The chalkboard that stands out for me is the performance of Joe Allen, with Leon rested Joe was technically the defensive midfielder in that he was the main link with the defence but also made more passes in the attacking third than Mark Gower who didn't make a single open play pass in the attacking third. That's not a criticism of Gower but shows the effort put in by Allen.
In essence this means Gower sits in the middle with Joe acting as the link man with both the defence and attack. In total, Joe made 98 passes, the next highest figure from anyone on either team was Ash with 72.
![]() |
Here There and Everywhere, an excellent passing performance from Joe Allen |