English Premier League: Statistics and Figures – Part 1
As the English Premier League season slowly accelerates towards its peak, teams are gathering speed and keeping up with the hustle and bustle of league football. Several clubs have already found the perfect formula which might
get them success while others are still experimenting and finding their feet as the Premier League enters into its sixth weekend. With Carling Cup football dominating the mid-week schedules, teams are expected to change some of their line ups and give their
youth players a chance to shine.
Arsenal, London’s most successful team to date have some interesting numbers associated with them, Wenger’s team is currently second in the table but they are level on points with Manchester United and ahead of the Red Devil’s
by only a goals difference. After drawing their last league game against Sunderland courtesy of a last minute Darren Bent penalty kick, Arsene’s boys face Chelsea in two weeks time but the most important news concerning the Gunners is that their captain, Cesc
Fabregas is out injured for around two weeks as well.
So far in the English Premier League season, Arsenal have had seventy nine efforts on target in all of their five league games. That massive figure is matched by Chelsea who have also had seventy nine shots but the difference between
the two London rivals is that, Chelsea have scored twenty one goals whereas Arsenal have only managed fourteen. Andrei Arshavin, Arsenal’s mercurial Russian midfielder was on fire against Sunderland, despite that fact that his team succumbed to a last minute
goal, the offensive playmaker was on target with all of his fourteen passes that he attempted on Saturday, giving him a 100% pass completion rate.
Arsenal have also been better off defensively as compared to the last season’s displays. In a total of five English Premier League games, Gunners have let in four goals, whereas last season at this stage of the league campaign,
Arsenal’s weak defence had conceded eight goals in five matches.
On the other hand, Aston Villa who are currently eighth in the English Premier League table, are the second dirtiest team in the league. Their record of conceding more fouls than anyone is only bettered by Wolverhampton Wanderers.
Young, who regularly features for Villa at the right wing spot, has been under the spot light for conceding twelve fouls this season and also winning thirteen free kicks. Ashley Young has been Villa’s most fouled player in the 2010-2011 season.
In Villa’s one all draw with Bolton Wanderers in their last English Premier League game, Stewart Downing drowned himself in shame as the winger had a total of five shots, however only one of them was on target. In more numerical
terms, Downing had a shot success rate of around 20%.
Villa’s local rivals, Birmingham City have gotten off to a flying start in the English Premier League. There has been talk of McLeish’s side challenging for a Europa League spot but the Scotsman has been quick to dismiss such ambitious
reports. So far in the 2010-2011 season, seven out of the eight goals that Birmingham have let in, have come in the second half of their games. Birmingham have given up a total number of five points from winning positions this season and if they had indeed
retained those points then right now they will be in a top four position.
Cameron Jerome, who looks like he must be Stewart Downing’s long lost cousin, has not done himself any favours either. Jerome finally scored his first goal of the campaign with his tenth shot of the season for Birmingham which
gives him a 10 % shot to goal success rate.
Blackburn Rovers, who are under the headline making Sam Allardyce’s leadership are in the bottom half of the English Premier League table at the fourteenth place spot. Blackburn have shown no desire to hold onto possession in any
of their last three league matches as they have had a possession rate of 35%, 35% and 38% respectively in the encounters against Arsenal, Manchester City and Fulham F.C.
Tags: