- Aaron Ramsey created 6 chances for Arsenal against Leicester, though none resulted in goal. He had all of zero going into the match. He also had a redonkulous 134 touches, was 101 of 116 passing (87.1%), 11 of 14 on long balls, a shot-on target, one tackle, 3 interceptions, and 2 clearances.
- Arsenal had 19 chances created total at Leicester, 4 less than Man United has produced all year, as many as Burnley has managed thus far, and two more than the Villans this season.
- Yaya Sanogo took seven shots, two on-goal, one busted a windshield in the parking lot, one woke up an old Arsenal fan who resumed knitting her grandson a cap, another landed in the cotton candy machine, and there are missing persons reports being filed for the other two as I write this.
- Villa were so dreadful that Fabian Delph was named second best player of the match. Also, they went down in defence rankings to dead last despite playing at home to Hull. Poor Alan Hutton.
- Nemanja Matic put in a player of the week performance with a goal, an assist, 2 chances created, 3 successful take-ons, 5 tackles, 2 interceptions, a clearance, and a blocked shot.
- Andy King completed 31 of 35 (88.6%) passes, created 4 chances, 4 tackles, 2 interceptions, 1 take-on and one blocked shot. The rest of his side created 5 chances total.
- Southampton's Dusan Tadic created 5 chances, completed 92.2% of his passes (47 of 51), had 4 tackles, an interception, and a shot-on target.
- Patrick van Aanholt and Phillip 'Beaker' Jones became the first members of the 10-10-10 club (10 tackles, 10 interceptions, 10 clearances) for the season. Javier Manquillo is only three clearances away and Hull's Andy Robertson is currently a member of the quite rare 9-9-9 club.
- Kaspar Schmeichel was 12 on 31 long balls giving him a league-leading 35 of 96. The next nearest on completions is Burnley's Tom Heaton who is 29 of 60 and the next in attempts is Hull's Alan McGregor with 79.
- Antonio Valencia was 0 for 12 on crosses against Burnley pushing Man United to dead last in the league with a 11.7% completion rate (9 of 77).
- Mike Williamson & Graziano Pelle are tied with 20 aerial duels won, only it took the Newcastle defender 21 less attampts to do so (24 to 45).
Sunday, August 31, 2014
Skrtel top defensively, Flamini takes over attack & overall
Martin Skrtel didn't even touch the pitch on Sunday, but he still went to the top of the defensive efficieny table. That's what happen when everyone else falters. If he doesn't play at least 60 minutes in two weeks time when we host Villa, he'll no longer qualify.
Flamini has produced an absolutely ridiculous 95.2% pass completion rate in his two matches for Arsenal, which helped him take top in both attack and overall efficiency. The most excellent Morgan Schniederlin makes his debut in attack rankings and I expect him to be there for the long run.
John O'Shea may be a bit surprising, but he rarely makes mistakes, and Capoue is a ball-moving machine, second in the league only to Aaron Ramsey with 339 touches but leads with 301 pass attempts. Gerrard dropped to 33rd overall, by the way.
Without Dean Hammond and Andy King, Leicester would probably be pointless, as would there season, but those two have carried the foxes thus far.
Skrtel is Liverpool's most valuable player with 0.148 eot, followed by Lovren at 0.108 and Gerrard at 0.100.
| player | dpe |
| M. Skrtel | 0.905 |
| M. Flamini | 0.899 |
| C. Chambers | 0.889 |
| J. O'Shea | 0.888 |
| P. McShane | 0.878 |
| R. Ferdinand | 0.877 |
| F. Coloccini | 0.877 |
| D. Lovren | 0.873 |
| V. Kompany | 0.873 |
| P. Jagielka | 0.870 |
Flamini has produced an absolutely ridiculous 95.2% pass completion rate in his two matches for Arsenal, which helped him take top in both attack and overall efficiency. The most excellent Morgan Schniederlin makes his debut in attack rankings and I expect him to be there for the long run.
| player | ppe |
| M. Flamini | 0.856 |
| S. Nasri | 0.855 |
| Y. Toure | 0.838 |
| D. Fletcher | 0.813 |
| S. Cazorla | 0.805 |
| N. Bentaleb | 0.803 |
| Cesc Fàbregas | 0.789 |
| E. Capoue | 0.788 |
| Schneiderlin | 0.785 |
| G. Barry | 0.784 |
John O'Shea may be a bit surprising, but he rarely makes mistakes, and Capoue is a ball-moving machine, second in the league only to Aaron Ramsey with 339 touches but leads with 301 pass attempts. Gerrard dropped to 33rd overall, by the way.
| player | per |
| M. Flamini | 0.878 |
| Y. Toure | 0.837 |
| J. O'Shea | 0.834 |
| S. Nasri | 0.829 |
| C. Chambers | 0.829 |
| F. Coloccini | 0.829 |
| E. Capoue | 0.824 |
| D. Fletcher | 0.824 |
| Fernando | 0.821 |
| V. Kompany | 0.818 |
Without Dean Hammond and Andy King, Leicester would probably be pointless, as would there season, but those two have carried the foxes thus far.
| player | eot |
| D. Hammond | 0.207 |
| J. O'Shea | 0.206 |
| Andy King | 0.202 |
| David Jones | 0.192 |
| J. Olsson | 0.182 |
| Ron Vlaar | 0.179 |
| Dean Marney | 0.179 |
| G. Whelan | 0.179 |
| F. Coloccini | 0.169 |
| P. Senderos | 0.168 |
Skrtel is Liverpool's most valuable player with 0.148 eot, followed by Lovren at 0.108 and Gerrard at 0.100.
