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Posts Categorized: SCFC

Who is the best Premier League right-back? | Stats Comparison

Posted by & filed under AFC, Arsenal (M), Arsenal (NN), aston villa, AVFC, Azpilicueta, Bacary Sagna, baggies, Bosingwa, boyce, BPL, Canaries, CFC, Chelsea, city, clyne, Coleman, danny simpson, demel, efc, english Premier league, English Premier League Opta Stats, English Premier League Stats, EPL, EPL Index Featured Article, EPL Index Statistical Comparisons, epl opta stats, EPL Stats, Everton, ffc, Fulham, full back, full backs, gardner, Glen Johnson, gunter, hammers, Johnson, Jones, Kyle Walker, latics, LFC, Liverpool, lowton, Man City, Man Utd., manchester, Manchester City, manchester united, Manchester Utd, martin, MCFC, MUFC, Nathaniel Clyne, Newcastle, Norwich, NUFC, opta, Opta Stats, pl, potters, Premier League, premier league opta stats, Premiership, QPR, Queens Park Rangers, Rafael, rangel, Reading, reither, RFC, Right Back, right backs, Sagna, Saints, SCFC, SFC, Shotton, Simpson, Southampton, Spurs, Stoke, Stoke City, Sunderland, swans, Swansea, THFC, toon, Tottenham, Tottenham Hotspur, United, Villa, WAFC, Walker, WBA, wbafc, west brom, West Bromwich Albion, West Ham, West Ham United, WHU, WHUFC, Wigan, Wigan Athletic, Zabaleta.

When you’re sitting in the pub with your mates, picking your favourites of the Premier League, the one position that has to be the hardest to choose a winner for is the right-back. It is not in any way as easy as left-back, with Ashley Cole usually taking that spot, and Leighton Baines coming through [...]

Who is the best Premier League right-back? | Stats Comparison

EPL Opta Stats & Blog | eplindex.com – soccer stats – Our EPL Stats are Powered by Opta stats | English Premier League stats & blog | Subscribe to the EPL Stats Centre at eplindex.com

Three problems Tottenham Hotspur must address for the Stoke match

Posted by & filed under Opinion, SCFC, Spurs, Stoke City, THFC, Tottenham Hotspur.

Despite a pleasing, if somewhat fortunate, draw away at Chelsea on Wednesday night Tottenham Hotspur are now reliant on their rivals dropping points if they want to claim a Champions League place next season.

However Spurs still have plenty to do themselves if they want to keep the maximum amount of pressure on Arsenal and [...]

Top Counter Attacking Teams This Season | Opta Stats Analysis

Posted by & filed under AFC, Arsenal, aston villa, AVFC, CFC, Chelsea, Counter Attack Analysis, Counter Attack Goals, Counter Attack Shots, Counter Attack Stats, efc, English Premier League Opta Stats, English Premier League Stats, EPL, EPL Index Featured Article, EPL Index Statistical Comparisons, epl opta stats, EPL Stats, Everton, ffc, Fulham, LFC, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester Utd, MCFC, MUFC, NCFC, Newcastle Utd, Norwich City, NUFC, opta, Opta Stats, Premier League, premier league opta stats, Premier League Stats, QPR, Reading, RFC, SAFC, SCFC, SFC, Southampton, Stoke City, Sunderland, Swansea, Swansea City, THFC, Tottenham Hotspur, WAFC, wbafc, West Bromwich Albion, West Ham United, WHUFC, Wigan.

Teams that can hit you on the counter attack at any moment are incredibly hard to defend against, especially when speed merchants such as Gareth Bale and Theo Walcott are running at your defence. So which teams have impressed in the counter attack and …

Are Referees biased towards the Home Team? | EPL Stats Analysis

Posted by & filed under AFC, Arsenal, aston villa, CFC, Chelsea, efc, English Premier League Opta Stats, English Premier League Stats, EPL, EPL Index Featured Article, EPL Index Statistical Comparisons, epl opta stats, EPL Stats, Everton, ffc, Fouls per yellow card, Free Kick Stats, Free Kicks per Yellow at Home, Free Kicks per Yellow Away, Free Kicks per Yellow Card, Free Kicks per yellow Stats, Fulham, LFC, Liverpool, Manchester City, manchester united, Manchester Utd, MCFC, MUFC, NCFC, Newcastle United, Newcastle Utd, Norwich City, opta, Opta Stats, Premier League, premier league opta stats, Premier League Referee Home Bias, QPR, Reading, RFC, SAFC, scafc, SCFC, SFC, Southampton, Stoke City, Sunderland, Swansea City, THFC, Tottenham Hotspur, WAFC, WBA, West Bromwich Albion, West Ham United, WHUFC, Wigan, Wigan Athletic.

Research has been conducted looking into whether referee’s are biased towards certain teams or individuals. Manchester United tend to have a reputation from rival supporters for ‘Fergie time’, gaining more penalties than other teams at home, especially with Howard Webb. Marouane Fellaini even stated that referee’s were biased towards English players following his head butt [...]

