Stat Attack

Here’s the xG from the Liverpool game. The second and third goals knocked the stuffing out of us, and both were shots that normally don’t go in. Elliot’s attempt rated at 1 in 25 and Alexander-Arnold’s at 1 in 50. Before the latter goal we had gone 22 minutes without conceding, which was the longest period during the day. In the 3rd minute, Diaz had opened the scoring with a header (rated 1 in 3) after losing his markers to find space. In the 16th minute Salah missed a sitter (rated 3 in 5) which should have made it 3-0 before Alexander-Arnold’s screamer. Goals were clustered with the 4th 3 minutes after the 3rd. A Liverpool cut-back deflecting unkindly off Tavernier straight to Firmino who stole in, with Mepham maybe waiting for Travers to come (rated 7 in 10). On the stroke of half time, Liverpool won a corner and Van Dyke rose above Tavernier to head home (1 in 12). One minute into the second half it was 6-0 Mepham turning into his own goal to prevent an offside Diaz having a good chance; it’s a law few like, but maybe it will go our way in a game where it will affect the result. The 7th was on 62 minutes, a short corner routine saw Robertson hit a cross shot that Travers parried back into the box to Firmino and after a bounce off Travers he had an empty net (the two chances combined sum to 133% (a quirk of the xG)). On 74 minutes Salah had another good chance (1 in 2) after controlling a ball from Fabinho and shooting over. On 80 minutes it was 8-0, Tsimikas brilliantly cushioning a cross field ball back to Carvalho who volleyed home (1 in 14). Five minutes later it was 9-0, Tsimikas’ corner was headed home by Diaz, (1 in 9) but we managed to hold out before it reached double figures. Our only clear chance fell to Moore (15%) which was rated higher than 5 of Liverpool’s goals, although I can’t remember this one. The xG from Infogol (used for the timeline) was 4.27 for Liverpool, but Match of the Day showed 3.23, so normally this would never be 9-0. Putting the result into perspective, we conceded one fewer shot and had one more shot than against Man City.

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We were slightly more advanced than against Man City, Zemura played high (helped from a change of system at half time which went to wing-backs with Lerma dropping into a back three) and was almost level with Anthony. Tavernier was close to Moore, with Solanke playing in an advanced left-sided attacker role when he came on.
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Zemura had the most number of touches in the game and was ranked highly for touches in the opponent’s half and final third.
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Four players played over 30 passes (Cook, Mepham, Lerma and Moore) although none had a success rate over 80%, I don’t know how much this was down to Liverpool high and energetic press. Of those paling over 20 passes, Senesi’s completion rate of 85% was highest. Tavernier, as has often been the case, had most passes in the opposition half, although Zemura only had 2 fewer.

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Liverpool kept the ball largely on the ground with Bournemouth hitting it long to Moore, who had more duels than the rest of the team combined and who won just under half.
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We made more tackles against Liverpool than Man City (30 vs 14). Zemura, (5), Senesi and Smith (4 each) had most and all had a 100% success rate. Smith was only on the pitch for 45 minutes too, meaning this number is impressive.

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Zemura made most interceptions, Cook (of the outfield players) made most recoveries, Senesi and Mepham most clearances, whilst we only managed one block in the game. Billing’s figures were relatively good having only played 45 minutes

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Here’s the xG from the Wolves game. There were very few good chances, with only three chances rated 1 in 7 or better, all falling to Wolves in the second half. The first chance was Moutinho’s free-kick, rated 1 in 7, which was blocked by the wall. After the Liverpool game it was good not to see this, and other chances go flying into the top corner. The biggest chance by far fell to Jiminez, who has a habit of scoring against AFCB, following a counter attack after Kelly lost the ball. The Mexican was through one on one against Neto, who stood up well and Jiminez put it wide (7 in 10). Two minutes later, Kelly made amends for his earlier error when clearing Podence’s header off the line after a good header back across by Jimenez (1 in 3). AFCB’s best chances fell to Solanke, the first a header just after half time which went straight at Sa, and a turn in injury time, where he slipped whilst striking (both about 1 in 10).

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I’m not sure how to describe the formation. I was expecting a 4-2-3-1 when the team was announced, but Billing and Tavernier played in very similar average positions (which could be rotating going forward, rather than stood next to each other) with Christie deeper and close to Zemura. Smith was as advanced as Zemura, but switched flanks when Fredericks replaced Zemura, with Fredericks playing where Smith had done. Lerma played slightly deeper than Cook.
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Tavernier had the largest number of touches in the game, and also in the opponent’s half and final 3rd. Billing had a relatively small number of touches for his 77 minutes suggesting that we struggled to bring him into the game.
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Five players played 30 or more passes: Kelly, Cook, Neto, Mepham and Tavernier although Tavernier’s success rate was only 43%. Only Lerma and Mepham had success rates above 90% with typical values being about 80%, indicating that 1 pass in 5 is going astray. In the opposition half Tavernier had most passes 20, but with a success rate of 40% as his final ball did not come off.

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Solanke had the most aerial duels (6) although wasn’t particular successful (33% success rate). Mepham and Smith were next with 4, although both only won one of these.
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Christie and Tavernier made most tackles with 8 and 6 respectively, with Christie winning 75% and Tavernier 100%. Across the team the successful tackle rate was high for those who were involved in a tackle.
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Great as ever Matt.

This might be a personal preference on my behalf, but with the average positions chart. I'd find it easier to read if there was more emphasis on the starting XI, the different colours for started but not subbed, started and subbed and then subbed take a while to read the shape of the formation? Could just be me? Especially with 5 changes.

Ideally, I'd like to see one colour for all the starting XI, then a corner of colour to show they were subbed? Would that work?
 
Here’s the xG from the Forest game. The first half hour was very bitty, the only chance registering above 1 in 10 was an attempt from Tavernier that was blocked. With their first big chance Forest scored. A good header from Kouyate, that I suspect Neto would have had no chance with even if he hadn’t initially attempted to come for Gibbs-White well-taken corner (rated 15%). The next big chance was the penalty (where VAR intervention meant it took 5 minutes to confirm and to my knowledge the first time a referee has stuck to his decision after being summoned to the monitor). Johnson made it 2-0 (rated 4 in 5) and it was half-time. A change in formation to attacking wingbacks transformed the game. It required a Billing super strike (rated 1 in 50) to ignite things, we’d been on the end of one at Liverpool the week before and I’m glad we’ve evened this tally so quickly. Forest went 20 minutes without creating a chance and by this point it was 2-2. Kelly peeled off Cook to head back for Solanke’s acrobatic finish (rated 1 in 5). The game was tense, even though neither team had any chances between the 69th and the 87th minute, before this Awoniyi and Christie both had chances rated approximately 1 in 9. Then in the 87th minute McKenna played a woefully weak pass to Henderson under pressure from Solanke. Solanke nipped in, squared it to Anthony, who had just come on to sweep it past Henderson (rated 1 in 4, so not the tap in people were led to believe). What a game for those there.
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We started with 4 at the back, although with Mepham and Kelly playing noticeable deeper than Zemura and Smith (who were level with Cook). At half time, we switched Smith back into a three, moved Tavernier to left wingback, and Fredericks (who came on for Zemura) to right wingback. Despite this change Tavernier was on average our most advanced player, with Christie, Solanke and Billing all fairly level. Anthony looks slightly deeper, but he scored soon after coming on and we defended for much of the time after. Moore and Stacey came on late and I’ve missed them off the graphic.
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