I write about stats. I like stats. But here’s the deal about stats: they don’t do anything. Stats don’t pass a ball. Stats don’t make a turnover. Stats don’t win a game. And stats don’t tell a story. We do that.
We pass the ball. We get caught in possession. We tell stories and stats help us tell stories. And if stories are patterns of winners, losers, people overcoming odds, evil villains, and righteous heroes then stats help us tell that story. Stats don’t define the entire story any more than The Hobbit told the entire story of the One Ring or even how The Hobbit told the entire story of Gandalf. It’s just a chapter. A slice. A way of looking at something. And hopefully there’s something more interesting than just a bunch of numbers in that story, just like there’s something more interesting in the collection of words that make up the Hobbit.
Now, obviously I’m no Tolkien and I’m not writing about Attercop Attercop but I am writing about the heroes and goats of Arsenal’s hard fought 1-1 draw with Everton. Take it with a grain of salt. It’s just a story.
For example, examine the following:
1 – Glass of Bulleit Bourbon
2 – Pints of Rainier Draft
3 – Triple-thick condoms
8 – Conversations with people who know what’s good for Arsenal
3 – Patronizing head shakes
1 – Minute
1 – Goal
3 – Million jubilant Gooners
1 – Stubbies of Full Sail Session ale
2 – Cigarettes
1 – Yellow card for a weak ass Gibbs foul
1 – Shot on target by Vermaelen from a dead ball
1 – Ball dawdling turnover by Ramsey
1 – Poor clearance by Sagna
1 – Shot by Fellaini
1 – Goal by Fellaini
6 – Million angry Gooners
75 – Million pounds sterling
I reckon a feller could have a pretty good time in Dallas with that.
Do the hustle
11 – Shots by Arsenal
14 – Shots by Everton
8 – Saves by Szczesny
2 – Saves by Tim Howard
426 – Arsenal passes
111 – Arsenal passes in the Everton final third
291 – Everton passes
92 – Everton passes in the Arsenal final third
64 – Long balls by Arsenal
61 – Long balls by Everton
4 – Completed crosses for Arsenal (of 27 attempted)
5 – Completed crosses for Everton (of 26 attempted)
2 – Completed crosses by either Baines or Walcott (both had 11 attempts)²
14 – Successful dribbles by Arsenal (of 30)
5 – Successful dribbles by Everton (of 15)
4 – Successful dribbles by Cazorla (of 8 attempted)²
2 – Successful dribbles by Steven Peener (of 4 attempted)³
1 – Successful corners by each of Arsenal and Everton (of 6 attempts each)
21 – Tackles by Arsenal (of 23 attempts)
20 – Tackles by Everton (of 30 attempts)
5 – Tackles by Osman²
4 – Tackles by Arteta³
24 – Interceptions by Arsenal
20 – Interceptions by Everton
6 – Interceptions of Arteta²
4 – Interceptions by Osman³
18 – Clearances by Arsenal (of 38 attempted)
13 – Clearances by Everton (of 30 attempted)
18 – Aerial duels won by Arsenal
13 – Aerial duels won by Everton
5 – Aerial duels won by Giroud²
4 – Aerial duels won by Dustbin³
Fellaini v. Ramsey
4 – Shots by Fellaini²
3 – Shots by Ramsey³ (tied with Cazorla and Walcott)
4 – Shots on target by Fellaini²
0 – Shots on target by Ramsey
3 – Shots created by Fellaini² (tied with Gibbs, Sagna, and Baines)
2 – Shots created by Ramsey
0 – Assists by Fellaini
1 – Assists by Ramsey²
3 – Fouls drawn by Fellaini³
0 – Fouls drawn by Ramsey
4 – Fouls drawn by Per Mertesaker²
3 – Times dispossessed*, Fellaini³
6 – Times dispossessed, Ramsey²
1 – Times dispossessed, Ramsey Arteta (by Peener) from a poor pass by Sagna that led to a Sagna blown clearance which led to a nicely curled shot for a goal by Fellaini
4 – Turnovers* by Fellaini³
0 – Turnovers by Ramsey
6 – Turnovers by Giroud²
1 – Tackle by Fellaini (of 1 attempted)
3 – Tackles by Ramsey (of 3 attempted)
4 – Fouls by Fellaini² (tied with Arteta)
0 – Fouls by Ramsey
0 – Through balls attempted by Fellaini
2 – Through balls completed by Ramsey (of 2 attempted)²
2 – Aerial duels won by Fellaini (of 6 contested)
0 – Aerial duels won or contested by Ramsey
11 – Billion arguments over the above stats… GO!