Tottenham 0, Liverpool 3: Sometimes moments of madness...
They dominated possession, had a higher pass completion percentage, and were superior in the air, but Tottenham still limped away 3-0 losers. How could this be? Counter attack and positioning. All three of Liverpool goals were due to anticipating our opponent's movements and responding quickly. That takes practice and talent, an ode to our mad Professor Rodgers.
What made it most impressive is that Gerrard had an uncharacteristically poor performance on attack, but made up for it on defence. He completed just 71.1% of his passes, his lowest amount for a long time, but did have 3 tackles and 8 clearances. Without some of those clearances, it may have been a closer match.
Gerrard's bi-polar display was quite indicative of many other LFC 'stars'. Sterling was tremendous on the ball, scored a great goal, but his passing was poor (69.7%)and he really should have had scored from point blank range. Lovren was impressive as well with 4 tackles, 2 interceptions, and 13 clearances, but his passing was also dreadful and he had to make two potential goal-saving tackles that were probably his fault to begin with.
Balotelli and Allen were not at their best, but Manquillo and Sturridge were the worst of the bunch. The former was clearly rattled and wasted passes throughout, while the latter seemed to be trying to hard to make things happen. I don't want to say he is trying to make up for the loss of Suarez, but he is, and it isn't working. He's got to let the match come to him.
Henderson, Can, and Markovic played well, the last two in a cameo capacity. I can't wait to see how the Serbian does in a full debut, he's very confident and smooth on the ball, which is entertaining to watch. My man of the match though was Moreno, but not just because of his lung-bursting stunner. He also added 4 tackles, 9 clearances, and a passing percentage of 87.1%, when others failed to post decent passing stats.
This was a must-win for several reasons, mostly for the confidence of the team and supporters. If we can go into a place like White Hart Lane and not play to the best of our ability, but still come away with an impressive 3-0 win, just imagine who we can beat at our best. Fortunately our next 12 fixtures are favorable, hopefully we'll win all of them and be at our confident best when Chelsea come to town November 8th.
What made it most impressive is that Gerrard had an uncharacteristically poor performance on attack, but made up for it on defence. He completed just 71.1% of his passes, his lowest amount for a long time, but did have 3 tackles and 8 clearances. Without some of those clearances, it may have been a closer match.
Gerrard's bi-polar display was quite indicative of many other LFC 'stars'. Sterling was tremendous on the ball, scored a great goal, but his passing was poor (69.7%)and he really should have had scored from point blank range. Lovren was impressive as well with 4 tackles, 2 interceptions, and 13 clearances, but his passing was also dreadful and he had to make two potential goal-saving tackles that were probably his fault to begin with.
Balotelli and Allen were not at their best, but Manquillo and Sturridge were the worst of the bunch. The former was clearly rattled and wasted passes throughout, while the latter seemed to be trying to hard to make things happen. I don't want to say he is trying to make up for the loss of Suarez, but he is, and it isn't working. He's got to let the match come to him.
Henderson, Can, and Markovic played well, the last two in a cameo capacity. I can't wait to see how the Serbian does in a full debut, he's very confident and smooth on the ball, which is entertaining to watch. My man of the match though was Moreno, but not just because of his lung-bursting stunner. He also added 4 tackles, 9 clearances, and a passing percentage of 87.1%, when others failed to post decent passing stats.
This was a must-win for several reasons, mostly for the confidence of the team and supporters. If we can go into a place like White Hart Lane and not play to the best of our ability, but still come away with an impressive 3-0 win, just imagine who we can beat at our best. Fortunately our next 12 fixtures are favorable, hopefully we'll win all of them and be at our confident best when Chelsea come to town November 8th.
Tottenham 0, Liverpool 1: thoughts on the 'fast' break
It's been quite an entertaining half, at least between the boxes. Both sides seem to have had great build-ups in possession, but in so, neither seem to be able to create solid chances in the opposition's box. All the potential goals and the solo goal have come on the counter.
Spurs dominated possession the first third of the match, but then Liverpool started to take control. During Tottenham's seeming domination, the only goal came about on a tremendous effort by Henderson, who intercepted the initial ball and passed to Sturridge. Studge, who isn't having the best of afternoons, played the ball into a streaking Henderson, who found Sterling brilliantly on a cross box pass. Sterling slotted it in, leaving Spurs defence wondering what had just happened.
The quickness of the scoring string was indicative of Liverpool's play so far. They set a precedent on pace and Spurs are struggling to keep it up. If they want to play our style, we should be able to add a couple of more goals in the second. If they slow it down, well, as long they cover the counter, this match is probably over as they are having trouble breaking the box playing that way.
As for individual performance, Sterling and Henderson are the cream of a rather mediocre crop. Balotelli has played well, but he really should have a goal with chances like his header gone wide on the Gerrard free kick and that open goal when Lloris straggled out of the box. Speaking of Gerrard, he's had a very up-and-down match, more down though, if he can calm down it will greatly increase our chances of three points. On ward and (hopefully) upward...
Spurs dominated possession the first third of the match, but then Liverpool started to take control. During Tottenham's seeming domination, the only goal came about on a tremendous effort by Henderson, who intercepted the initial ball and passed to Sturridge. Studge, who isn't having the best of afternoons, played the ball into a streaking Henderson, who found Sterling brilliantly on a cross box pass. Sterling slotted it in, leaving Spurs defence wondering what had just happened.
The quickness of the scoring string was indicative of Liverpool's play so far. They set a precedent on pace and Spurs are struggling to keep it up. If they want to play our style, we should be able to add a couple of more goals in the second. If they slow it down, well, as long they cover the counter, this match is probably over as they are having trouble breaking the box playing that way.
As for individual performance, Sterling and Henderson are the cream of a rather mediocre crop. Balotelli has played well, but he really should have a goal with chances like his header gone wide on the Gerrard free kick and that open goal when Lloris straggled out of the box. Speaking of Gerrard, he's had a very up-and-down match, more down though, if he can calm down it will greatly increase our chances of three points. On ward and (hopefully) upward...
Friday, August 29, 2014
All tomorrow's winners: Man United, Man City, Chelsea, Newcastle, Swansea, & West Ham
Predictions for tomorrow:
Burnley vs Man United
Betting on Burnley is a sucker bet as United's attack is far better than portrayed and Burnley has the worst defence in the league. This one could get ugly and expect Van Persie to open his account for the season. Burnley 1, Man United 3
Man City vs Stoke
Begovic & company are good enough on defence to hold this to late, but I don't think they will. City will probably get a goal around the middle of the first half and then add another late. The Potters just don't have the ability to break down the City defense at the Etihad without a major mistake from their hosts. Look for Dzeko to get his first goal of the season. Man City 2, Stoke 0
Newcastle vs Crystal Palace
Three points will not get any easier for the Magpies. They boast a decent attack and a respectable defence plus playing at home against Palace, who are dreadful on attack, should give them a significant edge. If Dwight Gayle plays a significant amount, Palace will get at least a goal from him, but not sure it's worth the risk. Newcastle 3, Crystal Palace 1
QPR vs Sunderland
Joey Barton and Rio Ferdinand have played exceptionally for their less than exceptional side, but if Remy is not available, this match has draw written all over it. Sunderland is superior both on attack and in defence, but the confidings of Loftus Road will give QPR a proper boost. QPR 2, Sunderland 2
Swansea vs West Brom
This match could end up being the most exciting of the day. Swansea is just poor enough on defence to allow a mediocre WBA attack to keep it exciting, but ultimately the superior Swan attack should prevail. Wilfried Bony is itching for a goal. Swansea 3, WBA 2
West Ham vs Southampton
Another candidate for match of the day, Southampton should have enough to make it interesting against a somewhat decent West Ham defence. In the end though, the Hammers strength of Allardyce's 'air ball' are the Saints' weakness. West Ham 2, Southampton 0
Everton vs Chelsea
Despite being at Goodison, I don't think the Toffees will be able to compete with Chelsea, but if they try, the London club could humiliate them. This is just a bad match-up for the blue side of Merseyside, Chelsea play a similar yet superior style of attack and are far better on defence. I'll go conservative here though and say Everton 0, Chelsea 2.
Burnley vs Man United
Betting on Burnley is a sucker bet as United's attack is far better than portrayed and Burnley has the worst defence in the league. This one could get ugly and expect Van Persie to open his account for the season. Burnley 1, Man United 3
Man City vs Stoke
Begovic & company are good enough on defence to hold this to late, but I don't think they will. City will probably get a goal around the middle of the first half and then add another late. The Potters just don't have the ability to break down the City defense at the Etihad without a major mistake from their hosts. Look for Dzeko to get his first goal of the season. Man City 2, Stoke 0
Newcastle vs Crystal Palace
Three points will not get any easier for the Magpies. They boast a decent attack and a respectable defence plus playing at home against Palace, who are dreadful on attack, should give them a significant edge. If Dwight Gayle plays a significant amount, Palace will get at least a goal from him, but not sure it's worth the risk. Newcastle 3, Crystal Palace 1
QPR vs Sunderland
Joey Barton and Rio Ferdinand have played exceptionally for their less than exceptional side, but if Remy is not available, this match has draw written all over it. Sunderland is superior both on attack and in defence, but the confidings of Loftus Road will give QPR a proper boost. QPR 2, Sunderland 2
Swansea vs West Brom
This match could end up being the most exciting of the day. Swansea is just poor enough on defence to allow a mediocre WBA attack to keep it exciting, but ultimately the superior Swan attack should prevail. Wilfried Bony is itching for a goal. Swansea 3, WBA 2
West Ham vs Southampton
Another candidate for match of the day, Southampton should have enough to make it interesting against a somewhat decent West Ham defence. In the end though, the Hammers strength of Allardyce's 'air ball' are the Saints' weakness. West Ham 2, Southampton 0
Everton vs Chelsea
Despite being at Goodison, I don't think the Toffees will be able to compete with Chelsea, but if they try, the London club could humiliate them. This is just a bad match-up for the blue side of Merseyside, Chelsea play a similar yet superior style of attack and are far better on defence. I'll go conservative here though and say Everton 0, Chelsea 2.
Sturridge dethrones Coutinho as the king of inefficiency: Liverpool stat leaders
Chances created
| R. Sterling | 4 |
| S. Gerrard | 3 |
| Henderson | 3 |
| P. Coutinho | 2 |
| D. Sturridge | 2 |
Passing
| Emre Can | 10 | 10 | 1.000 |
| D. Lovren | 119 | 129 | 0.922 |
| M. Skrtel | 118 | 130 | 0.908 |
| A. Moreno | 38 | 42 | 0.905 |
| S. Gerrard | 123 | 136 | 0.904 |
Shots
| sh | sot | shacc | sh% | |
| D. Sturridge | 8 | 3 | 0.375 | 0.125 |
| R. Sterling | 5 | 3 | 0.600 | 0.200 |
| Henderson | 2 | 0 | 0.000 | 0.000 |
| G. Johnson | 2 | 0 | 0.000 | 0.000 |
| L. Leiva | 1 | 1 | 1.000 | 0.000 |
| R. Lambert | 1 | 1 | 1.000 | 0.000 |
Aerial duels
| M. Skrtel | 9 | 11 | 0.818 |
| D. Lovren | 8 | 17 | 0.471 |
| G. Johnson | 3 | 4 | 0.750 |
| S. Gerrard | 2 | 3 | 0.667 |
| J. Manquillo | 2 | 3 | 0.667 |
Tackles
| J. Manquillo | 6 |
| Henderson | 6 |
| D. Lovren | 4 |
| S. Gerrard | 4 |
| A. Moreno | 4 |
Interceptions
| D. Lovren | 6 |
| M. Skrtel | 6 |
| J. Manquillo | 4 |
| Henderson | 2 |
| S. Gerrard | 2 |
Clearances
| M. Skrtel | 25 |
| D. Lovren | 17 |
| J. Manquillo | 5 |
| S. Gerrard | 4 |
| L. Leiva | 4 |
Attacking efficiency
| S. Gerrard | 0.797 |
| D. Lovren | 0.726 |
| M. Skrtel | 0.708 |
| R. Sterling | 0.681 |
| J. Allen | 0.672 |
Defensive efficiency
| M. Skrtel | 0.905 |
| D. Lovren | 0.896 |
| S. Gerrard | 0.842 |
| L. Leiva | 0.833 |
| Emre Can | 0.706 |
Overall efficiency
| S. Gerrard | 0.820 |
| D. Lovren | 0.811 |
| L. Leiva | 0.808 |
| M. Skrtel | 0.807 |
| Henderson | 0.674 |
Efficiency over team
| S. Gerrard | 0.135 |
| D. Lovren | 0.127 |
| L. Leiva | 0.124 |
| M. Skrtel | 0.122 |
| Henderson | -0.010 |
So only four players boast a positive EOT, which means they make up for half of the sides' positive results in possession. If that doesn't improve, Liverpool are in a world of trouble.
Least efficient players overall
| D. Sturridge | 0.494 |
| P. Coutinho | 0.571 |
| G. Johnson | 0.622 |
| J. Manquillo | 0.624 |
| R. Lambert | 0.625 |
Fantasy picks for match day 3: Newcastle, Villa, Swansea, West Ham & City are the way to go
Keepers
This week: Tim Krul (Newcastle)
Alternates: Brad Guzan (Villa), Fabianski (Swansea), Hart (Man City), De Gea (Man U), Robert Green (QPR).
Long term: De Gea, Krul, Forster (Southampton), Mannone (Sunderland)
Defenders
This week: Alan Hutton (Aston Villa), Dummett (Newcastle), Kompany (Man City), Armat (Swansea)
Alternates: Vlaar (Villa), Coloccini, Williamson (Newcastle), Williams, Rangel (Swansea), Ferdinand (QPR)
Long term: Dummett, Coloccini (Newcastle), Fonte (Southampton), O'Shea (Sunderland), Blackett, Jones (Man U)
Midfielders
This week: Barton (QPR), Nasri (Man City), Sigurdsson (Swansea), Cabella (Newcastle)
Alternates: Delph, Westwood (Villa), Colback, Sissoko (Newcastle), Ki Sung-yeung (Swansea), Silva, Toure (Man City), Noble, Kouyate (West Ham)
Long term: Valencia (Man U), Larsson (Sunderland), Colback, Cabella, Sissoko (Newcastle), Schniederlin (Southampton), Gerrard, Sterling (Liverpool)
Forwards
This week: Bony (Swansea), Riviere (Newcastle)
Alternates: Dzeko, Jovetic, Aguero (Man City), Cole (Newcastle), Rooney, Van Persie (Man U)
Long term: Pelle, Long (Southampton), Wickham, Fletcher (Sunderland), Sturridge (Liverpool), Riviere, De Jong, Gouffran (Newcastle)
Pay close attention to transfer news as some may not be with their club come match time.
This week: Tim Krul (Newcastle)
Alternates: Brad Guzan (Villa), Fabianski (Swansea), Hart (Man City), De Gea (Man U), Robert Green (QPR).
Long term: De Gea, Krul, Forster (Southampton), Mannone (Sunderland)
Defenders
This week: Alan Hutton (Aston Villa), Dummett (Newcastle), Kompany (Man City), Armat (Swansea)
Alternates: Vlaar (Villa), Coloccini, Williamson (Newcastle), Williams, Rangel (Swansea), Ferdinand (QPR)
Long term: Dummett, Coloccini (Newcastle), Fonte (Southampton), O'Shea (Sunderland), Blackett, Jones (Man U)
Midfielders
This week: Barton (QPR), Nasri (Man City), Sigurdsson (Swansea), Cabella (Newcastle)
Alternates: Delph, Westwood (Villa), Colback, Sissoko (Newcastle), Ki Sung-yeung (Swansea), Silva, Toure (Man City), Noble, Kouyate (West Ham)
Long term: Valencia (Man U), Larsson (Sunderland), Colback, Cabella, Sissoko (Newcastle), Schniederlin (Southampton), Gerrard, Sterling (Liverpool)
Forwards
This week: Bony (Swansea), Riviere (Newcastle)
Alternates: Dzeko, Jovetic, Aguero (Man City), Cole (Newcastle), Rooney, Van Persie (Man U)
Long term: Pelle, Long (Southampton), Wickham, Fletcher (Sunderland), Sturridge (Liverpool), Riviere, De Jong, Gouffran (Newcastle)
Pay close attention to transfer news as some may not be with their club come match time.
Obscured by Dowd: A history of the ref & LFC
Phil Dowd is the ref for this Sunday's match at White Hart Lane, here is a breakdown of his record with Liverpool. He has refereed 57 matches featuring Liverpool Football Club in all competitions. In those matches, LFC is 21-12-14 and have accumulated 61 cards, 57 yellows, 2 yellow-reds and 1 straight red. Our opponents have received 88 yellows, 1 yellow-red, and 2 straight reds.
Dowd has awarded 5 penalties to Liverpool all-time, 4 at Anfield and 1 on the road (funny enough coming in a loss at White Hart Lane). Three of those came against Crystal Palace in 2004 with Milan Baros converting two. The Czech striker had the third waved off, but he still managed a hat-trick in the 3-2 win at Anfield.
Away from Anfield, LFC is 6-4-10 under the disciplinary guidance of Mr. Dowd in all competitions, receiving 37 yellows, 1 yellow-red, and 1 straight red. Their opponents have accumulated 40 cards, all yellow.
In Premier League play, Liverpool is 17-12-10 with Dowd, but only 4-6-9 away from Anfield. They have received 33 cards in visiting matches (31 y, 1 y-r, 1 r) while their home opponents have been booked 29 times, all yellow.
Twice Dowd has mediated matches between Spurs and LFC at White Hart Lane, both times Tottenham won. The first time in January 2008, a heart-breaking affair that would wind up costing Liverpool a chance at the title that season. Up 1-0 through two-thirds of the match, Jamie Carragher headed in an own goal against the run of play and in the 91st minute, a shambolic defensive display allowed Pavlyuchenko to score the winner.
The second match occurred November 2012, also resulting in a 2-1 Spurs win. The north London club went up 2-0 in the opening 16 minutes with goals from Aaron Lennon and Gareth Bale, never looking back. The only 'goal' Liverpool could manage was a Bale own goal in the 72nd minute.
Dowd has over seen some other significant matches including Brendan Rodgers' EPL debut as LFC manager. In a controversial affair at the Hawthorns, Dowd awarded West Brom two ridiculous penalties and handed five cards to Liverpool players including a laughable straight red to Daniel Agger. Another match he refereed was our 1-2 FA Cup final loss to Chelsea in May 2012.
Dowd has awarded 5 penalties to Liverpool all-time, 4 at Anfield and 1 on the road (funny enough coming in a loss at White Hart Lane). Three of those came against Crystal Palace in 2004 with Milan Baros converting two. The Czech striker had the third waved off, but he still managed a hat-trick in the 3-2 win at Anfield.
Away from Anfield, LFC is 6-4-10 under the disciplinary guidance of Mr. Dowd in all competitions, receiving 37 yellows, 1 yellow-red, and 1 straight red. Their opponents have accumulated 40 cards, all yellow.
In Premier League play, Liverpool is 17-12-10 with Dowd, but only 4-6-9 away from Anfield. They have received 33 cards in visiting matches (31 y, 1 y-r, 1 r) while their home opponents have been booked 29 times, all yellow.
Twice Dowd has mediated matches between Spurs and LFC at White Hart Lane, both times Tottenham won. The first time in January 2008, a heart-breaking affair that would wind up costing Liverpool a chance at the title that season. Up 1-0 through two-thirds of the match, Jamie Carragher headed in an own goal against the run of play and in the 91st minute, a shambolic defensive display allowed Pavlyuchenko to score the winner.
The second match occurred November 2012, also resulting in a 2-1 Spurs win. The north London club went up 2-0 in the opening 16 minutes with goals from Aaron Lennon and Gareth Bale, never looking back. The only 'goal' Liverpool could manage was a Bale own goal in the 72nd minute.
Dowd has over seen some other significant matches including Brendan Rodgers' EPL debut as LFC manager. In a controversial affair at the Hawthorns, Dowd awarded West Brom two ridiculous penalties and handed five cards to Liverpool players including a laughable straight red to Daniel Agger. Another match he refereed was our 1-2 FA Cup final loss to Chelsea in May 2012.
Thursday, August 28, 2014
Is Etienne Capoue the best player in the league?
Only players with 120 minutes played are considered.
- Joey Barton leads all EPL players with 10 chances created. Eden Hazard is second with 9.
- Frazier Campbell is the league leader in pass completion percentage at 95.0%. Asmir Begovic is second with a 94.4% rate, which is quite impressive for a keeper. Mignolet is second among goalies with a 78.3% rate.
- Etienne Capoue has completed the most passes with 173. Yaya Toure is second (164) and Fabregas is third (150).
- Stewart Downing has connected on the most crosses, going 8 of 19, second best are Mark Noble, Joey Barton, and Seb Larsson at 5 a-piece.
- Kaspar Schmeichel has completed and attempted the most long passes, going 23 of 65. Joey Barton, Jason Shackell, and Phil Jagielka lead all outfield players with 16.
- Andre Schurrle has taken 11 shots, most of any player, but only one has been on-goal.
- Wilfried Bony has 4 shots-on-target, which leads the league, none of them have found the back of the net.
- With 15 successful take-ons, Eden Hazard leads the league and has more than twice as many as any other player.
- Southampton's Graziano Pelle leads with 16 aerial duels won and 36 attempted. Agbonlahor is second with 34 attempted, but has won only 6.
- Mile Jedinak leads with 15 successful tackles.
- Phil Jones has the most interceptions with 11. Youssouf Mulumbu is second in both tackles (12) and interceptions (10).
- Ryan Shawcross has leap-frogged Skrtel to take the lead in clearances at 30, our Slovakian has 25.
- Former Man Utd product and current Burnley midfielder, David Jones, is the most valuable player to his team posting a 0.225 efficiency over team average. Rio Ferdinand is second with a 0.217 eot and Leicester's Andy King is third at 0.193.
