Premier League: The season so far

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Premier League: The season so far
Telegraph 28/12/2007


Who is the dirtiest team in the Premier League? Who is the most clinical from direct free-ficks and who are the most accurate passers of the ball?

• Cesc Fabregas: has 10 assists, just one short of last season's total
• There have been five hat-tricks, two more than in the whole of 2006-07.
• There have been exactly 50 away wins.
• There have been 13 goalless draws, five of them coming in Portsmouth home games.
• Cristiano Ronaldo has hit 50 shots, more than any other player.
• No player has been denied by the woodwork more often than Steven Gerrard, three times.
• On their way to the title last season Manchester United won all 12 of their North-West derby games. This season they have won five and lost two.
• Ronaldo has scored 11 Premier League braces in his career including three last December and two so far this month. He has never scored a hat-trick.
• All seven of John Carew’s league goals for Aston Villa have come before half-time.
• Everton and Aston Villa have both scored 16 times from crosses, more than any other team in the division.
• Manchester United have scored seven goals from corners – a league high.
• Everton have scored 26 goals from open play, more than any other team.
• Tottenham have conceded six goals from opposition indirect free-kick routines, more than any other.
• Villa's defending has been tigerish, they have the player who has made the most tackles (Nigel Reo-Coker – 92) and the player who has completed the most defensive clearances (Martin Laursen – 390).
• Newcastle's Alan Smith has conceded the most fouls, 56.
• Everton's Mikel Arteta is the most fouled player in the league, 60 times.
• Emmanuel Adebayor has been caught offside most often – 39 times.
• Blackburn's Ryan Nelsen is the only player who has been sent off twice.

Yellow cards
Bolton had the most yellow cards this time last season but have two less this term and are second behind Middlesbrough.


007-08 2006-07
Middlesbrough 42 - Bolton Wanderers 43
Bolton Wanderers 41 - West Ham United 41
Chelsea 40 - Blackburn Rovers 40
Portsmouth 37 - Wigan Athletic 37
Aston Villa 36 - Middlesbrough 36
Newcastle United 36 - Newcastle United 35
West Ham United 36 - Arsenal 34
Birmingham City 34 - Chelsea 33
Blackburn Rovers 34 - Sheffield United 31
Manchester City 32 - Charlton Athletic 30
Fulham 31 - Everton 29
Wigan Athletic 31 - Fulham 28
Arsenal 30 - Manchester City 27
Sunderland 30 - Manchester United 27
Tottenham Hotspur 30 - Liverpool 26
Derby County 28 - Portsmouth 26
Manchester United 26 - Aston Villa 24
Reading 23 - Tottenham Hotspur 23
Liverpool 21 - Watford 22
Everton 19 - Reading 18
Total 637 - Total 582


Red cards
Liverpool have not had a man sent off since the 2005-06 season. Blackburn ended 2006-07 season with seven red cards and have had five this season.

2007-08 - 2006-07
Blackburn Rovers 5 - Manchester City 4
Chelsea 5 - Blackburn Rovers 3
Fulham 4 - Chelsea 3
Aston Villa 3 - Bolton Wanderers 2
Reading 3 - Charlton Athletic 2
Sunderland 3 - Everton 2
Everton 2 - Middlesbrough 2
Manchester City 2 - Reading 2
Wigan Athletic 2 - Tottenham Hotspur 2
Arsenal 1 - Arsenal 1
Manchester United 1 - Fulham 1
Portsmouth 1 - Newcastle United 1
Tottenham Hotspur 1 - Portsmouth 1
Birmingham City 0 - Sheffield United 1
Bolton Wanderers 0 - Watford 1
Derby County 0 - West Ham United 1
Liverpool 0 - Aston Villa 0
Middlesbrough 0 - Liverpool 0
Newcastle United 0 - Manchester United 0
West Ham United 0 - Wigan Athletic 0


Total fouls committed
This time last season Manchester City had committed the most fouls, 12 months on they have conceded the least. Everton have also cleaned up their act this season.

