Franck Honorat suffered an adductor injury against RC Lens (1-1) at the beginning of February and did not appear again until last weekend, when he scored the winning goal in Strasbourg (0-1). Without their ‘detonator’, as coach Eric Roy calls him, Stade Brestois had suffered three straight defeats after a positive run of five games without defeat (a win and four draws between R18 and R22).
Assist hat-trick against Angers
Although he proved as crucial as ever for his side when he returned for the match in Alsace, Franck Honorat (four goals) has other talents at Stade Brestois besides that of a finisher – a quality that will be invaluable when they host leaders Paris Saint-Germain on Saturday.
The striker excels in the role of assist provider. It’s an ability he’s cultivating, as he has already improved on his total of passes leading to a shot in Ligue 1 Uber Eats last season (62 vs 59).
Franck Honorat is a key figure in the Brittany side’s attacking play. The proof is in his most spectacular performance, at Angers, where the forward was involved in all four goals scored in the 4-0 win, including a hat-trick of assists! A great first for him in Ligue 1 Uber Eats, but also in his career.
Top of the pops
Honorat is involved in all of Brest’s dangerous moves, and until Round 26 topped the Ligue 1 Uber Eats final pass list (62). He shone in this area with a sixth place in his first season at SB29 (64, 2020-21) and since then, Honorat has seen the duo of Benjamin Bourigeaud (Rennes) and Branco Van den Boomen (Toulouse) beat him by a length in this domain.
Since leaving Saint-Etienne for Brittany, Franck Honorat has become a benchmark: his ability to put his teammates in a striking position is a bankable quality. Since August 2020, he has been on the podium of players who have teed up their team-mates for the most shots (185), being beaten over the period only by Benjamin Bourigeaud (SRFC, 244) and Dimitri Payet (OM, 194).
Number of passes leading to a shot this season:
1. Benjamin Bourigeaud (SRFC): 63
-. Branco van den Boomen (TFC): 63
3. Franck Honorat (SB29): 62
4. Rémy Cabella (LOSC): 61
5. Enzo Le Fée (FCL): 53
-. Lionel Messi (PSG): 53
7. Przemyslaw Frankowski (RCL): 49
8. Neymar (PSG): 49
-. Florian Sotoca (RCL): 49
10. Rayan Cherki (OL): 47
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