By Walter Broeckx
With the boredom of the interlul upon us time to check the internet and see if there are interesting things to find. And yes there are. Not just Untold is writing interesting things.
I found a few interesting tables that have been put together by some people. And I wanted to check them and see how it gives us some more information based on the numbers.
So first I wanted to see how we did since the turn of the year till the end of last season. And that gives us this table below that looks nice on the eye for any Gooner.
| 01/01/2015-Final match | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | PTS | |
| 1 | Arsenal | 19 | 13 | 3 | 3 | 37 | 13 | 24 | 42 |
| 2 | Chelsea | 19 | 12 | 5 | 2 | 32 | 18 | 14 | 41 |
| 3 | Manchester City | 19 | 11 | 3 | 5 | 42 | 21 | 21 | 36 |
| 4 | Manchester United | 19 | 10 | 4 | 5 | 29 | 18 | 11 | 34 |
| 5 | Liverpool | 19 | 10 | 4 | 5 | 26 | 23 | 3 | 34 |
| 6 | Tottenham Hotspur | 19 | 10 | 3 | 6 | 34 | 29 | 5 | 33 |
| 7 | Crystal Palace | 19 | 10 | 2 | 7 | 27 | 21 | 6 | 32 |
| 8 | Stoke City | 19 | 8 | 5 | 6 | 27 | 22 | 5 | 29 |
| 9 | Swansea City | 19 | 8 | 4 | 7 | 22 | 26 | -4 | 28 |
| 10 | Southampton | 19 | 8 | 3 | 8 | 22 | 18 | 4 | 27 |
| 11 | Everton | 19 | 7 | 5 | 7 | 19 | 19 | 0 | 26 |
| 12 | West Ham United | 19 | 3 | 7 | 9 | 14 | 24 | -10 | 16 |
So since the start of the year 2015 till the final fixture of the season we won most points. And keep in mind once we were more or less certain of 3rd place and the FA cup final we kind of eased off a bit. An FA cup final that we won for the second time in a row. Always important to remind some people of this as some have already forgotten this.
Do you still remember when on that first day of the year we lost a match at Southampton and the aaa went mad and wild and shouted at the top of their voices that this was the end of the world and nothing ever would come good from this team and more in particular with this “clueless manager” in charge?? Well it seems that all their shouting was not really worth the trouble. Imagine if they had decided to enjoy the club and started to really support the club instead of dragging it down on every opportunity.
Some other interesting stats can be found from this table. Arsenal can’t defend??? Well with only 13 goals against us in that run of 19 matches (half a season) it seems that since that day when we conceded 2 goals at Southampton (in a bad way) we only conceded 11 in the remaining 18 fixtures. Not that bad for a team that can’t defend and a clueless manager and a slow BFG in the team according to the specialists in moaning.
And only one team did better in one thing over that period of time. That was Manchester City (who won f*ck all last season by the way) who scored more goals than us. But even then our goal difference was superior to theirs.
Now let us throw in the current league table for this season as things stand now.
| First 8 matches 2015-2016 | Pld | W | D | L | F | A | GD | Pts | |
| 1 | Manchester City | 8 | 6 | 0 | 2 | 19 | 7 | 12 | 18 |
| 2 | Arsenal | 8 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 13 | 7 | 6 | 16 |
| 3 | Manchester United | 8 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 12 | 8 | 4 | 16 |
| 4 | Crystal Palace | 8 | 5 | 0 | 3 | 11 | 7 | 4 | 15 |
| 5 | Leicester City | 8 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 17 | 15 | 2 | 15 |
| 6 | West Ham United | 8 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 17 | 11 | 6 | 14 |
| 7 | Everton | 8 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 12 | 8 | 4 | 13 |
| 8 | Tottenham Hotspur | 8 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 11 | 7 | 4 | 13 |
| 9 | Southampton | 8 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 13 | 10 | 3 | 12 |
| 10 | Liverpool | 8 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 8 | 10 | -2 | 12 |
| …. | |||||||||
| 16 | Chelsea | 8 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 12 | 17 | -5 | 8 |
Arsenal is not top of the league. Claims of disaster can be heard in some corners. Yet again people question the players and of course the manager. That has silenced a bit since beating Manchester United.