7am
All numbers today via Opta, ESPN, or my personal database
Follow Tim on twitter @7amkickoff and at 7amkickoff.com
¹Best in the League in this category
²Lead both teams in this category
³Lead just his team in this category
*Turnovers are “loss of possession due to a mistake/poor control”, Dispossessed is “losing control of the ball by being tackled by an opponent”
[…] Report – Player ratings – By the numbers – […]
Dallas?!
You mean Vegas..
“Vegas” was dubbed over the original line “Dallas” because the film was released right after JFK was killed in Dallas and everyone felt that referencing Dallas at that point, with that list of items would be insensitive.
I like the original.
I mean, Ramsey has potential but so do other kids out there. I for one would like him to make the grade, but surely allowing him to be carried in our first team match after match is not the way to develop him. Fans have realised that he’s a liability. We need to send him on loan.
I really like that hustle board. A few anomalies in there like the Southampton game. But generally the more of those you win the better you are going to do.
We’ve had to do some serious hustling for some of those draws though…
The squad still looks wafer thin with the guys on the fringes either not being brought into play or when they do they are nowhere near as good as the players they are replacing.
Let’s hope we can get 3 points v the swans
I didn’t think Ramsay played a great game yesterday but the stats when compared to Fellaini who did play well, aren’t too bad.
It did seem like he played facing his own goalkeeper for much of the match.
I think with time he’ll develop into a great player though, and that development should happen at Arsenal.
Arsene has blamed a tough fixture as one of the reasons for our current position. It has been tough but it must be noted that we collected much higher points from these fixtures last season. From the 12 games(Not including West Ham and Southamption) we have collected 15 points this season. Last season our tally from these fixtures was 24 points. Not looking very good
i do like ramsey but its pot luck what you’ll get over 90 minutes…..at times hes xavi-esque, then he’ll look like a kid whos been given his 1st ever ball at Christmas!
What’s the difference between being “dispossessed” and a “turnover”? Is it just that a turnover goes directly to the other team, whereas a dispossession means a player is simply stripped of the ball?
Yes. But also, crucially, that one is actively caused by the opposition (dispossessed) and one is just poor control by the player (turnover).
Firstly, I love statistics. I studied economics in school and have always loved the breakdown in stats associated with shorts. However, statistics are like a bikini: they show a lot but at the same time hide a few very key areas.
*sports, not shorts
I’d rather hear about the breakdown in stats associated with bikinis
7 a.m. Just what are you Tolkien about?
[…] the end, though, both teams fought hard for the win. Looking at the stats we see both that Arsenal lifted their performance from the listless draw at Aston Villa and battled […]
I hate shawcrozz.
I hope wenger plays cazorla as deep midfielder and play arteta in jacks position and ramsey in cazorlas position and wilshere at left wing. that way everyone will be in his own comfort positions.
Genius or madness?
Just rough. It seems truely RAMSEY always wash our luck. I still feel a trophy coming. AW we deserve more.
Rambo and Jack will be attacking midfielders -hopefully at Arsenal- for years to come. Even at 20 and despite horrendous injuries, they hold their own on the international stage. One gets called the new messiah and the other the new pariah but to me they are both great. Jack is a tremendous tackler and Rambo covers better than any player in the Prem. Rambo also , like Cesc, can find space. When Arsenal start to play through him like they did with Cesc- then we will get our old Arsenal back. I want to see Ros, Jack and Rambo playing… Read more »
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