3/1 To Win
Derby County extended their unbeaten run in the Sky Bet Championship to five games with a 2-0 win against Sheffield Wednesday on Saturday.
Pride Park Stadium is getting used to fast starts, with Matej Vydra opening the scoring early once again, following on from his effort inside the opening minute against Nottingham Forest.
Gary Rowett’s side racked up some impressive numbers against the Owls, so here are five key stats from the weekend win…
400-Up For Number 44
Tom Huddlestone reached an impressive personal milestone at the weekend, as he made the 400th start of his club career.
The landmark comes over 14 years after he made his first appearance in the Derby starting eleven, when he was selected by George Burley for the 3-0 defeat to Stoke City on the opening day of the 2003/04 season.
Huddlestone marked the occasion with a dominant midfield performance, as he completed 112 of his 129 passes, as well as creating two chances for his teammates, including one for the marauding Richard Keogh.
Pinpoint Passing
The Rams recorded back-to-back wins with the three points against Wednesday, and Rowett’s side produced their most efficient passing display of the season.
Playing against 10 men for 86 minutes, Derby took control of the game for large periods and they kept 60% possession, the highest figure in a game since Rowett took charge in March.
As well as that, they completed 87% of their passes, a higher percentage than in any other game this season, with midfielder Joe Ledley failing to complete just three of his 65 passes.
Watertight Defence
Carlos Carvalhal’s side fought hard to get back into the game after being reduced to 10 men early on, but they were restricted to long-range efforts throughout, with Barry Bannan looking the most likely to force an equaliser with a series of speculative strikes from distance.
Despite this, Derby’s defensive display ensured that Wednesday failed to have a shot on target over the 90 minutes, the first time this season that the Rams’ opponents have failed to test Scott Carson.
Vydra On The Spot
Matej Vydra’s fifth minute penalty ensured that he has now scored more league goals this season than he did in the entirety of the last campaign.
The strike was his sixth in just 10 Championship appearances, whilst last season he managed five goals in 32 games.
Vydra has also now scored more penalties that any other Championship player this term, converting all three of his attempts.
Only A Matter Of Time
Tom Lawrence is still waiting to open his goalscoring account for the Rams and he won’t come much closer than he did on Saturday.
Pride Park was already celebrating as the Welshman’s effort rolled towards goal only to come back off the post, but his contribution to Derby’s attacking game is clear.
No player on the pitch created more chances than Lawrence’s three on Saturday, whilst he also completed 95% of his passes before being substituted in the 88th minute.
