By Walter Broeckx
After the introduction to our survey of Arsenal injuries and the next part where we looked at the total number of injuries per club we now are going to try to find out if Arsenal suffered more contact injuries than the other teams.
To find out we tried to look at each of the 124 different injury types we had in the database and decided if they are a result of contact or not. For some injuries it is obvious. A broken leg is mostly a result of bad contact. Most injuries where we have fractures are of course. This is rather obvious and rather clear.
For some injuries it is also very clear that they are not a result of contact on the field. A stomach bug which is an injury that is on the list is usually more down to an outside factor and has nothing to do with a bad contact with an opponent. So such things are also rather clear.
But when we look at other injuries it is not always that clear. Knee injuries can come from a player turning and his ligaments giving way. But it can also happen as a result of a bad tackle. So we had to take this in to account somewhat. So the final outcome is that we have made 3 categories. But we will only show them in 2 tables later on in this article.
We have the contact injuries where there is in general no doubt that it is the result of fouls or kicks. The second category are those where it is not 100% clear. So for some (like the knee injuries) we have divided the number of injuries in two. And we have put 50% of the injuries in the category 1 which are the contact injuries. And 50% or the other half we have put in category 3 which are the non-contact injuries.
We have done this for all the teams. So even if our methodology can be criticised the final outcome for all the teams will be based on the same parameters. And that is what we want of course. As in refereeing matters we just want consistency and that all teams are treated in the same way. And that is just what we have done. Even if you would say knee injuries are only 40% result of fouls of kicks and you might be right but we don’t have any statistics on that. So we had to decide a parameter for all and everyone and we took the 50/50 divide as the way to do it.
We will have a look in depth at some type of injuries later on in this series by the way. So forgive me for not showing the list completely for how we have done this. This might take us too far and would result in too long and boring articles. As I said main thing is we have treated all the teams in the same way.
So how many contact injuries did we found when we did this? This can be found in the tables we will show now.
| Team | Total CONTACT Injuries |
| Arsenal | 348 |
| Aston Villa | 219 |
| Chelsea | 233 |
| Everton | 244 |
| Fulham | 181 |
| Liverpool | 197 |
| Man City | 203 |
| Man United | 290 |
| Newcastle | 230 |
| Tottenham | 313 |
| Total | 2458 |
So since 2002 Arsenal has suffered 348 contact injuries. The team that comes closest to this number is our neighbours from North London. We are the only teams in this table that have suffered more than 300 contact injuries. Now you might say: oh well it looks as if people from London clubs are weaker and thus suffer more such injuries. But then a quick look at the numbers of Chelsea and Fulham should make you think otherwise.
If you compare the numbers of Arsenal with the other teams that have been fighting for the CL places over the last seasons we can see that we had 58 more injuries as a result of kicking than Manchester United.
If you compare this with Chelsea we have had 115 more injuries as a result of being kicked all over the place than they had. Comparing the Arsenal numbers with Manchester City gives us a result that Arsenal suffered 145 more contact injuries than they.
If we once again now look at it on a season to season base we get the following table. And remember this is not that each team each season had this exact number of contact injuries. No some seasons will have had lower numbers and some even higher. So here we go:
| Team | Average CONTACT Injuries/season |
| Arsenal | 32 |
| Aston Villa | 20 |
| Chelsea | 21 |
| Everton | 22 |
| Fulham | 16 |
| Liverpool | 18 |
| Man City | 18 |
| Man United | 26 |
| Newcastle | 21 |
| Tottenham | 28 |
| Total | 223 |
If you look at these numbers we see that Arsenal has suffered an average of 32 injuries per season from contact. To put this in perspective: this means that almost every game one Arsenal player has been kicked off the field. Almost 1 player each match!
If there is any Arsenal player reading this: STOP READING! STOP READING NOW!!!
What I wanted to spell out is in fact that isn’t it a frightening thought that each time an Arsenal team runs out on the field before the match that 1 of those players is almost certainly going to be kicked off the field in that match? Because that is what these numbers are telling us. Not exactly of course as we miss out on some 6 matches. Would you dare to take the field if you knew that if not you then surely one of our players will end the match injured because of being kicked ?
In the next article I will bring this in to even more perspective. So stay tuned for more numbers that make you shiver if you are an Arsenal player or supporter.