Are Referees biased towards the Home Team? | EPL Stats Analysis

EPL Opta Stats & Blog | eplindex.com – soccer stats – Our EPL Stats are Powered by Opta stats | English Premier League stats & blog | Subscribe to the EPL Stats Centre at eplindex.com

How efficient is your team at crossing? Premier League Crossing Stats

Posted by & filed under AFC, Arsenal, aston villa, AVFC, CFC, Chelsea, Crossing Opta Stats, Crossing stats, efc, English Premier League Opta Stats, English Premier League Stats, EPL, EPL Index Featured Article, EPL Index Statistical Comparisons, epl opta stats, EPL Stats, Everton, ffc, Fulham, LFC, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester Utd, MCFC, MUFC, NCFC, Newcastle Utd, Norwich City, NUFC, Open Play Crossing Opta Stats, Open Play Crossing Stats, opta, Opta Stats, Premier League, premier league opta stats, QPR, Reading, RFC, SAFC, scafc, SCFC, Set Play Crossing Opta Stats, Set Play Crossing Stats, SFC, Southampton, Stoke City, Sunderland, Swansea City, THFC, Tottenham Hotspur, WAFC, WBA, West Bromwich Albion, West Ham United, WHUFC, Wigan.

With the Premier League now entering the last 10 games of the season it is the perfect time to use statistics to draw conclusions about why your team produced success/failure. Last week my focus was on chance conversion rate. This week the focus is on crossing accuracy. The table directly below portrays the total crosses performed [...]

How efficient is your team at crossing? Premier League Crossing Stats

EPL Opta Stats & Blog | eplindex.com – soccer stats – Our EPL Stats are Powered by Opta stats | English Premier League stats & blog | Subscribe to the EPL Stats Centre at eplindex.com

How well does your team convert chances? Premier League Stats Comparison

Posted by & filed under AFC, Arsenal, aston villa, AVFC, CFC, Chance conversion Opta Stats, Chance Conversion Stats, Chelsea, Clear-Cut Chance Conversion Opta Stats, Clear-cut chance conversion stats, efc, English Premier League Opta Stats, English Premier League Stats, EPL, EPL Index Featured Article, EPL Index Statistical Comparisons, epl opta stats, EPL Stats, Everton, ffc, Fulham, LFC, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester Utd, MCFC, MUFC, NCFC, Newcastle Utd, Norwich City, NUFC, opta, Opta Stats, Premier League, premier league opta stats, QPR, Reading, RFC, SAFC, scafc, SCFC, SFC, Southampton, Stoke City, Sunderland, Swansea City, THFC, Tottenham Hotspur, WAFC, WBA, West Bromwich Albion, West Ham United, WHUFC, Wigan.

Of course, I don’t need to tell you that the more chances a team creates the more likely they are of scoring. But do the teams creating the most chances score the most goals? The stats below show the chance conversion rate for each individual team. Not surprisingly, top of the league Manchester United also [...]

How well does your team convert chances? Premier League Stats Comparison

EPL Opta Stats & Blog | eplindex.com – soccer stats – Our EPL Stats are Powered by Opta stats | English Premier League stats & blog | Subscribe to the EPL Stats Centre at eplindex.com

Premier League Form Guide Analysis | Manchester United, Spurs & City at Top

Posted by & filed under Arsenal, aston villa, CFC, Chelsea, EPL Index Featured Article, EPL Index Statistical Comparisons, Everton, Form Guide, Form Guide Analysis, Fulham, LFC, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester Utd, MCFC, MUFC, NCFC, Newcastle Utd, Norwich City, Premier League Form Guide, Premier League Stats, QPR, Reading, RFC, scafc, SCFC, SFC, Southampton, Stats, Stoke City, Sunderland, Swansea City, THFC, Tottenham Hotspur, West Bromwich Albion, West Ham United, WHUFC, Wigan.

The Premier League table seems to take form after around ten games and not have many major changes throughout the season however the form guide is an interesting table to analyse every six games or so because of the radical changes that can occur. This season Manchester United have maintained the position of first or [...]

Premier League Form Guide Analysis | Manchester United, Spurs & City at Top

EPL Opta Stats & Blog | eplindex.com – soccer stats – Our EPL Stats are Powered by Opta stats | English Premier League stats & blog | Subscribe to the EPL Stats Centre at eplindex.com

How Have Sides Fared Against Top and Bottom Half Teams So Far?

Posted by & filed under AFC, analysis, Arsenal, aston villa, AVFC, Bottom Half Teams, CFC, Chelsea, efc, EPL, EPL Index Featured Article, EPL Index Statistical Comparisons, epl opta stats, EPL Stats, Everton, ffc, Football Stats, Fulham, goals, LFC, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester Utd, MCFC, MUFC, NCFC, Newcastle Utd, Norwich City, NUFC, opta, Opta Stats, Points Analysis, premier league opta stats, Premier League Stats, Premier League Stats Analysis, QPR, Reading, RFC, SAFC, SCFC, SFC, Southampton, Stoke City, Sunderland, Swansea City, THFC, Top Half Teams, Tottenham Hotspur, WAFC, WBA, West Bromwich Albion, West Ham United, WHUFC, Wigan.

