Arsenal v Brighton: Only a minority of this ref’s games are home wins

 

 

• Tackles, fouls and yellow cards. Arsenal v Brighton
• The worst time wasters are Newcastle! Top scorers and games v Brighton
• Arsenal v Brighton, how the opposition have been doing

By Bulldog Drummond

The referee is Andy Madley and we can see just a slight variability in terms of referees from this table.  His figures are not too varied from those of the other referees in this selection except when it comes to yellow cards where he is slightly on the low side…

 

Referee	Games	Fouls pg	Fouls/Tackles	Yel pg
Andy Madley	23	22.39	0.69	3.57
Craig Pawson	20	23.70	0.67	3.80
Darren England	17	21.65	0.70	3.71
Michael Salisbury	15	23.33	0.64	4.40

 

But where we do see variation is with the results of matches.  Figures as always from WhoScored.   And the fact that these figures are still happening shows just how weird football refereeing is in the Premier League.

 

Referee	Games	HomeWin%	AwayWin%	Draw%
Anthony Taylor	27	33.3	40.7	25.9
Robert Jones	24	62.5	29.2	8.3
Andy Madley	23	47.8	26.1	26.1
Craig Pawson	20	35.0	45.0	20.0
Peter Bankes	20	60.0	5.0	35.0

 

Of course we are never saying that all referees should have exactly the same figures but to have one referee who oversees 60% of his games as home wins and another who just sees 33.3% is bizarre.   To have one referee who oversees 45% of his games as away wins and another who just sees 5% as away wins, stretches credulity to beyond breaking point.

Only a minority of Madley’s games end up as home wins –  and as a result Arsenal are really going to have to be on form today for they are playing 12 men.  (I don’t have figures for the linesmen so can’t include them).

Perhaps this is why Chris Sutton writing for the BBC says the game will be a 2-2 draw.

But the BBC do give us a few other interesting bits and pieces such as the fact that “Arsenal need one win to equal the club Premier League record of 26 in a season”. That was the level of wins in 2001/2 and of course in 2003/04, when you will undoubtedly remember exactly what happened.

However, as the site also says, to get to the club’s record number of points, set in the Invincibles season all three remaining games need to be won by Arsenal.  That would deliver 90 points exactly as in 2004.

And to help us along the way is the simple fact that Arsenal have won five of the last six at home, and scoring three each time.  Which is why it is a bit odd that the media are talking about a 2-1 win for Arsenal.   

Arsenal have scored three or more goals in seven consecutive home matches (that was September to December 1950) and just for the fun of it I thought you might like to see the table that season.  And also add that two more goals this season will mean 100 goals in all competitions this campaign.

 

	Team	P	W	D	L	F	A	Pts
1	Portsmouth	42	22	9	11	74	38	53
2	Wolverhampton Wanderers	42	20	13	9	76	49	53
3	Sunderland	42	21	10	11	83	62	52
4	Manchester United	42	18	14	10	69	44	50
5	Newcastle United	42	19	12	11	77	55	50
6	Arsenal	42	19	11	12	79	55	49

 

Indeed just have a look at that table and ponder where some of those clubs are now.  It just goes to show, success can be transitory.

But let us also be fair and note that this is Brighton’s all-time record season in the top division in terms of points and goals scored.  But they are not too good at winning away games against the teams at the top, for as the BBC point out, “Brighton have won only one of their six Premier League away fixtures against teams in the top half of the table, a 2-1 victory at Manchester United in their opening game of the season.”

So there we are.  Up next is our usual look at the team.