Statistics
STATS: Liverpool’s Shelvey their hardest worker and Manchester United’s Carrick plays more than anyone
Liverpool v Man Utd 13:30 – A second half equaliser from Luis Suarez granted Liverpool a point away to Sunderland, in a week full of emotion for their fans following the revelations surrounding the Hillsborough disaster earlier in the week. Raheem Sterling continued to impress as he provided the greatest threat for the Reds, with […]
Liverpool v Manchester United – The Premier League Years
Although their fortunes have differed somewhat during the Premier League era, clashes between these two great clubs have remained key fixtures on the sporting calendar. In order to set the scene ahead of their latest meeting on Sunday, here is a look back at some important numbers from their previous 20 top-flight meetings at Anfield: […]
STATS: West Brom’s Mulumbu is the fastest and Reading’s McLeary’s top work ethic
West Brom v Reading 15:00 – West Brom’s fine start to the season was ended in more ways than one against Fulham, as they failed to find the net and had Peter Odemwingie sent off after a reckless challenge. There were some bright spots for the Baggies though, as Romelu Lukaku again acquitted himself well […]
STATS: Swansea’s Rangel has best work ethic and Everton’s Osman is the fastest
Swansea v Everton 12:45 – Swansea fell to their first defeat in the Premier League this season, losing 2-0 to Aston Villa. Although Nathan Dyer and Angel Rangel both looked dangerous for the visitors, the Swans were unable to muster a consistent enough threat on goal to prevent Villa leaving with all 3 points. – […]
STATS: West Ham’s Reid is the fastest in the league and Sunderland’s O’Shea’s interceptions
West Ham v Sunderland 15:00 – West Ham fought to a 0-0 draw against Norwich despite managing to create a number of chances on John Ruddy’s goal. Although Carlton Cole, Kevin Nolan and others managed to carve out opportunities, the Hammers are still searching for their first points away from home this season. – Midfielder […]
STATS: Southampton’s Cyne’s effective tackling and Aston Villa’s Bannan’s workrate
Southampton v Aston Villa 15:00 – Southampton were brushed aside by a free-flowing Arsenal as they fell to a heavy 6-1 defeat. Although two own goals from Jos Hooveld and Nathaniel Clyne certainly didn’t help the scoreline’s appearance, the Saints will have had few complaints after being outplayed in a clinical display from the Gunners. […]
STATS: Chelsea’s Lampard runs the most and Stoke’s Crouch hits the target
Chelsea v Stoke 15:00 – Chelsea’s perfect start to the season was disrupted by a dogged QPR as both sides failed to find the net in a fiery encounter. The match was largely overshadowed by the continuing controversy surrounding Anton Ferdinand and John Terry, as Chelsea continued their disappointing run of results at Loftus Road. […]
STATS: Pienaar is Everton’s greatest threat and Newcastle’s Ben Arfa dribbling skills
Everton v Newcastle, Monday 20:00 – Everton’s 100% start to the season ended last time around against West Brom, falling to a 2-0 defeat at the Hawthorns. – While many have been hailing his eye for goal at the start of the season, Marouane Fellaini’s defensive work has been less impressive. He’s lost out in […]
STATS: Reading run more than top four and Tottenham Hotspur’s Livermore stealing the show
Reading v Tottenham, Sunday 16:00 – Young Spurs midfielder Jake Livermore has been a bright point in an otherwise difficult start to the season for Spurs. Livermore, who earned his first senior call up for England this week, has covered more ground so far this season than any other Spurs player with 19.47 miles. That’s […]
STATS: Sunderland’s McClean the hardest worker and Gerrard is still Liverpool’s best passer
Sunderland v Liverpool, Saturday 17:30 – Liverpool fell victim to a resurgent Arsenal 0-2 at home last time out. There was reason for hope though despite the extension of Brendan Roger’s disappointing start at Anfield, with the emergence of 17 year Raheem Sterling as a real talent for the future. – Joe Allen has so […]
STATS: Stoke’s Manchester City’s Toure sees more of the ball than anyone and Crouch hits the target
Stoke v Man City, Saturday 15:00 – Stoke’s persistence once again paid dividends as a second half goal from Peter Crouch saw them rescue a point against Wigan. They could have had all three had Charlie Adam’s late effort not been brilliantly saved by Ali Al Habsi. – Jonathan Walters has summed up Tony Pulis’ […]
STATS: QPR’s Park covers most ground and Bertrand is Chelsea’s hardest worker
QPR v Chelsea, Saturday 15:00 – Chelsea continued their imposing start to the domestic season the weekend before with a 2-0 victory over Newcastle at Stamford Bridge. – While some may have expressed doubts about how Eden Hazard might adapt to the physical demands of the Premier League, he is already showcasing why so many […]
STATS: Manchester United’s Valencia has the most crosses and Boyce second fastest in the league
Man United v Wigan, Saturday 15:00 – A superb hat-trick from new Manchester United talisman Robin van Persie was enough to prise three points away from Southampton. Prolific though he may have been at the start of this season, Robin van Persie has the potential to be even more lethal in front of goal. According […]
Here we go again… La Liga or Premier League?
Here we go again. Inevitably, Chelsea’s defeat to AtlĂ©tico Madrid in the European Super Cup at the end of last month saw the above inquisition come to the forefront of people’s minds once more. So, I’ve decided that I may as well give tackling it a go myself. It’s rare that I consult the family […]
STATS: Arsenal’s Gibbs consistent and Southampton’s Schneiderlin covering most ground
Arsenal v Southampton, Saturday 15:00 – Arsenal got their season up and running with a 2-0 victory away to Liverpool, with both goals coming from new summer additions Lukas Podolski and Santi Cazorla. Santi Cazorla has been at the heart of everything good about Arsenal in their opening matches. He’s completed an impressive 133 passes […]
STATS: West Ham’s Noble does the most running and Norwich’s Jackson runs the fastest
Norwich v West Ham, Saturday 12:45pm – Last weekend Norwich fought to the final whistle with a dramatic late goal from Robert Snodgrass denying 10-man Tottenham their first league win of the season. Norwich were outworked by a motivated West Ham, only managing to run for 54.16 miles against the Hammers, their lowest total of […]
The importance of scoring first
Managers and pundits alike can often be found talking up the importance of scoring the first goal, but just how vital is it to establish a 1-0 lead? In order to find out, I will take a look at both the completed 2011/12 campaign and the embryonic 2012/13 season in the top two divisions of […]
STATS: Manchester United’s pass master and Rio’s clearances
Passes 1. Michael Carrick 115/126 – 91.3% 2. Morgan Schneiderlin 57/64 – 89.1% 3. Steven Davis 56/60 – 93.3% 4. Nemanja Vidic 51/58 – 87.9% 5. Tom Cleverley 50/53 – 94.3% Manchester United 518/587 – 88.2% Southampton 402/487 – 82.5% Attacking third passes 1. Michael Carrick 25/29 – 86.2% 2. Antonio Valencia 18/23 – 78.3% […]