did well to deny, was also rated at 8.0 but hasn’t made it into the Team of Midweek.
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Buendia should have opened the scoring in the 13th minute after some wonderful skill but somehow fired over from close range. The Argentine did grab his second assist of the season though as he teed up McLean for the leveller.
He was credited with six key passes, four more than anyone else on the pitch, as well as the most successful dribbles (three) and the joint most successful tackles (four), alongside home midfielder Mathias Jensen.
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The 23-year-old has now moved comfortably out in front for the key passes metric across the division, averaging 3.4 per game, ahead of Millwall winger Jed Wallace as his nearest competitor on 2.5 - having made 17 in his five appearances so far this season.
Key passes, essentially an indicator of chances created, have become a recognised specialism for Buendia as only three players averaged more than him in the Premier League last season, when he managed seven assists in 36 games despite Norwich finishing bottom.
Only Manchester City and Belgium superstar Kevin De Bruyne (3.9) and England internationals James Maddison and Jack Grealish (both 2.5) averaged more than him across last season.
Championship Team of Midweek (game week eight): Ben Foster (Watford); Michael Ihiekwe (Rotherham); Dael Fry (Boro), Joe Jacobson (Wycombe); Jed Wallace (Millwall), Jamie Lindsay (Rotherham), Emi Buendia (Norwich), Jay Fulton (Swansea); Adam Armstrong (Blackburn), Lucas Joao (Reading), Conor Chaplin (Barnsley)
