Top of La Liga for the first time in their history and Villarreal are riding a wave of momentum.
They may be the early pace setters but the team from the Castellon province of Valencia are still a relatively unknown quantity for fans around the world.
Throughout time, when trying to describe a player and his style, fans have always compared them to other, better known players. These comparisons tend to take a personal influence more often than not as there really is no way of quantifying professional footballers.
The evolution of football video games in the mould of FIFA and Football Manager has changed all that. These games have scouts of their own to scour the world and prepare the most up-to-date stats on players. With that in mind, it has become possible to compare players of a similar ilk as the game provides stats for all to see.
In keeping with the tradition of comparing players to those that may be better known, it is time to see what the Villarreal starting XI would look like as an English Premier League team thanks to FIFA 16 and Ultimate Team (FUT).
Players chosen for this Villarreal starting XI reflect the team that Marcelino has sent out to play more often than not with two main exceptions. The inclusion of Jonathon Dos Santos over Nahuel has been made because FIFA has him listed as a CAM as opposed to an RM and the same can be said of Leo Baptistao ahead of Cedric Bakambu who is listed as a LM in FUT. Any FUT player will know playing players out of position can reduce a team’s chemistry and while this team with two out of position would still have 100 chemistry, this FUT player is a stickler for positioning.
The main way to compare players on FUT is to begin with their overall score and work from there. All the players in the “Premier League-Villarreal” squad feature the same overalls as their Spanish counterparts and then it was a matter of choosing similar stats.
READ MORE: How do Villarreal stack up with Europe’s table-toppers?
Goalkeeper: Vito Mannone
The Sunderland custodian is one of two silver-rated players in this team but lines up thanks to Alphonse Areola’s stats that will only improve with age.
The pair share the same kicking and positioning stats while the former Arsenal man holds a higher rating in reflexes, handling and speed. The young Frenchman does take the spoils 77-75 when it comes to diving.
Left-Back: Jose Enrique
The Spaniard, whose Premier League career is on the rocks, has landed a spot in the Premier League-Villarreal XI thanks to his 77 rating.
When comparing relevant stats, Enrique could have a case for being rated higher than Villarreal’s own Spanish left-back Jaume Costa. Enrique holds the edge in all but one category, and in that one, defence, they are equal. It is the closeness of those stats that puts him in this team though, as the pace and the shooting stats of Luke Shaw, Danny Rose and Jose Holebas ruled them out.
Centre-Backs: Phil Jagielka and Craig Cathcart
Jagielka would make a big case to be captain of this team. He, like Victor Ruiz, is one of the few that could make legitimate claims to be in any other big team in his league and his stats reflect that.
He shares the same pace with Ruiz and just outmuscles the Spaniard in defending and physicality. Ruiz has the Evertonian’s number when it comes to passing and dribbling.
It gets harder to compare silver-ranked players when it comes to FIFA 16 and without disrespect to Craig Cathcart, he is not a household name.
Outside of the shooting stat, there is a mere three points that separates the stats of Cathcart and Eric Bailly, with the Northern Irishman in physical while the Ivorian is a better dribbler.
Right-Back: Bacary Sagna
The most likely Premier League counterpart for Villarreal’s newest full Spanish international is Manchester City’s Bacary Sagna.
There is only one reason for this and that is overall ratings. Mario and Sagna have varying stats but share the same overall of 79. The only other EPL right-back that possesses a 79 rating is Kyle Walker and his incredible pace takes him out of the running.
Left-Midfield: Ibrahim Afellay
A man all too familiar with Villarreal, former Barcelona youth team graduate Afellay makes the EPL-Villarreal side.
Possessing the same passing stat as Samu Castillejo and very similar pace and dribbling stats makes the Dutchman the obvious EPL choice.
Centre-Midfield: Mikel Arteta and Youssouf Mulumbu
Much like the Villarreal centre-pairing of Bruno and Pina, this pairing lacks pace but makes up for it with defence and physicality.
Arteta’s dribbling and defence stats are what makes him the obvious EPL version of Bruno. Of worry to using either player in FIFA is their low pace stat which could be exploited.
Mulumbu and Pina are both highly physical players as is obvious by their stats. Their similar shooting stats are the other obvious comparison but on closer inspection there is very little to separate the players.
Right-Midfield: Adam Johnson
Sunderland’s right-winger Johnson makes the team and while his club side may not possess the same amount of flair as the Yellow Submarine, his stats make him equal to Dos Santos.
Neither man is particularly quick as far as FIFA is concerned but their high dribbling and passing stats make them useful to have on a wing.
Strikers: Emmanuel Adebayor and Jermain Defoe
While real world Villarreal may only have one elder statesman leading the line, FIFA’s EPL-Villarreal have two. Adebayor is still listed as a Tottenham player for the purposes of the game despite the cancellation of his real world contract.
Adebayor and Soldado share strikingly similar stats. No more than four points separate five of their stats although the Togolese international’s penchant for not defending is reflected in his card.
There is also little to split between Defoe and Baptistao, who have the same pace and very similar defence. The Englishman does have the Brazilian for shooting while it is the opposite for passing.
The EPL-Villarreal team, much like the real world version, is one that would be written off at the start of the season. While it may be a fictional team, there is nothing to say that this team could not go on the same fairytale journey as Marcelino’s Yellow Submarine.
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