- Joey Barton leads all EPL players with 10 chances created. Eden Hazard is second with 9.
- Frazier Campbell is the league leader in pass completion percentage at 95.0%. Asmir Begovic is second with a 94.4% rate, which is quite impressive for a keeper. Mignolet is second among goalies with a 78.3% rate.
- Etienne Capoue has completed the most passes with 173. Yaya Toure is second (164) and Fabregas is third (150).
- Stewart Downing has connected on the most crosses, going 8 of 19, second best are Mark Noble, Joey Barton, and Seb Larsson at 5 a-piece.
- Kaspar Schmeichel has completed and attempted the most long passes, going 23 of 65. Joey Barton, Jason Shackell, and Phil Jagielka lead all outfield players with 16.
- Andre Schurrle has taken 11 shots, most of any player, but only one has been on-goal.
- Wilfried Bony has 4 shots-on-target, which leads the league, none of them have found the back of the net.
- With 15 successful take-ons, Eden Hazard leads the league and has more than twice as many as any other player.
- Southampton's Graziano Pelle leads with 16 aerial duels won and 36 attempted. Agbonlahor is second with 34 attempted, but has won only 6.
- Mile Jedinak leads with 15 successful tackles.
- Phil Jones has the most interceptions with 11. Youssouf Mulumbu is second in both tackles (12) and interceptions (10).
- Ryan Shawcross has leap-frogged Skrtel to take the lead in clearances at 30, our Slovakian has 25.
- Former Man Utd product and current Burnley midfielder, David Jones, is the most valuable player to his team posting a 0.225 efficiency over team average. Rio Ferdinand is second with a 0.217 eot and Leicester's Andy King is third at 0.193.
CL draw: A club we've beaten every time, a club Gerrard has a grudge against, and the 'Chelsea' of Bulgaria
Though nothing will be 'easy', good fortune gifted LFC with a very manageable Champions League group. Though we have met only three times ever, we have beaten Real Madrid each time. The first time in the 1981 European Cup final in the Parc De Princes in France. Alan Kennedy's lone effort in the 81st minutes gave the Reds a 1-0 victory and a return to European supremacy after being dethroned by Nottingham Forest the previous two seasons.
Sergio Ramos & company will look to make amends for his club's embarassing display in their only trip ever to Anfield in March 2009. They were dismantled by Gerrard and Torres with Andre Dossena adding further to their misery with a late goal of his own.
Sergio Ramos & company will look to make amends for his club's embarassing display in their only trip ever to Anfield in March 2009. They were dismantled by Gerrard and Torres with Andre Dossena adding further to their misery with a late goal of his own.
We were drawn against Basel in the group stage of the 2002 Champions League as well. Both ties ended in draws, 1-1 at Anfield and 3-3 at St. Jakob-Park. In the latter match, Gerrard was subbed for Salif Diao in one of his most embarassing career moments.
PFC Ludogorets Razgrad were founded in 2001. They have about as much a history as Chelsea.
Sunday is looking very 'drawish' at Tottenham
Before last season's 5-0 drubbing at White Hart Lane, Liverpool had lost five straight matches there. The Reds are 6-5-11 in 22 Premiership seasons at Tottenham. Seven of those losses finished with a 1-2 scoreline. Liverpool have scored 30 goals and allowed 32 at Spurs over that period.
In their 20 matches away from Anfield on match day 3, LFC is 6-5-9. They are 1-1-0 at White Hart Lane during that time, a 0-0 draw in 2005-06 and 3-1 win in 1995-96. In the latter match, John Barnes scored a brace to give him 100 career goals for Liverpool, while Robbie Fowler's lone goal gave him 50.
Liverpool is 6-8-5 at the previous season 6th place finisher, though that opponent has never been Spurs.
The previous season 2nd place finisher is 9-6-6 at the previous season 6th place side, though the former has only lost once in the previous 8 meetings when Liverpool beat Chelsea 4-1 in 2011-12. Liverpool is 1-0-1 as the second place side in this situation, beating Villa 1-0 in 2009-10 and losing to Chelsea 2-1 in 02-03.
Everything points to a draw at the moment, but there's still plenty of research to be done.
In their 20 matches away from Anfield on match day 3, LFC is 6-5-9. They are 1-1-0 at White Hart Lane during that time, a 0-0 draw in 2005-06 and 3-1 win in 1995-96. In the latter match, John Barnes scored a brace to give him 100 career goals for Liverpool, while Robbie Fowler's lone goal gave him 50.
Liverpool is 6-8-5 at the previous season 6th place finisher, though that opponent has never been Spurs.
The previous season 2nd place finisher is 9-6-6 at the previous season 6th place side, though the former has only lost once in the previous 8 meetings when Liverpool beat Chelsea 4-1 in 2011-12. Liverpool is 1-0-1 as the second place side in this situation, beating Villa 1-0 in 2009-10 and losing to Chelsea 2-1 in 02-03.
Everything points to a draw at the moment, but there's still plenty of research to be done.
