Plymouth are on a roll in League One under Steven Schumacher and Argyle made it six wins from seven games when they toppled Shrewsbury on Saturday. The league leaders can extend their advantage over second-placed Ipswich to four points with a victory over Exeter at Home Park this evening where the hosts have been priced as favourites to extend their 100% winning home record at the Grecians’ expense.
Tonight’s Devon Derby should be a great game with an amazing atmosphere.
You can find our stats pack for this evening’s game below, complete with info on cards, corners, xG, shots, shots on target and more for Plymouth’s clash with Exeter. Hopefully, you’ll find our research of use when constructing your bet builders later today.
Our stats pack alongside the Stats Pack Guide should give you a better chance of beating the bookies in the bet builder markets today.
Predicted Lineups
Plymouth have close to a fully fit squad to choose from this evening with Finn Azaz listed as their only slight worry at present. Niall Ennis came off the bench to equalize for Argyle against Shrewsbury at the weekend and the attacking midfielder’s impact may earn him a start today.
Kyle Taylor and Sam Stubbs are in the treatment room for Exeter, while Jamal Blackman came off with a head injury at the weekend and is a doubt today.
Exeter should match up well against Plymouth this evening from a tactical perspective with the teams likely to be deployed in a similar shape.
Team Stats
Table-topping Plymouth are unbeaten in 12 assignments in League One, though they only rank fourth and 12th-best for shots for (14.60) and shots against (12.50) per 90 in the division this term.
Argyle’s 1.88 cards accumulated per 90 minutes is a relatively modest amount compared to other teams in League One, though they have picked up the joint-most red cards so far (three).
Exeter have conceded four goals more than Plymouth this term, though the teams’ xG against figures per 90 for the campaign are almost identical (1.39 to 1.40).
Despite sitting all the way down in 10th position, The Grecians have been conceding fewer shots per 90 (12.10) than Argyle and they’ve also been winning more corners than the league leaders (6.38 to 5.25 p/90).
Player Goals and Assists
Plymouth have been spreading the goals around this season with five different players chipping in with five or more each so far, while eight separate players have provided at least two assists.
Morgan Whittaker notched his sixth goal of the campaign against Shrewsbury on Saturday, while Niall Ennis also made it six for the season with his winner off the bench against the Shrews.
Jevani Brown and Sam Nombe have been Exeter’s go-to duo for goals and assists this season and between them they have clocked 26 goal contributions since the summer.
28-year-old Brown has already set a new career-best total for a single season with his eight goals, while Nombe only needs to bag two more to match his entire haul from the 2021/22 campaign.
Plymouth Cards
Wing-back Bali Mumba has been hitting opponents hard this season and he has collected four bookings so far as a consequence, while a little further back in central defence, Nigel Lonwijk (1.33 fouls per 90) could be one to focus on. The Dutchman has already been cautioned twice this term.
Further forward, Niall Ennis (1.92 fouls per 90) has an aggressive streak out of possession that could draw the attention of referee Charles Breakspear this evening.
Jake Caprice could see his modest average fouled per game stats rise later when he shares the same spaces as card-happy Mumba, while defender Joshua Key (fouled 0.85 times per 90) might have to absorb a lunge or two from Niall Ennis.
We also like the look of Nigel Lonwijk’s duel with Jay Stansfield. The Exeter forward is canny enough to draw some mistimed challenges from Lonwijk, who is prone to making overenthusiastic tackles on occasion.
Match-Ups to watch
Bali Mumba vs Jake Caprice
Nigel Lonwijk vs Jay Stansfield
Niall Ennis vs Joshua Key
Exeter Cards
With Exeter likely to have a hefty defensive workload against the league leaders at Home Park this evening, it makes sense to hone in on the more defence-minded players in their ranks to find prime card candidates.
Centre-halves Pierce Sweeney (five cards) and Joshua Key (two cards) are worth pricing to pick up cautions, while Archie Collins (two cards) and Timothee Dieng (1.62 fouls p/90) in midfield are combative enough to warrant your attention too.
As Plymouth’s most potent threat, Morgan Whittaker (fouled 1.81 times p/90) should have to parry plenty of challenges from Pierce Sweeney this evening, while Niall Ennis (fouled 1.41 times per 90) might have trouble fending off the advances of Dieng in deeper areas.
Jordan Houghton (fouled 1.55 times p/90) is a key component in midfield for Argyle, so expect Archie Collins to get touch close to the 26-year-old.
Match-Ups to watch
Pierce Sweeney vs Morgan Whittaker
Archie Collins vs Jordan Houghton
Timothee Dieng vs Niall Ennis
