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Interesting to look at the overall stats of the team this year v. last year.
We all know we aren’t attacking with the same level of potency as last year, but it’s the differences are stark.
xG is down 7%, but npxG/90 is down 24%. Non-penalty goals/90 is down 26%.
xA and Assists/90 are down 30%.
GCA/90 from live passes is down 45%. SCA/90 from live passes is down 10%. GCA from turnovers has increased by 92%.
Conversely SCA from deadballs is up 30% and our GCA from deadball passes is up 213%.
Goals and xG from open play are down 46% and 28% respectively.
We’ve scored 7 goals in 12 games from corners - an increase per 90 of 71% over last year.
We’ve doubled our goals from penalties (6) over last year (3).
We’ve scored more goals from penalties and corners (13) than from open play (12). Maybe this team is ready for Ivan Toney…
Open play goals scored v. conceded 12 v. 8.
We are averaging more touches year over year, but less of these touches are coming in the middle third. The team is averaging more touches in the defensive third and attacking third. Touches in the attacking penalty area are slightly lower year over year. Considering that the overall number of touches and touches in the attacking third have increased, the decreased touches in the attacking penalty area is strange.
Flip side is nearly every defensive metric has improved. We are still only 12 games in, trends change, and I don’t think any of these figures are sustainable - particularly the reliance on corners and penalties. It’s tempting to blame it all on Kai and Jesus only be fit in 4 league games but I think most of this is a tactical issue for the manager to sort out. We’re winning, so it feels wrong to be worried or complain, but I don’t know if the the model for these first 12 games is replicable.