This article looks at how well each Premier League team has fared against the teams in the top half and the bottom half of the league this season. We take a look at which teams have taken the most points against the teams in the top half, as well as wh…

Dribbling Wizardry: Premier League 2012-13 so far | Stats Analysis

Posted by & filed under AFC, Arsenal, aston villa, AVFC, CFC, Chelsea, efc, EPL, EPL Index Featured Article, EPL Index Statistical Comparisons, epl opta stats, EPL Stats, Everton, Fulham, Hatem Ben Arfa Stats, LFC, Liverpool, Luis Suarez Stats, Manchester City, Manchester Utd, MCFC, MUFC, NCFC, Newcastle Utd, Norwich City, NUFC, opta, Opta Stats, Premier League Dribblers, Premier League Dribbling Stats, premier league opta stats, Premier League Stats, QPR, Reading, RFC, SAFC, scafc, SCFC, SFC, Southampton, Stoke City, Sunderland, Swansea City, THFC, Tottenham Hotspur, WAFC, WBA, West Bromwich Albion, West Ham United, WHUFC, Wigan.

Dribbling is a much-admired skill in football. The best in the game are fixed into the history of the sport: players like Stanley Matthews, George Best and Diego Maradona are remembered for their almost superhuman ability to leave defenders trailing in…

Top Passers, Creators, Tacklers & Scorers in the Premier League So Far

Posted by & filed under AFC, Arsenal, Baines Stats, Carrick Stats, CFC, Chelsea, Defoe Stats, Demba Ba Stats, efc, EPL, EPL Index Featured Article, EPL Index Statistical Comparisons, epl opta stats, EPL Stats, Everton, Fulham, Gerrard Stats, Lampard Stats, LFC, Liverpool, Lukaku Stats, Manchester City, Manchester Utd, Mata Stats, MCFC, Most Passes in Premier League, MUFC, Opta Stats, Premier League, Premier League Clear Cut Chances, Premier League Creativity Stats, Premier League Mins Per goal, Premier League Most Creative Players, premier league opta stats, Premier League Stats, QPR, RFC, SCFC, SFC, Silva Stats, Southampton, Spurs, Stoke City, Suarez Stats, Taarabt Stats, THFC, Top Tacklers Premier League, Tottenham Hotspur, Toure Stats, Van Persie Stats, WBA, West Bromwich Albion, West Ham United, WHUFC, Yaya Toure Stats.

With twenty-three matches played by all twenty clubs we thought we’d check our Stats Centre’s Top Stats area and share some of the stats from it. We usually give Top Scorers lists but these can be found anywhere – instead today the first image below will show you the best mins per goal value for [...]

Top Passers, Creators, Tacklers & Scorers in the Premier League So Far

EPL Opta Stats & Blog | eplindex.com – soccer stats – Our EPL Stats are Powered by Opta stats | English Premier League stats & blog | Subscribe to the EPL Stats Centre at eplindex.com

Which team creates & converts the most Clear Cut Chances? | Stats Analysis

Posted by & filed under AFC, Arsenal, aston villa, AVFC, CFC, Chelsea, clear cut chances stats, clear-cut chances, efc, EPL, EPL Index Featured Article, EPL Index Statistical Comparisons, epl opta stats, EPL Stats, Everton, ffc, Fulham, LFC, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester Utd, MCFC, most clear cut chances, MUFC, NCFC, Newcastle Utd, Norwich City, NUFC, opta, Opta Stats, Premier League, premier league opta stats, Premier League Opta Stats Analysis, premier league stas, Premier League Stats, QPR, Reading, RFC, SAFC, SCFC, SFC, Southampton, Stoke City, Sunderland, Swansea City, THFC, Tottenham Hotspur, WAFC, West Bromwich Albion, West Ham United, WHUFC, Wigan.

This article takes a look at which teams are creating the most clear-cut chances this season; which teams make the most of these chances; and which teams are the most reliant on clear-cut chances to score their goals. A clear-cut chance can be defined as a situation where a player should reasonably be expected to [...]

Which team creates & converts the most Clear Cut Chances? | Stats Analysis

EPL Opta Stats & Blog | eplindex.com – soccer stats – Our EPL Stats are Powered by Opta stats | English Premier League stats & blog | Subscribe to the EPL Stats Centre at eplindex.com

Possession Football: How Spanish success changed the Premier League (11/12)

Posted by & filed under AFC, Arsenal, Arsenal Stats, aston villa, AVFC, BRFC, BWFC, CFC, Chelsea, efc, english Premier league, EPL, EPL Index Featured Article, EPL Index Statistical Comparisons, epl opta stats, EPL Stats, Everton, Everton Stats, ffc, Fulham, LFC, LFC Stats, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester Utd, MCFC, MUFC, NCFC, Newcastle Utd, Norwich City, NUFC, opta, Opta Stats, Possession, Possession Stats, Premier League, premier league opta stats, Premier League Stats, QPR, Reading, SAFC, SCFC, Southampton, Spurs, Stats, Stoke City, Sunderland, Swansea City, tactics, THFC, Tottenham Hotspur, WAFC, WBA, West Bromwich Albion, West Ham United, Wigan, wwfc.

