Some interesting Opta stats

Opta have some insteresting Arsenal stats from last season.

Arsenal have surpassed both Manchester United and Chelsea for being the best passers in the league, with the highest pass completion rate for last season.

Arsenal made 14551 successful passes, whilst United and Chelsea made 13252 and 13653 respectively.

Liverpool made 11621 and Arsenal's London rivals Tottenham made 10955, a figure not even remotely close to Arsenal's.

Arsenal also have the highest shot accuracy in the league, with 49% of their shots (444) are on target (216).

Gilberto, so often villified by Arsenal fans as a sub-standard player, has a higher pass completion rate than teenage sensation Francesc Fabregas.

Gilberto is also the most accurate passer in the league stats-wise, with an 84% accuracy. Fabregas has 83%.

Thierry Henry is the top scorer in the league with 27 goals, converting 26% of his shots into goals, the second highest in the league after Robbie Keane (27%), who only scored 16 goals.

User Comments

bleh

Posted on 27 Jul, 2006 at 12:41 PM - Reply

I hate to say it but Erwan's right. we're passing well, but it doesnt always penetrate the defence.

Gilbo's passing being up there's an awesome stat though.

Joel

Posted on 27 Jul, 2006 at 06:25 AM - Reply

It's a myth that Gilberto passes the ball backwards. Anyone who says that has not been watching Arsenal for the past year. Again anyone paying attention will also realise that Gilberto also makes quite a lot of passes. The high completion rate is not due to a low number, Gilberto sees a lot of the ball coming out of defence. The high completion rate is linked to Fabregas' high number of passes. Gilberto gets the ball and playes it to Fabregas most of the time and to wing backs running forward. Very short passes so accuracy is improved.

The marvel in these figures is Fabregas. He plays long and short passes, left and right, around defence, in the centre and in the opposition area. It's a amazing that he manages 83% accuracy with that volume!

Alli

Posted on 26 Jul, 2006 at 10:01 PM - Reply

and without Gilberto we would be lost, are team would be nothing without him, fabregas isn't half as good without him

Erwan Fung

Posted on 26 Jul, 2006 at 05:27 PM - Reply

The OPTA stats do not impressed me at all to be honest. The most important stats to look at is how many games that we lost or how many times that we failed to deal with ball coming from the air? Of course you will see higher passing percentage from Gilberto because most of the passes are going backward instead of going foward. We are the only team in Premiership comfortable playing the ball in the ground, passing the ball around the oppositon teritories and we does not fit in the long ball system. Clearly explains why we have higher passing percentage compare to Man U and Chesea. After all keeping the ball in the ground much more entertaining is it?

Vuk

Posted on 26 Jul, 2006 at 04:11 PM - Reply

Yes, and I guess as we don't shoot too much, particularly from distance, we're making most of them...

Neal

Posted on 26 Jul, 2006 at 01:09 PM - Reply

At least someone's noticing Gilberto's contribution. Scapegoat, end of.

Travelling Gooner

Posted on 26 Jul, 2006 at 10:30 AM - Reply

Of course Gilberto completes a higher percentage - I can count on one hand the amount of times he played a ball forward!

Meh

Posted on 26 Jul, 2006 at 09:19 AM - Reply

Gilberto cant have made many passes then, because a lot of his passing last season was atrocious. He doesn't pass the ball very far either, so that's something the stats dont show.

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