This week’s top 10 takes a look at the players that are most struggling to replicate their superb home form on the road, with some big names failing to have a significant impact away from home.
Yannick Cahuzac (Bastia) - 1.20 rating improvement at home
A captain is generally tasked with leading by example and in the case of Yannick Cahuzac, the Bastia midfielder certainly manages to do that at home. In six appearances at the Stade Armand Cesari his WhoScored.com rating is an excellent 7.53, but away from home he has really struggled to make his mark. The 31-year old averages over twice as many tackles (3.2 from 1.3) and interceptions (4.3 from 2.1) per game at home compared to away, with a lowly rating of 6.33 in 7 appearances on the road.
Ross Barkley (Everton) - 1.23 rating improvement at home
It’s fair to say that it’s been a hit and miss campaign for Ross Barkley thus far, and those misses have clearly come away from Goodison Park thus far. The youngster has scored twice at home in six appearances, creating 20 chances and completing 10 dribbles for a rating of 7.42. On the road, however, that rating drops to a pretty pitiful 6.19 from the same number of appearances having created half the number of chances and completed just 1 dribble, 2 tackles and failed to make a single interception.
Edin Dzeko (Roma) - 1.24 rating improvement at home
Unlike those before him here, Dzeko features thanks to a frankly sensational record at home (8.71 rating) rather than any failings on his travels this season. The Roma striker has began the campaign in superb goalscoring form, notching 12 league goals already, with 8 of those coming at the Stadio Olimpico. His tally of four away from home - from more minutes on the road - is considerably worse despite firing off more shots, meaning his conversion rate in Rome is 23.5% compared to a relatively modest 10.5% in seven away appearances.
Raheem Sterling (Manchester City) - 1.25 rating improvement at home
The fact that quick wingers would perhaps be generally considered a greater weapon in away games is clearly negated when it comes to Manchester City, who rarely have the opportunity to play on the counter. Indeed, Sterling has proven far more effective at the Etihad this season, with an outstanding rating of 8.04 in 5 home appearances courtesy of 3 goals and 1 assist. His rating of 6.78 on the road is underwhelming by comparison, like Barkley failing to really commit opponents, with a modest 1.6 dribbles per game down from 5 when afforded home comforts.
Diego Perotti (Roma) - 1.37 rating improvement at home
Another player that features here thanks to a fantastic home record, Perotti has scored three goals and registered 4 assists in five appearances for a rating of 8.46. Superb figures of 3.6 key passes and 3 dribbles per game drop substantially on the road to 1.3 apiece so it’s little wonder his rating in 6 away outings, while respectable, is far more modest at 7.09.
Mitchell Weiser (Hertha Berlin) - 1.41 rating improvement at home
It’s been a great start to the season for Hertha Berlin, who sit third in the Bundesliga and owe much of that fact to a 100% home record. Their star man at the Olympiastadion has been Mitchell Weiser, whose one goal and 4 assists have all come at home. The former Bayern youngster actually has the highest rating of any Bundesliga player at home with a minimum of five appearances, though said rating of 8.14 drops to 6.72 on the road having failed to have a hand in a single goal, while 3.4 key passes per game at home falls to just 0.8 away.
Tiemoue Bakayoko (Monaco) - 1.44 rating improvement at home
Given the fact that Monaco have scored 26 goals in just 7 home games this season, you’d expect an attacking player to be at the top of their ratings from said matches but with a score of 8.19 it’s actually defensive midfielder Bakayoko. The 22-year old has just been named WhoScored.com’s Ligue 1 player of the month for November, playing a vital role in ensuring that the team’s goal getting stars can flourish in the knowledge that their defence is well protected. With Monaco unsurprisingly playing with more abandon at home, Bakayoko gets through double the defensive work compared to away matches, averaging 7.6 tackles and interceptions combined compared to 3.6 on the road.
Martin Braithwaite (Toulouse) - 1.45 rating improvement at home
With Toulouse having won more than twice the number of points per game at home than away this season it’s little wonder their players have stronger ratings at the Stade Municipal, with top scorer Martin Braithwaite perhaps the guiltiest culprit of failing to reach the same standards on the road. The Denmark international has had a direct hand in 7 goals in 5 appearances at home this season (7.92 rating) compared to just two in six away outings (6.47), with his figures for shots, key passes and dribbles all dropping by at least 50% on Toulouse’s travels.
Mohamed Salah (Roma) - 1.54 rating improvement at home
The third and final Roma player in the top 10, highlighting just how much more effective they are at home - with a 100% record from seven matches - compared to away, having won on just 2 of 7 road trips, is Salah. Of an impressive 8-goal haul thus far the Egyptian has struck seven times in the capital, as well as registering 2 assists and 4 key passes per game for a magnificent rating of 8.40. Again, given his side's approach opportunities to utilise Salah’s pace on the break aren’t particularly frequent and the forward has struggled to impact matches as a result with just one goal and four dribbles across seven away appearances (6.86 rating).
Yannick Carrasco (Atletico Madrid) - 1.59 rating improvement at home
Having started all six of Atletico’s home matches compared to just 4 of 7 appearances on the road, Carrasco’s placing atop this list is less surprising but telling nonetheless. The Belgian has had a direct hand in 7 league goals at the Vicente Calderon (5 goals, 2 assists) compared to just one away from home, averaging a shot, key pass or dribble every 8.4 minutes per game in Madrid compared to every 18.5 minutes on the road.