Looking at last season’s data, we can see what seems like a radical change when we compare the graph with that of four years previous. The ‘tail’ of the correlation has disappeared completely and the entire line seems to be moving towards something more linear. This is the effect of teams such as Wigan, and more [...]

Possession Football: How Spanish success changed the Premier League (11/12)

EPL Opta Stats & Blog | eplindex.com – soccer stats – Our EPL Stats are Powered by Opta stats | English Premier League stats & blog | Subscribe to the EPL Stats Centre at eplindex.com

Possession Football: How Spanish success changed the Premier League (09/10)

Posted by & filed under AFC, Arsenal, Arsenal Stats, aston villa, AVFC, BRFC, BWFC, CFC, Chelsea, efc, english Premier league, EPL, EPL Index Featured Article, EPL Index Statistical Comparisons, epl opta stats, EPL Stats, Everton, Everton Stats, ffc, Fulham, LFC, LFC Stats, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester Utd, MCFC, MUFC, NCFC, Newcastle Utd, Norwich City, NUFC, Opta Stats, Premier League, premier league opta stats, Premier League Stats, QPR, Reading, Rooney, SAFC, scafc, SCFC, Southampton, Spurs, Stats, Stoke City, Sunderland, Swansea City, tactics, THFC, Tottenham Hotspur, WAFC, WBA, West Bromwich Albion, West Ham United, Wigan, wwfc.

In this article, I will be moving on from the 2008/09 season (Part 1) to look for some similarities or trends. In the 2009/10 season there is a similar curve in the line of best fit, and teams that are relegated could be accused of being inefficient. However, there is the beginning of a change in [...]

Possession Football: How Spanish success changed the Premier League (09/10)

EPL Opta Stats & Blog | eplindex.com – soccer stats – Our EPL Stats are Powered by Opta stats | English Premier League stats & blog | Subscribe to the EPL Stats Centre at eplindex.com

Possession Football: How Spanish success changed the Premier League (08/09)

Posted by & filed under AFC, Arsenal, Arsenal Stats, aston villa, AVFC, CFC, Chelsea, efc, english Premier league, EPL, EPL Index Featured Article, EPL Index Statistical Comparisons, epl opta stats, EPL Stats, Everton, Fulham, LFC, LFC Stats, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester Utd, MCFC, moneyball, NCFC, Newcastle Utd, Norwich City, NUFC, opta, Opta Stats, Possession, Possession Stats, Possession Stats 2008/09, Premier League, premier league opta stats, Premier League Stats, QPR, Reading, SAFC, SCFC, Southampton, Stats, Stoke City, Sunderland, Swansea City, THFC, Tottenham Hotspur, WAFC, WBA, West Bromwich Albion, West Ham United, Wigan.

Four years ago Spain used a possession-based philosophy to win Euro 2008. Since then, Spain and Barcelona have been the dominant forces in world and European football, with much of their success attributed to this style. Two footballing clichés seem to underpin this. Firstly, that possession is ‘Nine Tenths of the Law’. Secondly, that over the [...]

Possession Football: How Spanish success changed the Premier League (08/09)

EPL Opta Stats & Blog | eplindex.com – soccer stats – Our EPL Stats are Powered by Opta stats | English Premier League stats & blog | Subscribe to the EPL Stats Centre at eplindex.com

An Analysis of late goals in the Premier League

Posted by & filed under AFC, Arsenal, aston villa, AVFC, Betting Tips, CFC, Chelsea, efc, EPL Index Featured Article, EPL Index Statistical Comparisons, Everton, ffc, Fulham, goals from 76 to full time, late goal analysis, late goal analysis premier league, late goal stats, late goals, late goals analysis, late goals from 76 mins to full time, late goals from 80 mins to full time, LFC, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United late goals analysis, Manchester Utd, MCFC, MUFC, NCFC, Newcastle Utd, Norwich City, NUFC, QPR, Reading, RFC, SAFC, scafc, SCFC, SFC, Southampton, Stoke City, Sunderland, Swansea City, THFC, Tottenham Hotspur, WAFC, WBA, West Bromwich Albion, West Ham United, WHUFC, Wigan.

In this article I am looking at the late goals in the EPL as historically more goals are scored 76-FT then any other time range. Currently there have been 124 goals scored 76-FT making up 20.8% of total goals and 2011 this was 22.3% and 2010 it was 23….