But what the moaners don’t take in account is the fact that we lost 2 points against Liverpool because a good goal was ruled out wrongly for offside and that would have taken us level on points with league leader Manchester City. And then I don’t even want to talk about the 3 points handed over to Chelsea by Dean in match 51. Just out of curiosity I included Chelsea and just imagine that we had had a fair and decent ref who would have sent off Costa and not Gabriel. And just imagine we would have won that match… That would have taken us to the top of the table 3 points in front of Manchester City. And as a result it would mean that Chelsea only would have 5 points thus far.
But time now to put the two tables together to see how Arsenal has done in this calendar year.
| Final 19 + start season | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | PTS | Pts per game | |
| 1 | Arsenal | 27 | 18 | 4 | 5 | 50 | 20 | 30 | 58 | 2,15 |
| 2 | Man City | 27 | 17 | 3 | 7 | 61 | 28 | 33 | 54 | 2,00 |
| 3 | Man United | 27 | 15 | 5 | 7 | 41 | 26 | 15 | 50 | 1,85 |
| 4 | Chelsea | 27 | 14 | 7 | 6 | 44 | 35 | 9 | 49 | 1,81 |
| 5 | Crystal Palace | 27 | 15 | 2 | 10 | 38 | 28 | 10 | 47 | 1,74 |
| 6 | Liverpool | 27 | 13 | 7 | 7 | 34 | 33 | 1 | 46 | 1,70 |
| 7 | Tottenham Hotspur | 27 | 13 | 6 | 8 | 47 | 39 | 8 | 45 | 1,67 |
| 8 | Everton | 27 | 10 | 9 | 8 | 31 | 27 | 4 | 39 | 1,44 |
| 9 | Southampton | 27 | 11 | 6 | 10 | 35 | 28 | 7 | 39 | 1,44 |
| 10 | West Ham United | 27 | 7 | 9 | 11 | 31 | 35 | -4 | 30 | 1,11 |
| 11 | Leicester | 27 | 7 | 7 | 13 | 34 | 46 | -12 | 28 | 1,04 |
And yes I know you don’t get a trophy for this. But what is more important is that in anyway you look at the different tables it is clear to see that Arsenal are right there at the top. In this table based on the matches in the PL since the start of the year we are 4 points in front of the team in second place and that is Manchester City. We are 8 points in front of Manchester United and even 9 points in front of Chelsea.
We have by far the best defence. And yet the word is that Arsenal can’t defend and Wenger doesn’t do tactics. And we have a slow BFG that cost us points and goals. Well that BFG is captain of the team with the best defensive record of the current year. But hey let facts not get in the way of moaning about this and repeating the mantra that goes around in some blogs and in the media. Arsenal do know how to defend most of the time. The numbers are there. You just have to take the trouble to read them.
Manchester City have the best attack. But then again it is Arsenal in second place way above the rest. Interesting to see that it is Tottenham who have the third best attack since the start of the year. Better than Chelsea and even Manchester United.
Now what does this all mean? I know (and there is no need to mention it) that we don’t get a trophy for these numbers. But what they do show is that this team is worth supporting. It shows that this team is not worth all the moaning and groaning one hears every day on the internet.
Instead of wasting all that energy on dragging the club, manager and players down couldn’t we use this energy to build them up? Wouldn’t it be better to support them without reservations? If the players felt the love and not just the moaning and hatred wouldn’t it make them feel more confident? And you need confidence to perform on the football field.
Why don’t you all who moan about our club and pretend to support it do what you should do: support your club! Support your players and manager. And if they do make a mistake it is not the end of the world, you know. It is just a blip and in such a bad moment you don’t start the moan again but you start to support them more.
Well that is what we have been doing on Untold, and will continue to do. But what if the rest of the moaners would join in? Couldn’t that be the final push the players need to really perform and deliver?
———————-
Two birthdays to remember
- 10 October 1950: Charlie George born. He played for Islington Schoolboys before joining Arsenal in May 1966. He turned professional in 1968 and made his first-team debut for the club on 9 August 1969
- 10 October 1966. Tony Adams born. He signed for Arsenal as a schoolboy in 1980 and made his first start for the first team on 5 November 1983 against Sunderland when he was just past his 17th birthday.