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Walter – can you please take a look at the ManC red card in the 10th minute of their game with Hull and let us have your views on it. It looked a definite red, but I think the Hull player fouled Kompany initially. If so, it could look like the ref was trying to give Chelsea a helping hand…
Will Kompany be banned for red card for 2 or 3 games? ManC next 3 fixtures are Fulham, ManU and then Arsenal. The red will give ManU an advantage, but not Arsenal I fear. 🙁
Red card for last man is only a 1 match ban. If he has had a red before, it will be two games. He will not miss Arsenal – but be have a nice rest instead before facing us!
Bein Sports (the stupidest name in sports worldwide – the new Aljazeera) confirmed only one match ban. Thanks Lim.
Very interesting, and again, horrific Walter. Quite incredible stats.
This makes me think more than ever the club should be doing more than they appear to be doing about this. Even if it is behind the scenes and we never get to hear about it. This is about the health of our players, which should be protected at all costs. The club should be taking this sort of data to the powers that be rather than just putting up with it.
Anyone else predicting Dean allowing Ox to be targeted tomorrow…..with a verthongen dive being rewarded ?
basically, ever since Sir Alex instigated ‘Operation kick Reyes back to Spain’ the other sides in the league have learnt to kick Arsenal to stop them playing. Classics such as ‘failing to stop your run’ and ‘the follow-through’ are used to disguise blatant physical assaults on our players and to get away with it. Worse still, when we retaliate we get carded straight away.
How do you change a league wide mentality?
Untold enters the valley of darkness
Shame to see Arsenal at the top of this injury table, but hardly surprising.
Be interesting to see a table showing which clubs & players are responsible for causing the most injuries to the opposition. Naming & shaming the clubs/players/managers, as well as backing it up with the stats, might be the only way to start seeing an improvement. How many “insert club” players have injured opposition in matches this season? How many times has an individual player caused injury? For example, when he played for Man city, Nigel De Jong was involved in a number of opposition players getting badly hurt. A few other current Premier League players come to mind also.
Might be worth looking into.
Its our own fault, ever since Wenger starter buying these Little Barca type players we have been bullied, when we Had Gilberto petit, vieira, parlour i dont remember any łęg breaks it being on the end of bullying, in fact we were the bullies. This Also coincides with the trophy drought
So Chelsea down to 10
ARSENAL 13 you beat me to it come on Villa
Villa score 1
Its getting better need a result tomorrow
Ramirez such a jerk…second red.
Go GUNNERS. now let’s defeather the chickens
Wonderful to see Chelsea dragged thru sh!t at Villa Park.
What the fu@k was Jose talking about? They lost fair and their performance was fairly crap.
I love watching Chelsea lose…
Great to see the thug Ramirez get his just desserts for an absolutely terrible flying stamp on the villa player. I think that will put him out of the match with us thank goodness as he always gets away with something when we play Chelsea. Mourinho sent off as well, I hope he gets a ban as well the arrogant, self centred prick.
It will be interesting to hear Mike T’s comments, I think he went to the game.
I think the issue this is how to what the fans can do about this injury list and rotational fouling and bring light to this crap!
Southern Gunner,
You mean like Charlie Adam comes to mind? Who else?
Walter, Mandy,
Perhaps this is why some of ours leave – and, in any case, it is doing material damage to our value as a business (man hours lost, standing in the table, ability to keep/attract players, fewer sponsors owing to lower table position, etc.) Imo, these are quantifiable ranges. To be honest, I don’t see this (the commercial) as the most important consideration, but I mention it only, so that someone in a suit who has a lawyer at AFC (or outside) might consider the now less remote idea (perhaps) that there may be a basis in these findings to demand that a formal or even legal inquiry be launched. Let the patterns continue…
Mick,
Fully agree on Ramirez – a true orc.
Also, would you or anyone remember the name of the orc who broke Rosicky’s nose this season?
Bob, The nose breaker was Agbonlahor of Aston Villa.
Jose intentionally got himself sent off. This way he will be banned when arsenla play chelsea and he can then have an excuse when chelsea lose
Other than the fact that the bent referees allow our players to be freely kicked and hacked without any protection , could another reason be in the overzealous goal celebrations ?
Cart wheels ,sliding on knees ,jumping on the backs , ‘piling ‘on those on the ground , grabbing the necks of running players , weird dance moves ,kicking of goalposts , hoardings , corner flags , mascots ,etc, also invites injuries .
Sometimes these celebrations look like a no rules barred free for all fight.Like something from the WWE , except that the WWE is fake !
Remember we had a player who broke his arm in a League Cup Final , apparently he fell off a donkey !