A review of final third passing data | Stats Analysis

Posted by & filed under AFC, Arsenal, aston villa, AVFC, Betting Tips, CFC, Chelsea, efc, EPL, EPL Index Featured Article, EPL Index Statistical Comparisons, EPL Stats, Everton, ffc, Final Third Passes to Shots, Final Third Passing, Final Third Passing to Goals, Fulham, LFC, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester Utd, MCFC, MUFC, NCFC, Newcastle Utd, Norwich City, NUFC, opta, Opta Stats, Passing, Premier League, Premier League Stats, QPR, Reading, RFC, SAFC, scafc, SCFC, SFC, Southampton, Stoke City, Sunderland, Swansea City, THFC, Tottenham Hotspur, WAFC, WBA, West Bromwich Albion, West Ham United, WHUFC, Wigan.

I wrote a few weeks ago about the correlation between goals and final third passing and I think it would be a good time to review the current data as we come to the end of the year. If you look at the table at the bottom of the page you will see that M…

The Dirtiest Teams In The Premier League | Stats Analysis

Posted by & filed under AFC, Arsenal, aston villa, AVFC, cfc. efc. ffc, Chelsea, dirtiest team in the premier league, EPL, EPL Index Featured Article, EPL Index Statistical Comparisons, Everton, fouls, Fulham, LFC, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester Utd, MCFC, MUFC, NCFC, Newcastle Utd, Norwich City, NUFC, opta, Possession, Premier League Stats, QPR, Reading, RFC, SAFC, SCFC, SFC, Southampton, Stoke City, Sunderland, Swansea City, THFC, Tottenham Hotspur, WAFC, WBA, West Bromwich Albion, West Ham United, Wigan, yellow cards.

Several teams in the Premier League have been branded as ‘dirty’ teams over the years, but which teams actually deserve the title of ‘dirtiest’ this season? We take a look at which teams have committed the most fouls this season, as well as which teams have received the most yellow cards. We have also looked [...]

The Dirtiest Teams In The Premier League | Stats Analysis

EPL Opta Stats & Blog | eplindex.com – soccer stats – Our EPL Stats are Powered by Opta stats | English Premier League stats & blog | Subscribe to the EPL Stats Centre at eplindex.com

How important is the time of the first goal? | Stats Analysis

Posted by & filed under AFC, Arsenal, aston villa, AVFC, BETTING, Betting Tips, CFC, Chelsea, efc, EPL, EPL Index Featured Article, EPL Index Statistical Comparisons, Everton, ffc, first goal stats, Fulham, how important is first goal, LFC, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester Utd, MCFC, MUFC, NCFC, Newcastle Utd, Norwich City, NUFC, opta, Opta Stats, Premier League, Premier League Stats, QPR, Reading, RFC, SAFC, scafc, SCFC, SFC, Southampton, Stoke City, Sunderland, Swansea City, THFC, Tottenham Hotspur, WAFC, WBA, West Bromwich Albion, West Ham United, WHUFC, Wigan.

I thought it would be interesting to review the games which took place on 29th and 30th of December, focussing on the time of the first goal. In six of these games the first goal was scored by the away side within the first 20 minutes; of the other fou…

Shots on Target & Goals Stats: Using Data Analysis to form betting decisions?

Posted by & filed under AFC, Arsenal, aston villa, AVFC, Betting and Data Analysis, Betting Tips, Chelsea, Data Analysis for Betting, efc, EPL, EPL Index Featured Article, EPL Index Statistical Comparisons, epl opta stats, EPL Stats, Everton, ffc, Fulham, LFC, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester Utd, MCFC, MUFC, NCFC, Newcastle Utd, Norwich City, Opta Stats, Premier League, Premier League Data Analysis, Premier League Stats, QPR, Reading, RFC, SCFC, SFC, Southampton, Stoke City, Sunderland, Swansea City, THFC, Tottenham Hotspur, WAFC, WBA, West Bromwich Albion, West Ham United, WHUFC, Wigan.

Many of you may have seen the movie (or read the book) Moneyball. The story charts Oakland A’s general manager Billy Beane’s attempt to put together a baseball club on a budget by employing computer-generated analysis, getting the most out of what were considered to be very average players. Can we transfer the idea of computer-generated analysis [...]

Shots on Target & Goals Stats: Using Data Analysis to form betting decisions?

EPL Opta Stats & Blog | eplindex.com – soccer stats – Our EPL Stats are Powered by Opta stats | English Premier League stats & blog | Subscribe to the EPL Stats Centre at eplindex.com

Set plays & long balls | Newcastle stats compared to the Premier League

Posted by & filed under AFC, Arsenal, aston villa, AVFC, CFC, Chelsea, Corner Stats, efc, EPL, EPL Index Featured Article, EPL Index Statistical Comparisons, epl opta stats, EPL Stats, Everton, ffc, Fulham, LFC, Liverpool, Long Ball Stats, Manchester City, Manchester Utd, MCFC, MUFC, NCFC, Newcastle United, Newcastle Utd, Norwich City, NUFC, opta, Opta Stats, Premier League, Premier League Stats, QPR, Reading, RFC, SAFC, scafc, SCFC, Set Play Stats, SFC, Southampton, Stoke City, Sunderland, Swansea City, THFC, Tottenham Hotspur, WAFC, WBA, West Bromwich Albion, West Ham United, WHUFC, Wigan.