The Untold Books
- Woolwich Arsenal: The club that changed football – Arsenal’s early years
- Making the Arsenal – how the modern Arsenal was born in 1910
- The Crowd at Woolwich Arsenal
Arsenal is worth supporting even when things are going badly.
Interesting to know that we have the best defensive record in 2015. I put it solely to Per. Not to slack off Kos, Gab and any other player, Per actually leads the team with calm and intellegence like a vintage defender. Without Per’s command at the back, Kos, Gab, Nacho and Coq will not be the destructive force they are right now. That allows Cazorla, Ozil and Ramsey to weave their magic for Sanchez, Walcott and Giroud.
Support through thick and thin. Unfortunately, some media driven sheeple are so obsessed with getting rid of the manager, they cannot support the club, and instead live in their negative little cot…….the sort of free thinking people who openly wanted Wenger replaced by Owen Coyle because Myles Palmer said so.
Arsenal are doing well, but unfortunately, if we do too well….we know what happens, mike Dean and Riley who clearly do not like us are mere foot soldiers for a bigger thing. I hope the club are not just passively taking this shite.
Could still be interesting, Chelsea in a mess, Utd not as good as us, And city have lost their best player for a couple months…..the pgmol will really have to up the anti, and sadly, they will
An excellent piece. Long may the run continue.
Send a copy to Piers Morgan, and to Adrian Durham; unfortunately both have the same impermeable mind-set: “Don’t confuse me with the facts, my mind is made up!!”
In this calendar year most points, best defence and second highest number of goals scored. I’m going to have to remember that so I can say it next time I come into conversation with one of the doubters.
Good morning Mr. W Broeckx. How are things with you, Mr. Tony Attwood, Mr. J Charlesworth and others? I hope you people are doing well. Despite the rigging of 2 results at the Emirates and the Bridge against Arsenal, Arsenal will undoubtedly be crowned the Premier League Champions at the end of this season. Not only that, Arsenal will also completely wins the fifthruple as well. This is the belief I have in Arsenal for this season. Nonetheless, with players on international duty picking up injuries here & there, I have become very concerned for the safety of the Gunners on international duty to return to London Colney safely. Therefore, I want the Boss to intervene at this juncture, as most of our Gunners had played or made appearances for their countries and some have even scored. And some of the countries they are playing for, have already or have now qualified for Euro 2016. Hence, they can afford to release our Gunners to go back home immediately. I want the Boss to talk to the managers of, England, France, Germany, Wales, Brazil? And Chile to please give him back his Gunners NOW! In the case of Chile and Brazil, I don’t know if they still have World Cup qualifiers to play and if De Abreu is on duty for Brazil. We want all our Gunners back injury & fatigue free, latest tomorrow Sunday. So that they will resume training for our BPL away game to Watford and our crucial Ucl home match with Bayern Munich. The Gunners can do with enough time to rest to utmostly performed in these 2 important games.
An excellent piece Walter. I remember something similar being true a few years ago. I think it was 2012 where we were the best team over the calendar year. This turned out to be no more than a statistical fluke, and didn’t really lead to anything, trophy wise. This time, I think it is different. The period of time under discussion (i.e since Jan 2015) actually marks major changes in our team. These include the arrival of Coquelin, Santi moving to his new position, Gabriel arriving, Monreal re-emerging, Bellerin emerging. These are important developments. All this before we even talk about the emergence of Walcott as a genuine no.9. So this time, the statistics coincide with real changes in our team, which credibly explain our improvement. Of course there are no guarantees, and things could still go wrong, but there is a pattern and a narrative here that credibly suggests that Arsenal are the strongest team in England. If you like a bet, you can still get quite good odds on Arsenal winning the PL. Personally, I have already made this investment, and I like the look of it (I’m afraid that the 6-1 I got at the start of the season is no longer available). If you are interested in such things, I can also recommend two bets which seem to have ridiculously long odds. Chelsea to win the PL (not likely, but great value, widely available at 20+) and Theo to be top scorer in the PL (I invested at a ridiculously generous 30-1)
Excellent piece Walter!
When you merge the Table of Shame of PGMOB to the above tables; we can only stand and applaud at how well AW,the team and the club are doing.