With that in mind here is a presentation from the Medical Division on UA …
http://www.ba-bamail.com/Content.aspx?emailid=8999&memberid=763708#.UyUrlKIzf-Y
The Old Teacher and the River.
http://www.ba-bamail.com/content.aspx?emailid=4880&source=viral_box#.UyUw66Izf-Y
For those who are interested – THE SPINE .
http://www.chiroone.net/interactive-spine
A very nice presentation – enjoy !
http://www.slideshare.net/namtalae/take-time-adriana
FOR THOSE WHO ARE INTERESTED- The World Flight Map
http://www.ba-bamail.com/Content.aspx?emailid=8601&memberid=763708#.UyU-56Izf-Y
Just watched MOTD and seen the Chelsea Match.
All except the indefensible Ramires ‘Assault’ I’ve just watched Sheerer trying to defend everything else Chelsea did and whats more try to infer they where actually hard done by.
Apparently:
There was not enough contact on Willian for a second Yellow.(Yes there was).
Ramires was through on goal unchallenged. (No he wasn’t).
Maureen was unlucky to be sent to the stand (No he wasn’t).
And what’s Maureen doing Cuddling the fourth official before the game? I didn’t think you could lay your hands on the officials. What’s that all about?
Then he spends half the match with his arm around Lamberts shoulder. Again, what’s that all about?
If Wenger cuddled officials and opposing managers he’d be slaughtered. Jose does it and it’s all just Jose spreading the love. Condescending wanker more like.
As for that mess at the end. If that melee had involved Arsenal players and manager, it would of been hell to pay. Didn’t we get docked 3 points for something similar at o/t? And yet Sheerer deems it appropriate to even try and defend Jose.
And this is what I, and others, keep trying to highlight, is the difference between the way Arsenal are treated in the media compared to others. And the BBC are by no means the worst.
Now for any Chelsea fans reading this, my real point is about the ‘media’. Yes, I am critical of Jose/Chelsea because they transgressed, but all that happened is that you had a bad day at the office. Basically you got what you deserved. No more, no less. It happens.
My point is that if it was us in your shoes it would of been, shame, disgrace, lost it, meltdown, retrospective bans, points deductions, blah blah blah. The press would just not let it go.
But I accept it’s not really the Chelsea fans fault that the media spend half there lives with there heads stuck up Joses backside !!!
Lots of love from that stench of a man.
jambug,
You have nailed it as usual. I have reached a point where nothing that the MoTD crowd say bothers me anymore. I only watch the programme for the goals. No more, no less. That is all that they show with 100% accuracy. Everything else is spinned according to their biases.
Talking about the Aston Villa – Chelsea match, I have to say that while Mourhino was his usual self, I was not impressed with Lambert doing buddy-buddy with him. What was that all about? He made Lambert look small but maybe that’s just my own perception.
It is interesting that as soon as things started going against him, the buddy-boy was no longer friendly. The pompous and manipulative piece of shit.
jambug,
Can we also start a meme that Chelsea have lost the league based on that incident? It is eerily similar to our experience at Birmingham city in 2008. You know, that Eduardo incident. We were in Chelsea’s current position and all that the media went with was the “Arsenal meltdown” meme focusing solely on Gallas.
Could this be the day that Chelsea fall out of the running? Of course, I don’t believe so. I don’t belong in the media circle so I don’t hold simplistic positions. There is still a lot of drama in the league this season.
@ Bootoomee – “The moment when of truth when the brown nosing ‘little’ horse became a complete pile of shit ?”, or something to that effect ? Hmmmm ,interesting .
Let me work on it , and I’ll get back to you !
so beautiful having an outlet like this (Untold Arsenal), as a waymarker and benchmark, that displays the kind of support for an institution as classy as ours (The Arsenal) that seeks to help said institution improve and develop through it’s complementary work.. this is the kind of support (via blog format) Wenger speaks to when he says we have to be united to grow our project together.. thank you for providing the light.
Bootoomee,
Thanks for your usual unwavering support.
2 points you make.
Firstly the Lambert/Mourhino love in.
Maureen does this all the time. He treats other managers, not like his peers, not like his equals, but as his disciples. He acts like he’s Jesus laying his hands on his flock. Sadly, as you point out, some, like Lambert, act like they ARE his flock. As I said earlier, he’s a condescending w**ker. It’s pathetic.
Secondly, you mentioned our ‘melt down’ and questioned if Chelseas shenanigans yesterday may cause something similar. Personally, like you, I doubt it.
One of the reasons being, they wont have the media on there backs setting them up for a fall, day in, day out.
Basically it didn’t matter what teams did to us we deserved it, it was what was expected because we was in ‘Melt Down’