Chelsea & Tottenham dominate most outstanding performances from Matchday Two
Most outstanding performances from matchday two:
Calum Chambers, Arsenal
47/49 passing, 95.9%, 1 cc, 2 tackles, 1 int, 10 clearances
Dean Marney, Burnley
62/67 passing, 92.5%, 6/7 long passes, 2 cc, 5 tackles, 4 ints, 2 clearances
Eden Hazard, Chelsea
1 goal, 48/54 passing, 88.9%, 7 cc, 6 successful take-ons, 2 sot
Cesc Fabregas, Chelsea
72/77 passes, 93.5%, 4 cc, 2 sot, 3 take-ons, 1 tackles
Cesar Azpilicueta, Chelsea
50/55 passes, 90.9%, 1 cc, 5 tackles, 2 ints, 6 clearances
Mile Jedinak, Crystal Palace
9/10 aerial duels, 1 cc, 6 tackles, 4 ints, 1 blocked shot
Antonio Valencia, Man United
54/59 passing, 91.5%, 1 cc, 7 tackles, 3 ints, 1 blocked shot
Joey Barton, QPR
42/50 passing, 84%, 9/13 long passes, 4 cc, 7 tackles, 2 ints
Ryan Shawcross, Stoke
1 goal, 2 sot, 1 take-on, 3 tackles, 1 int, 12 clearances, 1 blocked shot
Ashley Williams, Swansea
61/67 passes, 91%, 10/15 long passes, 2 tackles, 2 ints, 11 clearances
Emmanuel Adebayor, Tottenham
1 g, 1 ast, 38/42 passing, 90.5%, 4 cc, 2 sot, 1 take-on, 1 int, 1 clearance
Erik Lamela, Tottenham
2 assists, 43/48 passing, 89.6%, 3 cc, 5 take-ons, 3 tackles, 2 ints
Nacer Chadli, Tottenham
2 goals, 26/28 passing, 92.9%, 1 cc, 1 take-on, 2 ints, 1 clearances
Eric Dier, Tottenham
1 g, 42/48 passing, 87.5%, 1 cc, 1 take-on, 7 tackles, 1 clearance
Danny Rose, Tottenham
1 assist, 59/66 passing, 89.4%, 1 cc, 5/7 aerial duels, 2 tckls, 3 ints, 4 clrs
Youssouf Mulumbu, WBA
50/58 passing, 86.2%, 1 take-on, 9 tackles, 6 ints, 1 blocked shot
Cheikhou Kouyate, West Ham
1 assist, 1 cc, 2 sot, 5/10 aerial duels, 4 take-ons, 5 tckls, 2 ints, 2 clearances
Calum Chambers, Arsenal
47/49 passing, 95.9%, 1 cc, 2 tackles, 1 int, 10 clearances
Dean Marney, Burnley
62/67 passing, 92.5%, 6/7 long passes, 2 cc, 5 tackles, 4 ints, 2 clearances
Eden Hazard, Chelsea
1 goal, 48/54 passing, 88.9%, 7 cc, 6 successful take-ons, 2 sot
Cesc Fabregas, Chelsea
72/77 passes, 93.5%, 4 cc, 2 sot, 3 take-ons, 1 tackles
Cesar Azpilicueta, Chelsea
50/55 passes, 90.9%, 1 cc, 5 tackles, 2 ints, 6 clearances
Mile Jedinak, Crystal Palace
9/10 aerial duels, 1 cc, 6 tackles, 4 ints, 1 blocked shot
Antonio Valencia, Man United
54/59 passing, 91.5%, 1 cc, 7 tackles, 3 ints, 1 blocked shot
Joey Barton, QPR
42/50 passing, 84%, 9/13 long passes, 4 cc, 7 tackles, 2 ints
Ryan Shawcross, Stoke
1 goal, 2 sot, 1 take-on, 3 tackles, 1 int, 12 clearances, 1 blocked shot
Ashley Williams, Swansea
61/67 passes, 91%, 10/15 long passes, 2 tackles, 2 ints, 11 clearances
Emmanuel Adebayor, Tottenham
1 g, 1 ast, 38/42 passing, 90.5%, 4 cc, 2 sot, 1 take-on, 1 int, 1 clearance
Erik Lamela, Tottenham
2 assists, 43/48 passing, 89.6%, 3 cc, 5 take-ons, 3 tackles, 2 ints
Nacer Chadli, Tottenham
2 goals, 26/28 passing, 92.9%, 1 cc, 1 take-on, 2 ints, 1 clearances
Eric Dier, Tottenham
1 g, 42/48 passing, 87.5%, 1 cc, 1 take-on, 7 tackles, 1 clearance
Danny Rose, Tottenham
1 assist, 59/66 passing, 89.4%, 1 cc, 5/7 aerial duels, 2 tckls, 3 ints, 4 clrs
Youssouf Mulumbu, WBA
50/58 passing, 86.2%, 1 take-on, 9 tackles, 6 ints, 1 blocked shot
Cheikhou Kouyate, West Ham
1 assist, 1 cc, 2 sot, 5/10 aerial duels, 4 take-ons, 5 tckls, 2 ints, 2 clearances
Gerrard breaks into top ten of most efficient EPL players, Lovren falls and Yaya takes top
Top attacking efficient players in the Premiership
(must have played at least 120 minutes thus far)
Fletcher is a bit shocking, but he has posted a 87.3% pass rate and has only averaged 7 caused possession changes a match. Blackett has managed an even better successful passing percentage at 88.4%.
If all players are included, despite the amount of minutes played, Sergio Aguero is king with a ridiculous 0.938 attacking efficiency. That's what happens when you score 2 goals, post a 3/4 shot accuracy and are 10/10 on passing in 29 total minutes on the pitch. Only a matter of time before they play the Argentine, Jovetic, and Dzeko up front at the same time and have the minnows of the Prem soiling their shorts.
Leicester's Andy King is a good example of 'levelling off''. The Welsh midfielder dropped 22 places in rankings after facing Chelsea, the 2nd most efficient side in the EPL. The Foxes next host Arsenal, which could go either way for King as he should have the amount of touches to show if he's as good as he was against Everton.