A sullen first half or so of the season doesn’t look to be getting any brighter for Newcastle United – the 2-1 defeat to Fulham continuing Alan Pardew’s record of never coming from behind in a league game as Newcastle United manager, leaving the Toon with just 17 points after 16 games and 2 points [...]

Set plays & long balls | Newcastle stats compared to the Premier League

EPL Opta Stats & Blog | eplindex.com – soccer stats – Our EPL Stats are Powered by Opta stats | English Premier League stats & blog | Subscribe to the EPL Stats Centre at eplindex.com

Premier League Form Guide Analysis | United top, Stoke & Norwich flying high!

Posted by & filed under Arsenal, aston villa, CFC, Chelsea, EPL Form, EPL Form Analysis, EPL Form Guide, EPL Form Guide Analysis, EPL Index Featured Article, EPL Index Statistical Comparisons, Everton, Fulham, League Form Guide Analysis, LFC, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester Utd, MUFC, Newcastle Utd, NFC, Norwich City, Premier League Form, Premier League Form Analysis, Premier League Form Guide Last Six Games, QPR, Reading, RFC, SCFC, Southampton, Stoke City, Sunderland, Swansea City, Tottenham Hotspur, WBA, West Bromwich Albion, West Ham United, Wigan.

It’s always interesting to take a look at the form guide from time to time. Last month saw Manchester City and Manchester United sitting at the top of the form guide however a few things have changed – Manchester City have moved out of the …

Deadly Defoe at the Double | Premier League Striker Stats Comparison

Posted by & filed under Adebayor, AFC, Arsenal, AVB, Ba, Ba Stats, CFC, Chelsea, Defoe, Defoe Stats, efc, EPL, EPL Index Featured Article, EPL Index Player Profiles, epl opta stats, EPL Stats, Everton, Fellaini, Giroud, Giroud Stats, goals, LFC, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester Utd, Michu, Michu Stats, MUFC, NUFC, opta, Opta Stats, Premier League, Premier League Stats, Premier League Striker Stats, SCFC, Stats, Suarez, Suarez Stats, Swansea City, Tevez, Top Scorers, Torres Stats, Tottenham Hotspur, Van Persie, Ven Persie.

On Saturday afternoon at Craven Cottage, a brace for Defoe took him to four goals in a week and his tally for the season up to 9. Aside from the goals, Defoe had a relatively quiet game, making just 14 passes in the entire 90 minutes. Defoe is a player…

Newcastle United | A creativity comparison with Premier League rivals

Posted by & filed under AFC, Arsenal, aston villa, AVFC, CFC, Chelsea, efc, EPL, EPL Index Featured Article, EPL Index Statistical Comparisons, epl opta stats, EPL Stats, Everton, ffc, Fulham, LFC, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester Utd, MCFC, MUFC, NCFC, Newcastle, Newcastle Creativity Stats, Newcastle Stats, Newcastle Utd, Norwich City, NUFC, NUFC Creativity Stats, NUFC Stats, Opta Stats, Premier League, Premier League Stats, QPR, Reading, RFC, SAFC, scafc, SCFC, SFC, Southampton, Stoke City, Sunderland, Swansea City, THFC, Tottenham Hotspur, WAFC, WBA, West Bromwich Albion, West Ham United, WHUFC, Wigan.

I think we can all admit that Newcastle haven’t exactly set the league alight this season! Following on from the successes of last season and attempting to show further progress was always going to be a tough ask. But, few would have predicted that t…

Which Teams Take Advantage Of The Counter Attack The Most? | Stats Analysis

Posted by & filed under AFC, Arsenal, aston villa, AVFC, CFC, Chelsea, counter attack, Counter Attack Goals, Counter Attack Stats, efc, EPL, EPL Index Featured Article, EPL Index Statistical Comparisons, epl opta stats, EPL Stats, Everton, ffc, Fulham, LFC, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester Utd, MCFC, MUFC, NCFC, Newcastle Utd, Norwich City, NUFC, opta, Opta Stats, Premier League, Premier League Stats, QPR, Reading, RFC, SAFC, SCFC, SFC, Southampton, Stats, Stoke City, Sunderland, Swansea City, THFC, Tottenham Hotspur, WAFC, wbafc, West Bromwich Albion, West Ham United, WHUFC, Wigan.

To be able to hit the opposition on the counter attack when you are being penned back is an important skill to have as a team in the Premier League. If a team can go up the other end at pace and get a shot on goal it is very hard for the opposition to …

Has Your Team Improved This Season? | Points and Goals Analysis

Posted by & filed under AFC, Arsenal, aston villa, AVFC, CFC, Chelsea, efc, EPL, EPL Index Featured Article, EPL Index Statistical Comparisons, epl opta stats, EPL Stats, Everton, ffc, Fulham, LFC, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester Utd, MCFC, MUFC, NCFC, Newcastle Utd, Norwich City, NUFC, Opta Stats, Premier League, Premier League Goals Analysis, Premier League Points Analysis, Premier League Stats, QPR, RFC, SAFC, scafc, SCFC, SFC, Stoke City, Sunderland, Swansea City, THFC, Tottenham Hotspur, WAFC, WBA, West Bromwich Albion, WHUFC, Wigan.

