2023-2024 EPL Season

[hatterson]

POY

He's also fairly consistently outperformed his xG over the course of a year, so it's not like he's an average finisher who is simply running hot/lucky, he just appears to be an elite finisher.

According to Understat, in his career he's scored 126 goals on 91.87 xG. The last 5 full years and this one are:

18/19 - 12 goals on 8.36xG (+3.64)
19/20 - 11 goals on 9.7xG (+1.30)
20/21 - 17 goals on 11.02xG (+5.98)
21/22 - 23 goals on 16.99xG (+6.01)
22/23 - 11 goals on 9.6xG (+0.40)
23/24 so far - 12g on 7.47xG (+4.53)

 

[Jack Straw]

POY

I believe last season Kane had that distinction.

 

[Savant]

If we are talking about xG./xGA, I wouldn't really say it's due to luck:

They've outperformed their xG for years due to Sonny. Nothing out of the ordinary there really.

As for the xGA it is admittedly very high. I'd say it's due injuries, more offensively inclined fullbacks and lack of midfield solidity. The reason why they are outperforming their xGA is Vicario. He's bailed them out an awful lot of times. And I struggle seeing him regress to the mean.

Stats are just stats. Will see what happens. Tottenham has two major red flags for me

- as I said earlier. Fancy stats hate them. But of course there are reasons why fancy stats are….well fancy.
- they’ve been pressing A LOT. This is a big departure from previous Tottenham teams. They might gas out at some point because it’s tough to sustain the intensity over 38+ games.

Still think they are favorites to stay around where they are on the table; mostly because everyone else is pretty Mid, but just some things to keep in mind. Also need to see what happens in January with transfers and international tournaments before I’d be placing any bets

 

[HeHateMeFrisbee]

Apparently Van De Ven back for United game

 

[spintheblackcircle]

Cameroon allow André Onana to play in Manchester United’s game against Spurs | Manchester United | The Guardian

Manchester United’s goalkeeper André Onana will be available to face Tottenham on 14 January despite his Africa Cup of Nations involvement

amp.theguardian.com

 

[bluesfan94]

Cameroon allow André Onana to play in Manchester United’s game against Spurs | Manchester United | The Guardian

Manchester United’s goalkeeper André Onana will be available to face Tottenham on 14 January despite his Africa Cup of Nations involvement

amp.theguardian.com

Gotta feel for United fans here.

 

[JPBolts]

the state of this......

 

[hatterson]

Gotta feel for United fans here.

He's actually been pretty decent in the PL for the most part. It was the CL that he was a total tire fire.

Somehow he actually leads the PL in clean sheets, has the 5th most saves, and has one of the best save percentages (in part due to facing the 5th most shots against)

 

[bluesfan94]

He's actually been pretty decent in the PL for the most part. It was the CL that he was a total tire fire.

Somehow he actually leads the PL in clean sheets, has the 5th most saves, and has one of the best save percentages (in part due to facing the 5th most shots against)

Yeah, but where's the fun in that?

 

[Wee Baby Seamus]

Yeah, but where's the fun in that?

He's the anti-Hojlund - brilliant in the Prem and absolute ass in the UCL

 

[Savant]

the state of this......

Now to me, this is embarrassing



and this is hilarious

 

[Paulie Gualtieri]

Ben Davies is Spurs third centre back doing their hamstring this season. Thankfully Van de Ven will be fit to start next week. Crucial that Spurs bring in another centre back ASAP.

 

[spintheblackcircle]

Ben Davies is Spurs third centre back doing their hamstring this season. Thankfully Van de Ven will be fit to start next week. Crucial that Spurs bring in another centre back ASAP.

Not ideal. Just read that Davies picked up a degree in 2021 to prepare for life after football. Seems like a Ben Davies' thing to do.

 

[KJS14]

the state of this......

Now to me, this is embarrassing



and this is hilarious

They didn't complain about fouls not being called. They complained about players getting away with yellow card fouls without receiving a yellow card just because they mugged Saka on their first foul (i.e. refs too hesitant to give out the yellows on a first offense).

Just for everyone's reference, this is a statistical outlier, not a conspiracy.

 

[Savant]

They didn't complain about fouls not being called. They complained about players getting away with yellow card fouls without receiving a yellow card just because they mugged Saka on their first foul (i.e. refs too hesitant to give out the yellows on a first offense).

Just for everyone's reference, this is a statistical outlier, not a conspiracy.

So he’s drawn more cards than all but five players in the league? And he’s won more fouls than everyone on that list. How is that not being protected already? Do they want him to play wrapped in a bubble?

 

[IU Hawks fan]

So he’s drawn more cards than all but five players in the league? And he’s won more fouls than everyone on that list. How is that not being protected already? Do they want him to play wrapped in a bubble?

Holy shit man, how dense are you?

Just do the math. Cards/Fouls

45%
28%
44%
36%
21%
21%
16%

 

[Savant]

Holy shit man, how dense are you?

Just do the math. Cards/Fouls

45%
28%
44%
36%
21%
21%
16%

Here is a percent for you. There are 565 players in the PL according to Transfermarkt, (and Siri, I just asked Siri and that’s the number I got). Saka has received more fouls, according to this data than 560 players. He is in the top 1%.

If the intentional to compare Cards to Fouls, and we are saying this list is showing the top 7 Cards to Fouls players in the league, he’s still in the top 1%. Josh Brownhill (no idea what he is doing on there) is the outlier here. Not Saka. I don’t think you can say a player in unprotected if he draws more fouls than 99% of the league.

