It has been far from a stellar week in the world of football, in no small part due to the international break. Rarely welcomed by Premier League fans, even a decent England performance against Germany hasn't quite cured the frustrating boredom international football nearly always brings.
Nonetheless, that hasn't stopped the statistics lovers at Football FanCast conjuring up a few of our trademark infographics, so here's a look at four of the best created this week - stemming back to last weekend's action and featuring stars from Southampton, West Ham, Leeds United and Fulham.
Carroll all-but conquers Leicester City
Andy Carroll may have missed out on a place in Gareth Southgate's latest England squad but he showed the Three Lions manager just what a nuisance he can be last weekend with a battering ram display against Leicester City. Although West Ham ended up on the wrong end of a 3-2 scoreline, Carroll grabbed an assist and won a staggering 19 aerial duels - a massive return - whilst also creating four chances and contributing at the other end with four clearances. Could Southgate come to regret his decision if England struggle against Lithuania?
Ward-Prowse earns England call-up
James Ward-Prowse earned his first call up to the England senior team earlier this week and it was well deserved amid another campaign of solid form - with these statistics justifying Southgate's selection. We're still waiting for the Southampton star to truly unleash his massive potential, but three goals and four assists is not to be sniffed at for a young midfielder who doesn't always make Claude Puel's starting Xi. He's also completed a staggering 541 passes this season, with 28 leading to efforts at goal.
Cooper claims clean sheet vs Brighton
Liam Cooper made his first start for Leeds since February last Saturday, but you wouldn't have noticed any ring-rust in a commanding performance from the centre-back. Indeed, Garry Monk's side claimed an impressive win over fellow promotion chasers Brighton and the 25-year-old was at the heart of the action, winning four aerial duels and recording two interceptions whilst making a staggering 13 clearances. Cooper will struggle to claim a regular starting berth over Kyle Bartley and Pontus Jansson long-term, but his performance against Brighton certainly gave Monk food for thought.
King Cairney
No player in the Championship has created more chances than Tom Cairney this season, which is probably why Scotland boss Gordan Strachan elected to hand him a first cap against Canada earlier this week. In addition that, the midfielder has played a crucial role in Fulham scoring the second-most goals of any Championship side this term, setting up nine and netting nine himself. Whether it's via promotion with Fulham or a move in the summer, the 26-year-old deserves to be in the Premier League next season.
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