Tom Ince was once one of England’s next big things, although, at 25, there’s still time for him to fulfill his potential.
His road to the Premier League has certainly been quite different than that of 22-year-old Raheem Sterling, who has only ever played for two of England’s most prominent clubs in Liverpool and Manchester City.
The duo’s presence in opposing starting XIs made City’s trip to Huddersfield Town on Sunday an intriguing clash between two England youngsters. Ince had his hand in nearly securing a shock result for the Terriers, but ultimately Sterling made sure City emerged with the win.
Here’s an in-depth look at how Ince and Sterling performed.
BASIC STATS
Ince
Goals – 0
Assists – 0
Shots – 0
Shots on target – 0
Touches – 19
Pass Accuracy – 40%
Key Passes – 1
Dribbles – 1
Tom Ince and Christopher Schindler celebrate their opener
Sterling
Goals – 1
Assists – 0
Shots – 2
Shots on target – 1
Touches – 57
Pass Accuracy – 83%
Key Passes – 1
Dribbles – 2
Sterling has the last laugh with a crucial winner
EFFECTIVENESS
Ince
Ince’s industry was crucial to Huddersfield’s gameplan. With the pace, control, and dribbling ability to hold the ball up and get behind a team’s defence, his role in a game like this was simply to run his socks off, provide his team some respite, and try to create a chance if possible.
He did all three, albeit he would think he could have done better on the last front, missing a couple of opportunities to create a chance for teammates. It was his corner that led to Huddersfield’s goal.
Sterling
The contrast between the two teams couldn’t have been typified better than the contrast between Ince and Sterling.
While the Huddersfield winger was given a fairly one-dimensional brief, Sterling has the freedom to roam and the increasing intelligence to make telling runs.
It was the latter skill that was most valuable to City on Sunday, as he was involved in both of City’s goals, earning the penalty for the equaliser and popping up in the right place at the right time to score the winner.
KEY MOMENTS
Ince
17th min, CHANCE: Huddersfield could have taken the earlier lead than they did, thanks to some good play from their young winger. He played Tommy Smith in with a perfect pass behind the defence, only for Smith to blaze his shot over the bar. It was a half-chance for the hosts.
45th min, CHANCE: Ince had the opportunity to set up another good chance after being put through on the right side of the City penalty area. He waited too long, however, to pick the perfect pass, rather than taking a gamble and putting an early ball into the box.
45th min, CHANCE: He won’t quite get the assist, but Ince was instrumental in Huddersfield’s goal. It was his corner kick that Christopher Schindler headed on towards goal, with City’s Nicolas Otamendi getting the final touch before it went into the net to give the hosts a shock lead. Ince’s delivery was perfect, showing his set-piece prowess – he’d delivered a similarly devilish corner just a minute earlier.
Tom Ince is tackled by Fabian Delph
Sterling
38th min, SHOT: Sterling should have given City the lead in the first half, which probably would have meant they would have avoided the drama that ensued in the rest of the game. He had a gilt-edged chance in the box, but a Huddersfield defender’s presence just put him off and made skew his shot wide.
47th min, PENALTY: Just minutes after having a penalty shout turned down, Sterling wouldn’t be denied a second time. His turn and run in an attempt to receive a pass led to Scott Malone tugging his shirt. It was a clear penalty, and Sergio Aguero made no mistake from the spot.
84th min, GOAL: He didn’t know much about it, but even then, Sterling deserves credit for this goal. It was his pass that started the move inside Huddersfield box, he followed the ball to give himself a chance from converting any rebound, and although his contact on the ball after Jonas Lossl saved from Gabriel Jesus was largely inadvertent, it was his attacking instincts and willingness to gamble that let him score.
Raheem Sterling's (22) career goal tallies:
— Scouted Football (@ScoutedFtbl) November 26, 2017
2012/2013: 2 goals in 37 games
2013/2014: 9 goals in 38 games
2014/2015: 11 goals in 52 games
2015/2016: 11 goals in 47 games
2016/2017: 10 goals in 47 games
2017/2018: 12 goals in 18 games
🔥🔥🔥 pic.twitter.com/hwLD5H5kIm
VERDICT
Ince
Ince did what he was supposed to do, and it was undoubtedly a selfless performance. Huddersfield manager David Wagner always lets Ince and his fellow attackers express themselves, but this was a game in which the requirement was to sacrifice yourself for the cause.
It meant Ince couldn’t make the impact he’s capable of, although he was still one of the hosts’ biggest attacking threats in the game.
RATING: 6/10
GOAL Huddersfield 1-0 Man City (45+1 mins)
— Premier League (@premierleague) November 26, 2017
The hosts take the lead! Nicolas Otamendi deflects a Tom Ince corner into his own net#HUDMCI
Sterling
This was another performance that showed how much Sterling has evolved under Pep Guardiola.
While there’s still plenty of room for improvement – he is, after all, still only 22 – he’s already capable of being the standout player in what is a star-studded City team.
The league leaders could have easily slipped up on Sunday, with the way the game was going. It’s down to Sterling that they didn’t.
RATING: 8/10