2007-08 - 2006-07
Portsmouth 301 - Manchester City 315
Birmingham City 292 - Everton 311
Blackburn Rovers 291 - Bolton Wanderers 305
Middlesbrough 287 - Watford 303
Bolton Wanderers 282 - Aston Villa 285
Aston Villa 279 - Blackburn Rovers 278
West Ham United 276 - Fulham 275
Fulham 271 - Middlesbrough 273
Wigan Athletic 271 - Portsmouth 272
Derby County 268 - Wigan Athletic 271
Sunderland 268 - West Ham United 263
Newcastle United 265 - Sheffield United 257
Everton 257 - Newcastle United 255
Chelsea 245 - Tottenham Hotspur 248
Reading 238 - Chelsea 240
Liverpool 227 - Liverpool 240
Manchester City 217 - Charlton Athletic 236
Manchester United 215 - Manchester United 235
Arsenal 212 - Reading 223
Tottenham Hotspur 210 - Arsenal 203


Total fouls received
Tottenham are the most fouled team this season, while Manchester United have been less often a target for foul play.

2007-08 - 2006-07
Tottenham Hotspur 284 - Manchester United 289
Chelsea 270 - Fulham 287
Everton 270 - Chelsea 280
Aston Villa 265 - Tottenham Hotspur 272
Newcastle United 264 - Bolton Wanderers 266
Bolton Wanderers 263 - Newcastle United 263
Arsenal 262 - Everton 260
Blackburn Rovers 260 - Sheffield United 259
Manchester City 258 - Arsenal 257
Manchester United 251 - Blackburn Rovers 252
Wigan Athletic 250 - Wigan Athletic 249
West Ham United 249 - Liverpool 248
Sunderland 233 - West Ham United 248
Middlesbrough 231 - Manchester City 242
Birmingham City 225 - Aston Villa 233
Liverpool 219 - Watford 222
Reading 215 - Charlton Athletic 218
Portsmouth 211 - Reading 214
Derby County 195 - Middlesbrough 213
Fulham 194 - Portsmouth 213


Penalties taken
There have been six fewer penalties this season than in the first half of 2006-07.

2007-08 - 2006-07
Tottenham Hotspur 5 - Arsenal 6
Manchester United 5 - Aston Villa 6
Reading 4 - Blackburn Rovers 4
Portsmouth 4 - Bolton Wanderers 4
Arsenal 4 - Everton 4
Aston Villa 4 - Chelsea 3
Liverpool 4 - Liverpool 3
Birmingham City 3 - Portsmouth 3
Blackburn Rovers 3 - Sheffield United 3
Chelsea 3 - Tottenham Hotspur 3
Wigan Athletic 3 - Wigan Athletic 3
Newcastle United 2 - Charlton Athletic 2
Bolton Wanderers 1 - Fulham 2
Fulham 1 - Manchester United 2
Middlesbrough 1 - Middlesbrough 2
Sunderland 1 - Newcastle United 2
West Ham United 1 - Reading 2
Derby County 0 - Manchester City 1
Everton 0 - Watford 0
Manchester City 0 - West Ham United 0
Total 49 - Total 55


Direct free-kick goals
But there have been 10 more direct free-kick goals this season. At this point last term 13 sides had not scored from a free kick, this season it is only four.

2007-08 - 2006-07
Aston Villa 3 - Arsenal 3
Fulham 2 - Chelsea 3
Liverpool 2 - Blackburn Rovers 1
Manchester City 2 - Charlton Athletic 1
Arsenal 1 - Fulham 1
Blackburn Rovers 1 - Liverpool 1
Bolton Wanderers 1 - Manchester United 1
Chelsea 1 - Aston Villa 0
Everton 1 - Bolton Wanderers 0
Manchester United 1 - Everton 0
Middlesbrough 1 - Manchester City 0
Newcastle United 1 - Middlesbrough 0
Portsmouth 1 - Newcastle United 0
Tottenham Hotspur 1 - Portsmouth 0
West Ham United 1 - Reading 0
Wigan Athletic 1 - Sheffield United 0
Birmingham City 0 - Tottenham Hotspur 0
Derby County 0 - Watford 0
Reading 0 - West Ham United 0
Sunderland 0 - Wigan Athletic 0
Total 21 - Total 11


Goals
Last season there were 76 fewer goals than at this point of the season, though United’s total of 41 is five more than any team has managed this term.

