- Arsenal v Everton: the home and away review
- VAR is not the question of the day: there is something much, much bigger
By Sir Hardly Anyone
Looking at the statistics for the season of Arsenal and Everton one amazing set of numbers leaps out. Arsenal have scored 89 goals to Everton’s 39. that is 128% more goals for Arsenal than Everton (figures from Whoscored). Only Sheffield United have scored fewer goals than Everton. Arsenal average 2.4 goals a game. Everton average 1,06 per game.
And yet on the level of shots per game Arsenal are on 17.1 and Everton on 13.6. That is a difference of 26% more. So 128% more goals from 26% more shots – suggesting that most Everton shots are pretty awful, while Arsenal’s shots are rather accurate. Spectators near in the north bank lower and clock end lower should wear helmets.
The possession figures favour Arsenal too: 58.1% to Arsenal and 40.3% to Everton, suggesting that in a game against each other we will see more of the same – Arsenal dominate on the ball.
The question then arises what will Everton do by way of defending to help them avoid a crushing defeat? A quick look at the tackles table shows us the answer – these figures are per game on average across the whole season.
| Team | Tackles | Fouls | Yellow for all reasons | Yellow For foul |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arsenal | 16.3 | 10.4 | 1.57 | 1.08 |
| Tottenham | 19.2 | 11.2 | 2.41 | 1.59 |
| Everton | 19.6 | 12.1 | 2.02 | 1.49 |
| Chelsea | 17.3 | 11.9 | 2.78 | 1.54 |
What we can see here is the huge difference between clubs – Everton put in 20% more tackles than Arsenal – in fact as the table shows they even put in more tackles than Tottenham and are the second-highest tackling team in the league. Only Palace put in more.
They are also the third-highest fouling team in the league – equal with Liverpool whose approach to fouling this season under Klopp has become notorious to those who analyse such things, but is an issue utterly ignored by the media who will let nothing spoil their love affair with Klopp.
In terms of yellow cards for all offences Chelsea are top of the league, being the first club to pick up over 100 yellows in a season – getting 20% more than any team last campaign.
Only Manchester City have fewer yellow cards than Arsenal this season – a matter of 52 to Arsenal’s 58. A difference of 0.16 cards per game.
And again when it comes to yellow cards for fouls Arsenal are 19th with only Manchester City below. Tottenham are third and Everton eighth.
So Everton are right up there with the tackling teams, and as a result, pick up the fouls and yellow cards. Let’s compare the ratios for one last time this season…
| Team | Tackles Per Foul PG | Tackles per Yellow PG | Fouls per Yellow PG |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arsenal | 1.57 | 15.09 | 6.54 |
| Tottenham | 1.71 | 12.06 | 7.04 |
| Everton | 1.62 | 13.15 | 8.12 |
| Chelsea | 1,45 | 11.23 | 7.14 |
What we see here is the usual contradiction – Tottenham and Everton put in more tackles than Arsenal per game before they get a foul given against them, which could lead some to think that Arsenal are a dirtier team than Tottenham and Everton. And yet Arsenal commit fewer fouls than either club.
In fact, for Arsenal the foul is the tackle of last resort. For Tottenham and Everton the foul is the everyday aspect of defending. Because of this Arsenal can commit many more tackles before getting a yellow card.
However Arsenal and Everton put in almost the same number of tackles for a foul. But Arsenal can put in 15% more tackles before a yellow card is waved. However, Everton can commit 24% more fouls before getting a yellow card.
Indeed it gets weirder than this. Chelsea can put in 71% more fouls than Arsenal before getting a yellow card!!!
The two facts that come out of this are:
- Arsenal don’t tackle unless it is absolutely necessary and so when they do tackle it can result in a foul. Arsenal don’t do tackles as a matter of routine.
- Referees penalise individual tackles and tackles cumulatively – so a team that puts in a lot of tackles will later in the game find more and more tackles being penalised not just for themselves but because of the whole pattern of fouling.
So what can we expect in this game? The main conclusion is that Everton will need to put in around 24% more tackles before they get a yellow card but by the end of the game they are liable to end up with 29% more cards than Arsenal.
The reality is that tackling as a form of defence does not work efficiently. And yet Everton and others like Tottenham just go on and on using the tackle as a prime form of defence.
It is in short a system that just brings its own troubles, and indeed is one of the reasons why, for example, Tottenham have found it impossible to get into the top group in the league.
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