Dejan Lovren is the most efficient player in the EPL thus far

Individual Stats Leaders after Week One

Top ten most efficient in possession players:

S. Nasri	0.889
Y. Toure	0.868
T. Blackett	0.866
Andy King	0.852
M. Arteta	0.850
G. Barry	0.839
N. Bentaleb	0.828
V. Kompany	0.816
J. Olsson	0.813
G. Obertan	0.800

Leicester's Andy King is a surprising one here.  Gerrard came 11th with a ppe of 0.797.

Top ten most efficient defensive players:

Liam Moore	0.405
S. Dann	0.400
Curtis Davies	0.380
J. Chester	0.344
M. Jedinak	0.339
P. van Aanholt	0.339
B. Hangeland	0.333
Wes Morgan	0.319
P. Senderos	0.297
M. Kelly	0.295

Some solid players (Dann, Davies, Jedinak, & Hangeland) mixed in with some surprises who will probably play their way out of the this category.  Former LFC boy Kelly comes in tenth.

The ten most efficient overall:

D. Lovren	0.953
L. Koscielny	0.950
M. Arteta	0.925
P. Jagielka	0.922
M. Skrtel	0.919
V. Kompany	0.918
J. Chester	0.918
T. Blackett	0.918
J. Collins	0.911
W. Reid	0.911

I was shocked to see Lovren on top here.  Skrtel at fifth, not so much, with all the defensive numbers he racked up.

The top ten in effieciency over team average:

S. Dann	0.271
J. Chester	0.254
Ron Vlaar	0.253
R. Ferdinand	0.249
David Jones	0.238
J. Olsson	0.237
L. Cattermole	0.232
B. Hangeland	0.221
D. Lovren	0.208
J. Collins	0.207

This stat measures a players performance compared to his team's average, for instance, Scott Dann and Brede Hangeland's were the stars on a less than stellar Crystal Palace versus Arsenal.

- Joey Barton lead all players with 6 chances created.
- Mikel Arteta lead all players with 100 completed passes on 105 attempts (95.2%), Aaron Ramsey was the only other player to break the century mark in pass attempts with 106.
- Asmir Begovic was the only player to play a full match and complete all his pass attempts (23 for 23).
- West Ham's Cheikhou Kouyate lead all outfield players, who played 60 minutes or more, with a 96.9% pass completion rate.
- Mark Noble and Stewart Downing lead all players in successful crosses with 4 each, but Noble took just 6 attempts while Downing needed 10.
- Eden Hazard lead the league in take-ons with 9, Sterling and Cazorla tied for second with 5 apiece.
- Former Arsenal and current QPR left back, Armand Traore, was a very impressive 11 for 11 on aerial duels, making him tops in most won and best success percentage (100%).  Southampton's Graziano Pelle won the second most, going 10 for 23 while United's Chris Smalling and Erik Pieters of Stoke were 2nd in efficiency going 7 for 7 each.
- Jack Wilshere won the most fouls with 6.
- England and West Brom's Saido Berahino was the only player to score a penalty and/or a brace, but he also lead in times dispossessed at 7.  Raheem Sterling was runner-up with 6 times dispossessed and Daniel Sturridge tied with Aaron Ramsey at four times apiece.
- Adnan Januzaj lead all players with 6 direct turnovers, 2 more than any other player.
- Victor Wanyama and Mile Jedinak had the most successful tackles with 9 each.
- Sunderland's new left-back, Patrick van Aanholt is the league leader in interceptions with 8.
- Martin Skrtel's 19 clearances were enough to edge out Ryan Shawcross by one to lead all players.
- Marouane Chamakh committed 11 fouls, more than twice as many than any other player.

The decline of Glen Johnson? I think not.

