Arsenal v Wolverhampton: their problems with fouls and cards, and the team

 

 

 

• Arsenal v Wolverhampton: the club that gets cards at over twice the rate of Arsenal
• Arsenal v Wolverhampton Wanderers: where will each team finish?

By Bulldog Drummond

Figures throughout are per game

Club	Tackles	Fouls	Yellows from fouls
Arsenal	15.7	9.5	1.0
Wolverhampton	19.2	13.8	1.62

 

These figures are particularly interesting since so many Wolverhampton fans wrote to us last season saying that their club was the most targetted team in the league, by referees.   The question that then arose was, is there anything they could do to help their own situation?

As we know, Arsenal were the most yellow-carded team in the league when Arteta first arrived but he has taken the club, season by season into a position in which Arsenal now get fewer cards than anyone else.  It is an object lesson in how to do it – although curiously some other clubs don’t want to know.

Certainly, the figures above show that Wolverhampton commit more tackles, and get more fouls against them and more yellow cards than Arsenal – but of course, all these are under their control.

In the table below, as above, we are only counting yellow cards that come from tackles – not from any other offence noted or invented by the referee.

 

Club	Tackles per foul	Tackles per yellow	Fouls per yellow
Arsenal	1.65	15.7	9.5
Wolverhampton	1.39	11.85	8.52
Difference in Arsenal’s favour	+19%	+32%	+12%

 

So what we can see is that Wolverhampton can undertake fewer tackles than Arsenal before a foul is called, and fewer tackles before a yellow is given for a tackle (and I emphasise again, we are only counting yellow cards from tackles in this table).   As a result of the above two numbers Wolverhampton get a yellow after fewer fouls than Arsenal – although we might note that here the difference is small.

From this data we can seee that Arsenal can put in 19% more tackles before getting called out for a foul – which gives Arsenal a noticeable advantage.   But Arsenal can also put in 32% more tackles before getting a yellow – a really powerful advantage.   Arsenal can put in 12% more fouls before a yellow is given.

In short, Wolverhampton are still their own worst enemies.   If they could find a defensive player who does not need to tackle in order to get the ball back, their performance would be greatly enhanced.

But as things stand, in this game Arsenal will have a real advantage over Wolverhampton and will be aiming for the fifth successive win against Wolverhampton.  If Arsenal score this will be the 19th successive game in which Arsenal have scored against Wolverhampton in the Premier League and the 32nd consecutive first-team match in which this has happened.  Only one team has suffered more at the hands of Arsenal and that is West Bromwich.

We might also note that Arsenal has kept more clean sheets than any other club in the league this season (six) but, strangely still can’t find the net in the first quarter of an hour.

The best tip of the day is that Gabriel Jesus will score – as he has done the last six times he has started against Wolverhampton.

As for Wolverhampton, if they were to win it would probably be by a single goal (at least that has what has happened in all four games they have won this season.)

Sports Mole who have a good record in these affairs, have a team prediction of

Raya;

Tomiyasu, Saliba, Gabriel, Zinchenko;

Odegaard, Rice, Havertz;

Saka, Jesus, Martinelli

 

They go for a 2-0 win.

But the Standard goes with

 

Raya;

White, Saliba, Gabriel, Zinchenko;

Odegaard, Rice, Havertz;

Saka, Jesus, Martinelli

 

90 min go with

 

Raya;

Tomiyasu, Saliba, Gabriel, Zinchenko;

Rice, Odegaard, Havertz;

Saka, Jesus, Trossard.

 

and of course we always have to have a look at Football.London which becomes more bonkers and eccentric by the day but they seem to have calmed down a little this time.

 

Raya;

Tomiyasu, Saliba, Gabriel, Zinchenko;

Rice, Odegaard, Havertz;

Saka, Martinelli,

Jesus.

 

That’s it.  It is extraordinarily cold in the East Midlands as I write this, but still we are trusting the car will start and we will meet up with the rest of the gang in North London around noon.  The only other problem is that my season ticket hasn’t updated in my Google Wallet AGAIN!!!!!

If you have been, thanks for reading.