- Arsenal go through, Chelsea owner caught making money and 7 weird transfers
- What’s wrong with football? Compiling (and hiding) the complaints
By Nitram
Following some, what shall we call them, ‘Curious’ penalty statistics posted by John L and Mikey I thought I’d take a deeper look into how we have been fairing in the “for and against” numbers over the last few seasons.
I thought the last 10 years would be a good number, which conveniently takes us back to the year Leicester City won the title. A year which included some of the most ‘curious’ penalty stats you will of ever seen.
Below are those numbers over the last 10 years. I have split them into two sets of five years. Also, I have only done comparisons between ourselves and what would be generally accepted as our four main rivals, namely Manchester City, Manchester Utd, Liverpool and Chelsea, with a little bit of Leicester City thrown in for good measure.
Last five years Penalties FOR and AGAINST: 2020/21 to 2024/25.
The percentage difference shows the level of additional penalties given for each team when compared with the number of penalties against each team. So Arsenal have 58% more penalties awarded to them, than against them.
| Club | Penalties For | Penalties against | Percentage difference |
| Arsenal | 30 | 19 | +58% |
| Liverpool | 36 | 14 | +157% |
| Manchester City | 40 | 19 | +110% |
| Chelsea | 38 | 22 | +73% |
| Manchester United | 29 | 22 | +32% |
As you can see, it is actually Manchester United that have the worst numbers over these five years, but we are not far behind. Whilst Liverpool haven’t been awarded the most penalties, they still have the best For and Against ratio, with 157% more penalties FOR than AGAINST. Compare that to Arsenal who only have just over 50% more penalties for than against.
Previous 5 years penalties FOR and AGAINST 15/16 to 19/20
| Club | Penalties For | Penalties against | Percentage difference |
| Arsenal | 21 | 32 | – 34% |
| Liverpool | 25 | 16 | +56% |
| Manchester City | 41 | 14 | +192% |
| Chelsea | 24 | 12 | +100% |
| Manchester United | 36 | 17 | +118% |
As you can see here, the numbers for ourselves are quite shocking, and so out of line with all the others as to be totally inexplicable. For a top side to have numbers this bad is absolutely ridiculous. Okay, our average position over this period was 5th, but that is simply not enough to account for us having 34% more penalties awarded against us as for.
These are those two sets of figures together. The last 10 years.
| Club | Penalties For | Penalties against | Percentage difference |
| Arsenal | 51 | 51 | 0% |
| Liverpool | 61 | 30 | +103% |
| Manchester City | 80 | 33 | +142% |
| Chelsea | 62 | 34 | +82% |
| Manchester United | 65 | 39 | +67% |
Again, these numbers are shocking. We have the fewest penalties awarded in our favour but the most penalties awarded against us. This gives us the worst for/against differential.
These are not only the worst numbers, but the worst by an enormous amount. When you consider we have had the same number of penalties awarded against us as for, when Manchester City and Liverpool have over twice as many for them as against them, that is unbelievable. Of course, over the last 10 years, they have been better than us, but by enough to justify those numbers?
But more than this we have been totally outnumbered by all those teams. Something is clearly not right here.
But okay, just to see if our lower average position of 5th did affect the numbers I thought I’d take a closer look at the four seasons in which we either finished, or currently sit in second place, and compare us to the team that won, or currently sit in 1st, to see how we compare:
| Season | Arsenal For | Arsenal against | Winners For | Winners Against |
| 2015/16 | 2 | 1 | 13 | 4 |
| 2022/23 | 4 | 5 | 10 | 3 |
| 2023/24 | 10 | 3 | 10 | 3 |
| 2024/25 | 2 | 2 | 9 | 1 |
| Total | 18 | 11 | 42 | 11 |
So when we were in a direct duel with just the one challenger, on average, they were awarded over twice as many penalties as we were. That again is astonishing, and yet it continues to this day.
As we all well remember, the Leicester City statistics were ridiculous. Ridiculous to the point in fact that Tony produced more than one article on the subject at the time, and funnily enough the number of penalties they were being awarded immediately dropped off after Tony highlighted this ridiculous anomaly.*
Heaven knows how many penalties Leicester City would have received had they carried on in the same vein until the end of the season.
To, me there is no other explanation for such numbers other than Arsenal are cheated. If anyone has a better explanation I’d be pleased to hear it.
*Footnote from Tony: to just give a spot more detail, in case other clubs might be using the same or a similar technique… What we noted was that Vardy would often get the ball just in the penalty area and then instead of shooting or heading toward the goal, would move across the area, in parallel to the goal line. Then suddenly he would reverse and take the ball back, in exactly the opposite direction. There would often then be a player running up behind him, hoping to get in front to block any shot. That player, not expecting Vardy to do his 180 degree turn, would inevitably bump into Vardy, and Vardy got a penalty.
That article is still on our site here. I remember it because it does look as if someone somewhere actually read what we wrote, for within a week, refs stopped giving Leicester penalties and instead blamed Vardy for playing for a penalty. For once, we appear to have made a difference!
Good stuff Nitram.
Coincidentally, a few weeks ago I had a look at red cards and fouls given over the past five and a bit seasons and found a very similar pattern emerged as in your piece on penalties. I also looked a little deeper and, based upon the fact that a vast proportion of refs are from the NW of England and none from London or the SE, compared clubs from each of those two areas against each other to see whether there was any suggestion of regional bias.
I compared “big three” London clubs which (in media terms at least) includes Tottenham compared to the Liverpool, Man U and Man C. I shall go back and bring my numbers bang up to date but here’s a flavour of what I found.
The top 3 London clubs get called for 6.8% more fouls than the NW clubs. However, in terms of yellow cards, London clubs get 17.5% more. In terms of red cards, it’s even worse. London clubs getting 64.3% more than their NW opponents. When it comes to Arsenal v the NW clubs the figures are even more outrageous but, as I said, I’ll update the figures and sent the results into Tony for his thoughts.
I seem to recall a period when Kane and Song adopted their equivalent of the Vardy technique, by changing direction in order to contact defenders’ legs or keepers’ arms, then falling over so as to claim penalties. Kane was also an exponent of the rather dangerous tactic of remaining on the ground and running into an opponent jumping to head the ball. – in midfield rather than the penalty area. This tactic seemed to work, leading to referees awarding Spurs free-kicks. I believe that I read that this type of collision is specifically outlawed in rugby union, because of the risk of head, neck or spinal injuries to a player falling heavily from height after being knocked off balance in mid air.
Mikey
Thank you.
I’ve done some more digging regarding these penalty statistics that I’m hoping may go up soon. You won’t believe some of the numbers.
John L
“I believe that I read that this type of collision is specifically outlawed in rugby union, because of the risk of head, neck or spinal injuries to a player falling heavily from height after being knocked off balance in mid air.”
I believe you are correct John. Whereas Harry Kane was just ‘clever’.
Our lot are more worried about a ball being tapped 2 feet away.
I also recall that Ronaldo was very good at running with the ball and when he knew someone was behind him, he would stop dead and gain a foul from being knocked over as a result of his own actions. I’m not sure how the rules of the game interpret it but refs gave him the decision every time.
Nitram,
Thanks for posting the stats that prove my eyes are not deceiving me!
Mikey,
I’ve also commented on the referees’ regional bias. I’ve never seen it mentioned anywhere except on this site. But of course, as Arsenal supporters, we must be whingeing. I suppose if would be fine with LIVERPOOL and supporters if ALL their matches were overseen by a LONDON born ref.
Same for the wankers in Manchester.