A recent comment spurred my interest on whether or not Glen Johnson is actually 'in decline'.  He does turn 30 years old this August, so it's probably time to start shopping for a long term replacement. Martin Kelly is unreliable with all his injury issues and I guess the jury is still out on Andre Wisdom.  It wouldn't hurt to have 3-4 players vying for the starting job.  Let's take a look at his stats from the Prem for his duration at Liverpool:

	2009-10	2010-11	2011-12	2012-13	2013-14
app(subs)	24(1)	28	22(1)	36	29
mins	2137	2437	1952	3226	2515
goals	3	2	1	1	1
assist	3	2	0	4	2
chances	37	28	22	47	31
gcp90	0.25	0.15	0.05	0.13	0.11
ccp90	1.6	1.03	1.01	1.31	1.11
pass%	81.6	78.5	83.9	82.2	84.1
bp%	-	-	-	44.4	45.6
sacc%	28.6	28	18.5	18.5	25
shot%	10.7	8	4.5	1.9	5
tack pm	3	2.5	1.9	2.5	2.2
tack %	-	-	-	61.3	55.9
int pm	2.4	1.7	1.9	1.6	1.7
off won pm	0.2	0.2	0.1	0.2	0.1
clear pm	2.6	2.9	1.9	3.3	2.4
dribb past pm	0.8	0.6	0.5	0.8	0.8
bs pm	0.1	0.3	0.3	0.3	0.3
adwon pm	0.9	1.1	0.8	1.8	1.4
adwon%	73.3	80	61.3	57.4	45
own goals	1	0	0	0	1
TTI90	13	10.9	11.2	12.3	11.9

Well, at first glance, it looks like the reports of his decline are unfounded, but he is wholly inconsistent throughout the past five seasons.  The only stat that actually declines each season is aerial duels won percentage, but he still won more aerial duels per match last season than he did 3 of the other 4.  More effort as he gets older?  That's just odd.

He did record his best pass percentage for a season last campaign and his 45.6 back pass percentage is not that bad, he is a defensive player after all.  There really isn't any clear indication of his 'decline', but do his stats hold up against some of the top right backs in Europe?

	Johnson	Debuchy	Alves	Jantschke	Beria	DeSilvestri
age	29	29	31	24	31	26
app(subs)	29	28(1)	26(1)	31	26	35
mins	2515	2492	2385	2745	2243	3082
goals	1	1	2	1	0	2
assist	2	3	3	1	0	2
chances	31	23	38	11	14	35
gcp90	0.11	0.14	0.19	0.07	0	0.06
ccp90	1.11	0.83	1.43	0.36	0.56	1.02
pass%	84.1	72.8	87.3	90.1	73.2	77.2
bp%	45.6	26.8	42.8	35.3	31.7	38.8
sacc%	25	37.1	25	42.9	30	33.3
shot%	5	2.9	6.3	14.3	0	11.1
tack pm	2.2	3.3	3	1.8	1.9	2.1
tack %	55.9	55.5	43.2	43.6	58.6	46.9
int pm	1.7	2.4	2	2.3	2.9	1.8
off won pm	0.1	0.1	0.1	0.5	0.2	0.3
clear pm	2.4	4.8	1.2	6.1	3.2	4.3
dribb past pm	0.8	0.8	1.3	0.7	0.7	0.7
bs pm	0.3	0.4	0	0.7	0.2	0.1
adwon pm	1.4	4	1.2	3.1	2.9	3.3
adwon%	45	69.7	42.7	55.2	72.1	69.5
own goals	1	1	0	0	0	0
TTI90	11.9	12.6	11.9	6.8	14	10.4

Though Johnson takes last in four major categories here, he pretty much holds his own against these guys.  Dani Alves, who is certainly one of, if not the, best right backs in the game is by far the best on attack, but woeful on defense.  He tied for or was worst in 7 of the 9 defensive categories, but took 5 of 9 on the attacking end.  Talk about bipolar.

Tony Jantschke of Borussia Mönchengladbach is probably the most impressive of the group, his lack of chances created appear to be hindered by his exclusion from the Gladbach attack.  Why that is I have no idea, maybe he likes playing defense, he certainly excels at it, but his passing is on point (without having to back pass much I might add) and his shot selection is the best of this group.  Maybe Rodgers should bring him in so his centre backs can go forward when they get bored, he doesn't seem to mind staying back and he's valued at a meager £5m.

The bottom line is Johnson still looks to have a couple of more seasons left in him.  Bringing another right back in may prolong Johnson's career, but he also might look to leave and get more playing time at a smaller club.  Unless we are going to bring in a young, dynamic right back who excels on both sides of the ball and doesn't cost an arm and a donkey, why not let Kelly and Wisdom deputize for a season?