This article looks at how well all of the Premier League teams (apart from the promoted sides) have done so far this season by looking at how many points they have taken, how many goals they have scored, and how many goals they have conceded, compared …

EPL Form Guide Analysis | Chelsea, Spurs Impress & Curious Case of LFC

Posted by & filed under AFC, Arsenal, aston villa, AVFC, CFC, Chelsea, efc, EPL, EPL Form Guide, EPL Index Featured Article, EPL Index Statistical Comparisons, EPL Stats, Everton, ffc, Fulham, LFC, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester Utd, MCFC, MUFC, NCFC, Newcastle Utd, Norwich City, NUFC, Premier League Form Guide, Premier League Stats, Premier League Win Loss Stats, QPR, Reading, RFC, SAFC, scafc, SCFC, SFC, Southampton, Stoke City, Sunderland, Swansea City, THFC, Tottenham Hotspur, WAFC, WBA, West Bromwich Albion, West Ham United, WHUFC, Wigan, Win Loss records, Win Loss Stats.

With seven games gone in the 2012/13 Premier League we thought we’d analyse the current form guide to see which teams are in winning streaks and losing streaks. We’ll also look at the minor differences in the Form Guide and Premier League t…

Long Ball in the Premier League (With no mention of Madrid or Barca) | Stats

Posted by & filed under AFC, Arsenal, aston villa, AVFC, CFC, Chelsea, efc, EPL, EPL Index Featured Article, EPL Index Statistical Comparisons, epl opta stats, EPL Stats, Everton, LFC, Liverpool, long ball, Long Ball Opta Stats, Long Ball proportion, Long Ball Stats, Long Ball teams, Manchester City, manchester united, Manchester Utd, MCFC, MUFC, NCFC, Newcastle United, Newcastle Utd, Norwich City, NUFC, Opta Stats, QPR, Reading, RFC, SAFC, scafc, SCFC, SFC, Stoke City, Sunderland, Swansea City, THFC, Tottenham Hotspur, WAFC, WBA, West Bromwich Albion, West Ham United, WHUFC, Wigan.

Earlier this week, Neil Ashton of the Daily Mail wrote an article that was errrr a little lacking in context, to say the least. The article looked at statistics that Ashton believed would show that West Ham weren’t a long ball team, as they only us…

Who are the “dirtiest” players & teams in the EPL? Stats Comparison

Posted by & filed under AFC, Arsenal, aston villa, AVFC, Blackburn Rovers, Bolton Wanderers, CFC, Chelsea, efc, EPL, EPL Index Featured Article, EPL Index Statistical Comparisons, epl opta stats, EPL Stats, Everton, Fellaini, ffc, fouls conceded, Fouls won, Fulham, Grant Holt, LFC, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester Utd, MCFC, MUFC, NCFC, NCFC Stats, Newcastle Utd, Norwich City, NUFC, Opta Stats, QPR, SAFC, scafc, SCFC, Stoke City, Sunderland, Swansea City, THFC, Tottenham Hotspur, WAFC, WBA, West Bromwich Albion, Wigan, Wolves, wwfc.

Last week we looked at which players were “fouled” the most in the Premier League according to the Opta Stats from our EPLIndex Stats Centre so today we thought we’d do a quick review of the “dirtiest” players in the [...]…

Steven Caulker | Heir to the King’s Throne? Opta Stats

Posted by & filed under Ashley Williams, Brendan Rodgers, EPL, EPL Index Featured Article, EPL Index Statistical Comparisons, epl opta stats, EPL Stats, Jan Vertonghen, Ledley King, Michael Dawson, Opta Stats, SCFC, SEBASTIAN BASSONG, Swansea City, THFC, Tottenham Hotspur, William Gallas, Younes Kaboul.

Following Ledley King’s retirement, Tottenham find themselves without one of the finest centre-backs the Premier League has ever seen. King was invaluable for Spurs at times, and despite his well documented injury struggles, he was able to consis…

Which players regain possession the most? Stats Comparison 11/12

Posted by & filed under AFC, Arsenal, Ball regains, Ball Winners, Bolton Wanderers, BWFC, EPL, EPL Index Featured Article, EPL Index Statistical Comparisons, epl opta stats, EPL Stats, Everton, Fulham, LFC, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester Utd, MCFC, MUFC, Newcastle Utd, NUFC, Opta Stats, Possession Regain, Possession Wins, QPR, scafc, SCFC, Stoke City, Swansea City, THFC, Tottenham Hotspur, WAFC, WBA, West Bromwich Albion, Wigan.

