Jonás Gutiérrez was the most-fouled player in the top-flight but hapless Liverpool claimed some unwanted records this term
Joey Barton doesn't need legal aid but we typical Guardian do-gooders are going to give him free advice anyway. When he appears in front of the FA Committee of Investigation into Sustained Attacks on All and Sundry following Sunday's misunderstanding in Manchester, Barton might try to curry sympathy among the powers-that-be by pointing out that Opta statistics show that, despite incurring a record-equalling nine red cards, Queens Park Rangers were the most fouled team in the Premier League this season. And Barton was their most fouled player.
Only eight players in the whole league suffered more than the 60 fouls that Barton had to endure, with Newcastle's poor old Jonás Gutiérrez (86) being the most put-upon. True, Barton also copped 10 yellow cards, a tally beaten only by his successor at Newcastle, Cheik Tioté, but in terms of quantity, Barton was far from the most prolific fouler. That title, of course, normally goes to Kevin Davies but the decline of the barrel-chested Bolton battler has been stark this season: having been the busiest fouler in seven of the last eight Premier League campaigns, fewer appearances this term meant that Davies trundled in at a career-low sixth in the rankings, his 58 offences looking puny in comparison to the 88 of joint-winners Grant Holt and Marouane Fellaini.
It's a good thing that getting caught offside does not count as a foul, otherwise Tottenham Hotspur would be in trouble. Emmanuel Adebayor was the season's most prolific offender in that regard, reclaiming a crown that he previously won in 2008 and succeeding last year's most regular transgressor, Jermain Defoe, another two-times winner. In fairness, Darren Bent, another previous winner, was on course to challenge hard for this year's title until he fell victim to injury. But Bent's absence is only part of the reason why Aston Villa were the only team in the league not to score a single goal from a corner all season. They also scored fewer headers (three) than anyone else – while the only team to concede more headed goals than Villa (12) were Sunderland (13). West Bromwich Albion conceded the fewest (five). Villa's total of seven victories was their lowest in a season since 1890/91, when there were only 12 teams in the league.
If Villa were harmless, then Liverpool were hapless. They struck the frame of the goal 33 times this season, the most ever recorded by one club in a season since Opta records began (Fulham were second this season with 24). Kenny Dalglish's men also hit more shots off target than any other team, missed more penalties than any other team (five) and misplaced more passes than anyone but Norwich and Bolton. Chelsea (2816) misplaced the fewest. Stewart Downing, meanwhile, was the master of misplaced shots, firing off 72 this season without scoring. Even Liverpool's diving failed to hit the mark, as they were given more cards this season for simulation (four) than any other team.
There is a stat doing the rounds on Twitter that Liverpool allowed opponents to have fewer shots this season than any other team. Not true. Manchester City and Arsenal were the most frugal on that front.
While the statistical proof of Liverpool's wonkiness comes as no surprise, the top tacklers table may not meet popular perceptions. The two most successful tacklers in the league this season were players who have been widely acclaimed for their artistry but less so for their industry: so it is time to pile more praise on Yohan Cabaye (116 tackles) and Moussa Dembélé (113). The much-vaunted Scott Parker was not far behind them in terms of tackles and both he and Cabaye made exactly the same number of interceptions (89) but the Englishman was nowhere near as influential going forward: Cabaye produced 55 crosses (excluding corners), 40 shots and four goals to Parker's 15 crosses, 14 shots and no goals.
The first thing everyone says before they play Stoke City is that they will try to stop them winning throw-ins. Try and fail, apparently, as Stoke won far more throw-ins this season than anyone else. However, from the 980 deliveries from Rory Delap, Ryan Shotton et al, only two resulted in goals, fewer than were scored from throw-ins by Blackburn, Bolton and Manchester United. Perhaps Stoke aren't taking long enough preparing them any more: this season the ball was in play on average for 60 minutes during Stoke match – still the lowest in the league but an increase on last season, when their matches only produced 58.52 minutes of actual play.
That trend was replicated throughout the league, which surely contributed to this season's excitement. Whereas last season the ball was in play for 62.39 minutes on average in Premier League matches, this season it rose to 64.42 – the most of any of the top five European leagues. Fulham (67.42min) offered the most action.
Manchester City know the importance of time. Their late strikes on Sunday brought their total of stoppage time goals for the season to 10. Arsenal were next best with six. In keeping with a season in which their last few matches were a pointless formality, Wolves scored no goals in time added on. Read More
انسخ الكود التالى و ضعه فى موقعك او مدونتك.