Its nothing less then astonishing.
Walter,
Unfortunately, it’s not just the aaa who moan and groan about the day-to-day happenings at Arsenal FC. Such is the fickle nature of many of our otherwise faithful supporters, that even at times of triumph they will often find a cause for criticism.
From time immemorial the achievements of our great Club have been a source of envy and admiration throughout the world of football.
Under Arsene Wenger, to qualify year after year to compete in the most prestigious European tournament, while battling rigid financial restrictions during the building of the Emirates Stadium, is a veritable feat in itself.
All true followers of Arsenal should realise and accept the important role they have to play wherever Arsenal appear. Their support can make or break a performance and whoever is chosen to wear the shirt is entitled to 100% backing at all times. To withhold this support will achieve nothing, to give it could make the difference between victory and defeat. 😉
It really is amazing what we are finding with an emphasis on evidence based supporting. I don’t want to bore people stiff with it, but certainly the more we analyse actual events and numbers, the more we find that what we have been saying on this site for years can be shown to be true.
Excellent article. I’ve always said that people who criticise the team do so based on their perception rather than facts. Anyway, I’m not bothered by their comments because fortunately, their moaning have no bearings on decisions taking at the Emirates. So they can moan and cry as much as they want.
If we play further as a TEAM in every match this season we will win things,(plural).
This is just another stage of the butterfly evolving into a football monster! 🙂
COYG.
Tony,
Doesn’t the reception awarded to your 11.16 am tell you something about the insecure nature of so much of our Club’s support? 😉
To be honest, someone is mucking about with the likes and dislikes. I’ve discovered it’s easily done. That could be one person. So don’t take it too seriously, Nicky.
@Pat,
Thanks for that.
The thought had never entered my naive head. 😉
Excellent article, Walter. It´s true that given the brilliance the Gunners are capable of, when they commit egregious mistakes it is doubly frustrating, but the tables above show really well that the irregularity they´re constantly accused of is but an optical illusion due to the astonishingly consistent run under Wenger (despite both Mourinho and Klopp´s garish spells at their respective clubs, people haven´t stopped taking our manager´s achievements for granted), coupled with the perpetual smear campaign in the press. We would all like Arsenal to never ever have avoidable errors, but it simply is in the nature of sports, and the joy elicited by the Arsenal style more than makes up for it, even before incorporating the fact that this team has objectively outstanding results.
Some so called supporters here are just so happy to press dislike button for comments that is clearly true. It is a shame
Every dislike is a clear indication that we have hit the nail on its head , and the nay sayers aren’t too pleased. I personally take it as a compliment ! Up the Gunners! WOO HOO , HOO !
Good post.
As a Wenger outer I’ve done decided to hang fire for a bit and see where this season takes us. I often wonder what negative impact the moaning has on the players should they ever read any of it. Despite the labels and what you say I’m first and foremost an Arsenal fan which is why I’ve been critical of Wenger because I genuinely feel he’s not up to it anymore but that doesn’t make me any less of an Arsenal fan than you guys. If we go on to win the league I’ll be overjoyed and obviously Wenger will be exonerated in my eyes. All I want is for Wenger and Arsenal to be the best they can be, we have no divine right to trophies.
The odds of Arsenal winning the league have dropped to below 3/1. This was at 9/1 & more. It is obvious that the money boys fear Arsenal winning but the Papers keep publishing their bull shhhhh.
Thx Walter, good not only to be aware of the long term trend, but also to keep results in perspective :-)!
That said, it would be nicer to be best for a season as opposed to a calendar year or a seasons worth of consecutive games. Still, I personally think that will come this season or next. Fingers crossed.
Wanted to share stats.com insights blog which had a piece on our early season lack of scoring; wish I had seen this at the time as it may have shut some of the naysayers up…
http://www.stats.com/insights/soccer/goals-will-come-for-arsenal-new-signing-or-not/
Shame we dont get access to the actual stats in their entirety. I often feel stats are cherry picked against us!
Thanks for keeping up the good fight.
It is good to see the table like this and we should all support the team as much as possible. That will really get the backs of opposing teams up and give the team a 12th player against the PGMOB as well….