Top defensive efficient players
(must have played at least 120 minutes thus far)
(must have played at least 120 minutes thus far)
| ape | |
| Y. Toure | 0.878 |
| S. Nasri | 0.859 |
| D. Fletcher | 0.825 |
| Cesc Fàbregas | 0.822 |
| F. Coloccini | 0.817 |
| N. Bentaleb | 0.805 |
| Eden Hazard | 0.804 |
| S. Gerrard | 0.797 |
| E. Adebayor | 0.795 |
| T. Blackett | 0.795 |
Fletcher is a bit shocking, but he has posted a 87.3% pass rate and has only averaged 7 caused possession changes a match. Blackett has managed an even better successful passing percentage at 88.4%.
If all players are included, despite the amount of minutes played, Sergio Aguero is king with a ridiculous 0.938 attacking efficiency. That's what happens when you score 2 goals, post a 3/4 shot accuracy and are 10/10 on passing in 29 total minutes on the pitch. Only a matter of time before they play the Argentine, Jovetic, and Dzeko up front at the same time and have the minnows of the Prem soiling their shorts.
Leicester's Andy King is a good example of 'levelling off''. The Welsh midfielder dropped 22 places in rankings after facing Chelsea, the 2nd most efficient side in the EPL. The Foxes next host Arsenal, which could go either way for King as he should have the amount of touches to show if he's as good as he was against Everton.
Top defensive efficient players
(must have played at least 120 minutes thus far)
| dpe | |
| C. Chambers | 0.914 |
| R. Ferdinand | 0.914 |
| M. Skrtel | 0.905 |
| D. Lovren | 0.896 |
| F. Coloccini | 0.894 |
| Y. Toure | 0.884 |
| P. Jagielka | 0.878 |
| Fernando | 0.877 |
| V. Kompany | 0.871 |
| T. Blackett | 0.865 |
Chambers continues to impress, but I did change up the formula to be more possession-friendly, meaning the 19-year-old right back benefits greatly from playing for Arsene Wenger. That shouldn't help Rio though as QPR is the fifth-worst possession side. Man United should have let him stayed another season. Skrtel leap frogs Lovren and having both centre backs in the top for says a lot about Liverpool's somewhat deficient defence. Save Gerrard, only Jordan Henderson is ranked in the top 75 at 74.
Top overall efficient players
(must have played at least 120 minutes thus far)
| ope | |
| Y. Toure | 0.881 |
| F. Coloccini | 0.856 |
| C. Chambers | 0.840 |
| S. Nasri | 0.835 |
| T. Blackett | 0.830 |
| D. Fletcher | 0.829 |
| Fernando | 0.825 |
| G. Barry | 0.821 |
| S. Gerrard | 0.820 |
| N. Bentaleb | 0.817 |
No Chelsea players? Fabregas is closest at 18th, but they are tied with City with a league best 8 players in the top 100. It is a team sport after all. Lovren dropped to 13th, one ahead of Skrtel.
Wednesday, August 27, 2014
Man United the third most efficient attacking side in the Premiership? Afraid so, but...
Most efficient attacking sides in the EPL:
| ape | |
| Man City | 0.700 |
| Tottenham | 0.698 |
| Man U | 0.690 |
| Arsenal | 0.674 |
| Chelsea | 0.669 |
City and Tottenham are not surprising here, but ManU at third? Really? Well two things play into this, first the quality of their opponents. Home against Swansea and at Sunderland are not very tough 'tests', the latter is eighth best in defensive efficiency so far, but they got a boost from playing West Brom. The Cardiff club is second to last in defensive efficiency and will probably have to rely more and more on scoring goals to keep up with opponents.
Second, United are actually decent at passing and lead the league in completion percentage at 87.3%. They play at Burnley next week, so expect them to continue their competency, but once the meat of their schedule begins, their numbers should 'level out'.
Liverpool stand 6th, by the way.
Most efficient defensive sides in the EPL:
| dpe | |
| Stoke | 0.366 |
| Chelsea | 0.350 |
| Arsenal | 0.318 |
| West Ham | 0.310 |
| Hull City | 0.278 |
Stoke shouldn't be much of a surprise here considering their defence-oriented style of play and the fact that their first two opponents this season are currently the 17th (Hull) and 19th (Aston Villa) most efficient attacks. Let's see how they fair at City this weekend before we pass judgement.
Liverpool currently sit 11th.
Most efficient overall:
| per | |
| Chelsea | 1.019 |
| Arsenal | 0.992 |
| Stoke | 0.974 |
| Man U | 0.943 |
| Tottenham | 0.936 |
| Man City | 0.933 |
| Liverpool | 0.897 |
Before anyone loses the plot, this measures 'efficiency', there is no 'extra' value given to goals nor to defensive errors that lead to goals. It will even out as the season continues and opponents become more common. The fact that Man U isn't at or near the top of the table after two matches against less-than-mediocre opposition says plenty.
Team stat stand-outs
- West Ham are the king of the crosses with a by far league best 19 successful at an also impressive 39.6% rate. West Brom has completed the second most with 12 and Sunderland is the second most efficient at 29.0%.
- Stoke have been dominant in the air. The Potters have won the most duels (59) at the highest success rate (65.6%).
- West Brom has been 'dispossessed' 44 times, 15 more than the next nearest club, which is surprisingly Man City.
- Aston Villa has one shot on goal in 15 attempts, it also resulted in their only goal by Andreas Weimann.
- Chelsea lead the league in goals scored, chances created, shots-on-goal, and successful dribbles.
- Stoke and Hull lead the league with 94 clearances a piece, 20 more than any other club.
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