 

[KJS14]

The irony of Liverpool and Chelsea fans laughing when their clubs have publicly made the same type of statements for Salah and Hazard... Saka isn't the only one that gets this treatment, but the refs let him get mugged every game and rarely dish out yellows until multiple offenses occur. Obviously not every foul deserves a yellow, but the stats match the eye test.

 

[spintheblackcircle]

Fouled frequency:

Saka-1 every 39 minutes
Gordon-1 every 41 minutes
Foden-1 every 46 minutes
Sterling-1 every 46 minutes
Diaz-1 every 53 minutes
Gibbs-White 1 every 53 minutes
Brownhall-1 every 83 minutes

Minutes per yellow drawn

Sterling-102
Diaz-145
Gibbs-White-187
Brownhill-188
Gordon-198
Fodon-217
Saka-238

Saka and Fodon clearly have the most to argue about.....but to me the thing that stands out the most is Sterling somehow drawing almost a yellow per match.

 

[Savant]

The irony of Liverpool and Chelsea fans laughing when their clubs have publicly made the same type of statements for Salah and Hazard... Saka isn't the only one that gets this treatment, but the refs let him get mugged every game and rarely dish out yellows until multiple offenses occur. Obviously not every foul deserves a yellow, but the stats match the eye test.

So when was this LFC statement on Salah, and how much good did it do?

The refs do not let Saka get mugged. They call fouls. If he wasn’t getting the calls, they could make this statement with a straight face. But again, if he is the most fouled player in the league, then how is he not being protected? If they weren’t calling fouls, then sure; but he draws fouls. That’s protection.

Fouled frequency:

Saka-1 every 39 minutes
Gordon-1 every 41 minutes
Foden-1 every 46 minutes
Sterling-1 every 46 minutes
Diaz-1 every 53 minutes
Gibbs-White 1 every 53 minutes
Brownhall-1 every 83 minutes

Minutes per yellow drawn

Sterling-102
Diaz-145
Gibbs-White-187
Brownhill-188
Gordon-198
Fodon-217
Saka-238

Saka and Fodon clearly have the most to argue about.....but to me the thing that stands out the most is Sterling somehow drawing almost a yellow per match.

Maybe? But that also isn’t what the provided statistic is measuring. If someone wants to go through every one of those fouls and see what’s yellow worthy or not, sure. But the fact that he actually is drawing the highest rate fouls tells me there is nothing to complain about.

 

[KJS14]

So when was this LFC statement on Salah, and how much good did it do?

The refs do not let Saka get mugged. They call fouls. If he wasn’t getting the calls, they could make this statement with a straight face. But again, if he is the most fouled player in the league, then how is he not being protected? If they weren’t calling fouls, then sure; but he draws fouls. That’s protection.

Maybe? But that also isn’t what the provided statistic is measuring. If someone wants to go through every one of those fouls and see what’s yellow worthy or not, sure. But the fact that he actually is drawing the highest rate fouls tells me there is nothing to complain about.

You still haven't realized that Arsenal is complaining about the lack of yellow cards given to the defenders, not the lack of fouls won by Saka. How are the refs protecting him by just calling fouls against the defenders when the defenders are allowed to foul him 6 times before receiving a yellow card? That would actually be encouraging defenders to foul Saka in instances where they wouldn't be giving up a penalty or dangerous FK.

 

[Savant]

You still haven't realized that Arsenal is complaining about the lack of yellow cards given to the defenders, not the lack of fouls won by Saka. How are the refs protecting him by just calling fouls against the defenders when the defenders are allowed to foul him 6 times before receiving a yellow card? That would actually be encouraging defenders to foul Saka in instances where they wouldn't be giving up a penalty or dangerous FK.

I’ve realized it. You said LFC put out similar statement on Salah. If we are think about the same one, that was because Salah was even getting foul calls; let alone yellow cards. That’s you need to get a foul before you draw a yellow card last I checked. There are certain players that don’t even draw fouls. That is my issue. Tactical fouls also happen all the time. Without going through every foul Saka received I don’t think you can say everything should or shouldn’t be yellow; and that’s not even what the statistic you posted is measuring.

 

[KJS14]

I’ve realized it. You said LFC put out similar statement on Salah. If we are think about the same one, that was because Salah was even getting foul calls; let alone yellow cards. That’s you need to get a foul before you draw a yellow card last I checked. There are certain players that don’t even draw fouls. That is my issue. Tactical fouls also happen all the time. Without going through every foul Saka received I don’t think you can say everything should or shouldn’t be yellow; and that’s not even what the statistic you posted is measuring.

Some players are always going to draw more fouls than others based on the way they play. Saka has consistently been top 5 in the league for drawing fouls -- not because the refs are protecting him, but rather because he's actually getting fouled that much. Yet somehow he's getting fouled 5+ times before the refs hand out a yellow card to the offender(s).

The stats posted above aren't perfectly measuring whether Saka should be drawing more yellow cards, but it's the only statistic available that provides some form of evidence. And as someone that has watched 95% of Arsenal's games over the last few years, I can tell you that those stats match the eye test. You don't have to take my word for it, but you're the one that's talking about it without watching all of the games...

 

[luiginb]

Sarah also dives a looot more than Saka does which antagonises refs.

 

[hatterson]

Bruno G and Ayew have been fouled more this season (the latter by a significant amount) and haven’t drawn as many cards, so is there a conspiracy against them too?

Showing that Saka has the moist fouls against among players with the highest number of cards drawn doesn’t show anything. What you want to see is the average of cards drawn per foul for players who play a similar position.