Earlier this month we covered enforcers and tackling stats however after some more analysis of the numbers on our Stats Centre (Subscribe Now for Access!) we came across a very interesting statistic: Possession Regains. These combine all types of tackl…

A cross to bear: Liverpool’s crossing addiction | Full League Comparison

Posted by & filed under AFC, AFC Stats, Arsenal, aston villa, AVFC, Blackburn Rovers, Bolton Wanderers, CFC Stats, Chelsea, EPL Index Featured Article, EPL Index Statistical Comparisons, epl opta stats, EPL Stats, Everton, Fulham, LFC, LFC Stats, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester Utd, MCFC, MCFC Stats, MUFC, MUFC Stats, NCFC, Newcastle Utd, Norwich City, NUFC, Opta Stats, Premier League Stats, QPR, SCAFC Stats, SCFC, Stoke City, Sunderland, Swansea City, THFC, Tottenham Hotspur, WBA, West Bromwich Albion, Wigan, Wolves, wwfc.

In some recent interviews, Simon Kuper has suggested that Liverpool established a data-driven style of play focussed around crossing last season. He theorised that Liverpool attempted to cater to Andy Carroll’s heading strengths by buying playe…

Players that will Stay Up When Their Team’s Gone Down | Opta Stats

Posted by & filed under Arsenal, aston villa, AVFC, Ben Arfa, Blackburn Rovers, Bolton Wanderers, BRFC, BWFC, Cabaye, Chelsea, Chicharito, Darren Bent, EPL, EPL Index Featured Article, EPL Index Statistical Comparisons, epl opta stats, EPL Stats, Everton, Fulham, Gutierrez, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester Utd, Modric, MUFC, Newcastle Utd, Norwich City, NUFC, Opta Stats, Peter Crouch, Premier League Stats, SCFC, Steven Fletcher, Stoke City, Sunderland, Swansea City, THFC, Tiote, Tottenham Hotspur, West Bromwich Albion, Wigan, Wolves, wwfc, Yakubu.

Inevitably there are those players who, despite seeing their team drop down to the Championship, will find themselves playing in the Premier League next season. For some, it is a matter of financials as their old club needs the proceeds [...]Written by…

EPL Reliance upon Clear-Cut Chances | Opta Stats Analysis

Posted by & filed under AFC, Arsenal, aston villa, AVFC, Blackburn Rovers, Bolton Wanderers, BRFC, BWFC, CFC, Chelsea, efc, EPL, EPL Index Featured Article, EPL Index Player Profiles, EPL Index Statistical Comparisons, epl opta stats, Everton, ffc, Fulham, LFC, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester Utd, MCFC, MUFC, NCFC, Newcastle Utd, Norwich City, NUFC, Opta Stats, QPR, SAFC, scafc, SCFC, Stoke City, Sunderland, Swansea City, THFC, Tottenham Hotspur, WAFC, WBA, West Bromwich Albion, Wigan, Wolves, wwfc.

Premier League strikers are usually judged on their goals scored per games ratio. However, thanks to Opta Stats, we’re now able to take the analysis further by analysing whether these goals were scored by easy chances put on a plate [...]Written …

Does ‘winning your battles’ win you games?

Posted by & filed under AFC, Arsenal, aston villa, AVFC, Battles, Blackburn Rovers, Bolton Wanderers, BRFC, BWFC, CFC, Chelsea, efc, EPL, EPL Index Featured Article, EPL Index Statistical Comparisons, epl opta stats, Everton, ffc, Fulham, LFC, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester Utd, MCFC, MUFC, NCFC, Newcastle Utd, Norwich City, NUFC, Opta Stats, QPR, SAFC, scafc, SCFC, Stoke City, Sunderland, Swansea City, Tottenham Hotspur, WAFC, WBA, West Bromwich Albion, Wigan, Wolves, wwfc.

Many a time when I played/play the game, managers and coaches have used the ‘win your personal battles’ line as a pre-game motivator. I guess the theory is, if you stop your opponent being effective, and that happens all over [...]Written by CraigN…

Is crossing still an effectively used strategy in the Premier League?

Posted by & filed under AFC, Arsenal, assists, aston villa, AVFC, Blackburn Rovers, Bolton Wanderers, BRFC, BWFC, CFC, Chelsea, crossing, efc, EPL, EPL Index Featured Article, EPL Index Statistical Comparisons, epl opta stats, Everton, ffc, Fulham, goals, LFC, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester Utd, MCFC, MUFC, NCFC, Newcastle Utd, Norwich City, NUFC, Opta Stats, QPR, SAFC, scafc, SCFC, Stoke City, Sunderland, Swansea City, THFC, Tottenham Hotspur, WAFC, wbafc, West Bromwich Albion, Wigan, Wolves, wwfc.

“The game has changed!” How many times have you heard, particularly from the ex-pros, this statement? There’s no doubt that some ways and forms of modern-day élite football has changed. You only have to look into the life of a [...]Written by Cr…