3 – Consecutive Arsenal matches where the winner scored three goals
Yep, it’s been a weird start to the Arsenal’s season. Arsenal climbed into 9th place today with a 3-1 win over Fulham at Craven Cottage. The scoreline today and last weekend ensured that the Gunners now have a P2 W1 D0 L1 F4 A4 record.
12 – Appearances by Barren Dent against Arsenal
8 – Goals Barren Dent has scored against Arsenal in those appearances
Darren Bent’s record against Arsenal is pretty weird. I guess. I don’t know why I included that.
5 – Shots by Cazorla in the first three matches this season for Arsenal (1.7 per game)
3 – Shots by Cazorla today versus Fulham
14 – Shots by Cazorla in his first three matches for Arsenal last season
2.8 – Shots per game for Cazorla last season in League and Champions League play
I noted early that Cazorla looks like he’s shooting less than last year. I’m sure it’s just a bit of hangover from a long summer. The season is too early to tell if this is a deliberate change on his part.
6 – Successful dribbles so far this season by Walcott
4 – Successful dribbles by Walcott today versus Fulham
Walcott had a poor first game with just 1 shot and 0/2 dribbles but he’s shaken that game off and come back in the last two matches with 6 shots against Fener and 5 again today to bring his total on the season to 12 shots with 5 shots on goal. He’s also had 9 key passes and an assist so far this season. Again, like Cazorla, it’s early doors don’t get too bogged down with the numbers just yet.
9 – Ball recoveries by Ramsey
6 – Ball recoveries by each of Cazorla and Jenks
4 – Ball recoveries by Parker
1 – Tackle by Ramsey (of 3)
3 – Tackles by Parker (of 3)
80 – of 87 passes by Parker, 18 of 25 in the final third, all of his misplaced passes were in the Arsenal final third
59 – of 63 passes by Cazorla, 25 of 29 in the final third, all of his misplaced passes were in the Fulham final third
6 – Chances created by Cazorla
1 – Chance created by Scott Parker
73 – of 84 passes by Ramsey, 15 of 20 in the final third
Ball recoveries is a new feature for those of you with the FourFourTwo app. Opta has been tracking the data for a while but 442 just this year decided to include it in their app. I like this stat because, for example Ramsey today, it shows how much a player is hustling to get the ball back for his team. Ramsey didn’t have a perfect performance (tackles were poor and he misplaced passes in poor areas) but he did bust a gut.
9.7 – Shots per goal for Olivier Giroud in Premier League play last season
4.9 – Shots per goal for Lukas Podolski in Premier League play last season
54 – Total shots Podolski took in Premier League play last season
20 – Shots Podolski put on goal in Premier League play last season
55 – Percent of Podolski’s shots on goal he converted to goals in Premier League play last season
107 – Total shots Giroud took in Premier League play last season
38 – Shots Giroud put on goal in Premier League play last season
29 – Percent of Giroud’s shots on goal he converted to goals in Premier League play last season
11 – Shots taken by Giroud in all (non-friendly) matches so far this season
3 – Shots on goal by Giroud in all (non-friendly) matches so far this season
100 – Percent of Giroud’s shots on goal he has converted in all (non-friendly) matches so far this season
3 – Shots taken by Podolski in all (non-friendly) matches so far this season
2 – Shots on goal by Podolski in all (non-friendly) matches so far this season
100 – Percent of Podolski’s shots on goal he has converted in all (non-friendly) matches so far this season
There’s a stat going around by Opta that Podolski was the best finisher in the League last year, scoring 33.3% of his overall shots. Which is true… if you remove shots that were blocked. I happen to count shots that were blocked because I don’t think a player should get an inflated finishing percent if their shots are blocked. Podolski is a classic example of why you shouldn’t count finishing like that. He took 54 shots but 21 of them were blocked or otherwise discarded by Opta in their finishing % stat. That’s nearly 40% of the shots he took which weren’t counted as shots!
And his finishing of one goal every five shots or so is actually really good. You don’t need to inflate those numbers.
And finally, the difference between the match last year and this is simple: finishing. Arsenal were well matched on both days — though Fulham was without Sidwell for a large portion of the April match, so you could say that Fulham outplayed Arsenal on that day — as the stats show but today Arsenal had two players with their shooting boots on, Giroud and Podolski. Arsenal didn’t even create a bunch of gilt edged chances today, just the one for Giroud — matched by the one put away by Bent — so the difference was Podolski and his two goals on three shots.
7am
Is that Giroud’s six-pack bulging through the shirt? Bloody hell. The man is a Greek god.
Handsome Lads FC
(Captained by Ramsey obviously)
When he’s pissed off with someone does he ever say “oh suck my dick!”….
could be tempting.
Aaah – treading that difficult line between laddish homo-eroticism and being openly gay. No wonder no footballers are ‘out’….