2007-08 - 2006-07
Arsenal 36 - Manchester United 41
Manchester United 36 - Arsenal 35
Tottenham Hotspur 35 - Chelsea 33
Everton 34 - Liverpool 28
Aston Villa 33 - Portsmouth 28
Liverpool 33 - Everton 24
Chelsea 29 - Tottenham Hotspur 23
Portsmouth 29 - Bolton Wanderers 22
Manchester City 27 - Wigan Athletic 22
Newcastle United 26 - Aston Villa 21
Reading 25 - Newcastle United 20
Blackburn Rovers 25 - Reading 20
West Ham United 23 - Blackburn Rovers 18
Birmingham City 21 - Fulham 18
Bolton Wanderers 21 - Middlesbrough 17
Fulham 20 - Manchester City 15
Wigan Athletic 19 - Sheffield United 15
Middlesbrough 17 - Charlton Athletic 13
Sunderland 17 - Watford 11
Derby County 9 - West Ham United 11
Total 511 - Total 435


Goals to shots ratio
Everton are the most clinical team in front of goal this season and it is something they have maintained, as they were the second best at Christmas 2006.

2007-08 % - 2006-07 %
Everton 18.09 - Bolton Wanderers 15.60
Aston Villa 16.10 - Everton 15.58
Tottenham Hotspur 15.98 - Manchester United 15.13
Manchester City 15.88 - Arsenal 13.57
Arsenal 15.72 - Portsmouth 12.56
Reading 14.45 - Chelsea 12.45
Newcastle United 13.98 - Aston Villa 12.28
Birmingham City 13.64 - Reading 12.20
Portsmouth 13.43 - Fulham 11.84
Bolton Wanderers 13.13 - Tottenham Hotspur 11.17
Manchester United 13.04 - Wigan Athletic 11.06
Chelsea 12.83 - Blackburn Rovers 10.84
West Ham United 12.11 - Newcastle United 10.81
Liverpool 12.00 - Liverpool 9.76
Blackburn Rovers 11.63 - Middlesbrough 9.34
Wigan Athletic 11.24 - Charlton Athletic 7.43
Fulham 10.93 - Sheffield United 7.39
Middlesbrough 9.60 - Manchester City 7.25
Sunderland 9.24 - West Ham United 7.05
Derby County 6.04 - Watford 6.96


Passing accuracy
At the halfway mark of the season the stats show that Chelsea are the best passing side. At this point last term they were third best. Fulham and Reading’s passing game appears to have declined even more this season.

2007-08 % - 2006-07 %
Chelsea 82.85 - Arsenal 82.11
Arsenal 82.17 - Manchester United 80.50
Manchester United 81.30 - Chelsea 79.89
Liverpool 77.29 - Liverpool 78.11
Tottenham Hotspur 76.80 - Tottenham Hotspur 74.81
Manchester City 76.34 - Blackburn Rovers 74.25
Blackburn Rovers 73.91 - Newcastle United 72.43
Middlesbrough 73.14 - West Ham United 71.78
West Ham United 72.76 - Middlesbrough 70.98
Sunderland 72.32 - Charlton Athletic 70.77
Portsmouth 72.17 - Aston Villa 70.66
Derby County 70.57 - Portsmouth 69.17
Newcastle United 70.51 - Manchester City 68.07
Wigan Athletic 70.14 - Fulham 66.29
Everton 69.74 - Everton 65.64
Aston Villa 69.22 - Reading 65.33
Bolton Wanderers 69.15 - Bolton Wanderers 64.36
Birmingham City 66.56 - Sheffield United 63.10
Fulham 65.50 - Wigan Athletic 63.02
Reading 63.63 - Watford 53.94


Crosses & corners accuracy
At this point last season Fulham were the best crossers, now they are seventh worst. Neighbours Chelsea have fallen from third best at Christmas 2006 to second worst12 months on.

2007-08 - 2006-07
Aston Villa 25.34 - Fulham 26.60
Tottenham Hotspur 24.63 - Portsmouth 26.34
Liverpool 24.50 - Chelsea 26.12
West Ham United 24.29 - Manchester City 25.64
Sunderland 24.15 - Liverpool 24.87
Middlesbrough 23.95 - Tottenham Hotspur 24.41
Manchester United 23.87 - Manchester United 23.76
Derby County 23.54 - Aston Villa 23.62
Everton 23.31 - Reading 22.45
Blackburn Rovers 23.11 - Watford 21.89
Birmingham City 22.73 - Everton 21.80
Arsenal 22.53 - Sheffield United 21.75
Bolton Wanderers 22.44 - Charlton Athletic 21.49
Fulham 22.20 - Blackburn Rovers 20.63
Wigan Athletic 22.03 - Bolton Wanderers 19.95
Portsmouth 21.64 - Arsenal 19.69
Manchester City 21.48 - Wigan Athletic 19.66
Reading 21.37 - Middlesbrough 19.55
Chelsea 20.24 - Newcastle United 18.28
Newcastle United 19.54 - West Ham United 18.06

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