Poldi, three shots, two goals, first game of the season, and substituted. What does he need do to do to not get subbed?!
might be effecient but i can understand y weger sometimes drops him coz he is sometimes lazy. Last season during the first half u cld see him running back and covering for gibbs but he stopped that midway.
From what I saw, Poldi may look lazy at times, but that’s just because maybe he’s saving his legs a bit. He does chase down defenders very often, I recall at least 4 or 5 times yesterday alone when he harried the keeper and on the left flank, working with Gibbs to get the ball back. All this talk about his work rate imo is a bit unfair, Poldi works his socks off for us and he’s probably the most unselfish of the 3 players upfront.
Hes not known for his work rate or stamina!
I’m sure he won’t mind either. he got 2 goals and couldn’t care if i’m being honest.
When he’s subbed off it’s usually in the 60th minute and with good reason too. I think the man needs a goal to get really get going. anyway I feel he needed a goal for his season to really start. mission accomplished!
Does anyone think he wasn’t a good decision to take him off with a healthy lead, his first competitive start of the season and give Nacho some much needed minutes on the pitch. Arsene is often derided for his unimaginative substitutions, but taking the ever running TR7 off and giving Jack a run, giving Nacho some game time, as well giving Ollie a bit of a rest and a look at Sanogo, he got it spot on
Would happily take another 3 goals and a win against Fener on Tuesday.
What a shame we’ll have to go and spoil the trend by smashing our traditional 5 past the cunts next weekend.
Good performance, and early enough that I get to enjoy my weekend, even working with my sp*d mate.
“Santi’s overrated! Ramsey’s shit!” He said before the game. He didn’t speak much after it.
Happy, at least for now. Don’t want to bring the comments down, but we all know that if we added a few extra players of quality, we could really shake the league up.
Yes yes yes Fucking yes! Back on track just need a few New faces and we are ready for the world! C’mon arsenal! Turkish delight on Tuesday hope we skewer them hard!!!! Very happy Saturday!!! 😉
Build on this, I’d take a 2-0 loss against fener for a 88-0 against spuds.
Pity they’re not gonna play that cunt Adebayor up front. He seems to inspire us recently
Agree with the conclusion there, Podolski won that game for us. Giroud’s was key as it was the break-through, but the third goal of a game is normally the most important and Poldi smashed in the second too. They were done after that.
Wenger said we might bring in some new signings before spu*s. MIGHT ????
Yes, but the thing you have to remember about Wenger…
The main thing, you need to know…
Wenger was…
Wenger was…
Wenger is a massive troll.
0 – pounds spent during the transfer window
Enjoyed the chant ‘Tottenham piece of shit’ aimed at parker. The cunt.
Love your analysis Tim. Put the numbers into perspective.
Walcott is another one. from the ‘sprinter’ everyone couldn’t wait to see the back of to being the most important part of the team, atleast for me. (debatable)
Most of his dribbles don’t come off but when they do his man is usually left for dead, (no chance of catching up) thus providing a fearfactor for opposition defenders. that’s fantastic.
Badly needs a goal for all his good work, hear that sp*ds?
Most important part of the team? No way. He is, though, becoming a very fucking handy player – adding some efficiency to his natural endowment. When all that contract stuff was flying around I always said I’d rather be lining up with him than against him. The pace is terrifying.
I’m sold on walcott as our most important player. once he’s out of the side you’ll realise that aswell. He provides an out let through which we play our best football: on the counter.
Lest we forget his speed and drawing out fullbacks, whilst making darting runs into the box, freeing up Giroud in the process
wenger knows best
I see ‘old car crash face’ appeared on MOTD last night. Sat rather grumpily through Hansen’s praise of the Arsenal performance, and then claimed that Tottenham would finish in the top four but Arsenal were “well short”. Funny that – he said EXACTLY the same thing last year in the same arrogant and assured manner on MOTD after the Norwich defeat. What’s your problem, Harry? Did Arsene Wenger run over your dog or something??
Santi is world class. Wenger stole him from Malaga. What a steal!
Which makes me think, why did Wenger persist with Giroud at CF last season? Mostly, our problem was not the build-up play, it was finishing chances. Poldi was a proven CF when he came, but instead Wenger persisted with starting Giroud ahead of him at CF, giving him basically the entire season as the main man at CF (barring injuries of course). Wouldn’t it have been better if Poldi was our first choice CF, with Giroud learning his trade and adapting as the 2nd choice? We know Poldi is a great finisher, but not as good in the build up… Read more »
I hear you, but Poldi’s work rate up there isn’t up to snuff. Giroud, for all his lack of pace, and lack of finishing last term, does move smartly. There’s some slyness to his late runs. Plus his hold up play. Poldi doesn’t have either to the same degree, hence Wenger sticking with Giroud up top in 2012-2013.