by Tony Attwood
This set of data for shots and fouls per game comes from WhoScored and it shows that Arsenal are the most fouled team in the Premier League this season. The final columns looking at the relationship are added by Untold. This is, I believe, the first time this data has ever been presented.
Part 1: Data in order of shots per game
The number before each team in the left column is a record of where the club stands in relation to being fouled. Thus Arsenal shown as 1, are the most fouled team, but are third in terms of the number of shots per game despite this endless fouling against the team.
The number of shots per game varies from 19.5 for Liverpool down to 6.3 for Bournemouth. But although Liverpool are way above everyone else in terms of shooting, this is not a be-all and end-all scenario since they are eighth in the league. Even if they won their game in hand they would only be fifth in the league.
But generally speaking, the teams that shoot more, are higher up the league and teams that shoot less are lower down the league as we would expect
If we just look at the top four clubs comparing shots and goals scored we find
| Team | Shots/Game | Goals per game | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 17. Liverpool | 19.5 | 2.57 | |
| 16. Manchester City | 16.9 | 3.29 | |
| 1. Arsenal | 16.6 | 2.37 | |
| 19. Tottenham | 15.4 | 2.57 |
Manchester City are clearly significantly ahead in turning shots into goals not least because Haaland has already scored 14.
But Arsenal have a major disadvantage because although Arsenal are competing in terms of shots per game, they are being fouled more than any other team as we shall see below.
2: Data in order of being fouled per game
Now we can see that there is no relationship between the number of times a club is fouled per game and the number of shots it has per game. One might have expected a relationship since desperate defenders will foul in order to stop a player shooting. But it seems they are fouling before the shot comes in – which is logical of course. In short Arsenal are being prevented from shooting by the fouling.
Arsenal are fouled around 70% more than Manchester United or Tottenham. Arsenal suffer over 50% more fouls for each goal they score than Manchester City.
Why are Arsenal being fouled more than other teams? Not because we are top scorers – Manchester City have knocked in five more goals than Arsenal, but because Arsenal are shooting far more than other teams. The message is, if a side shoots a lot it will get fouled a lot.
But also the age of our team might be an issue. As players get older they get more used to the ways of defenders, so we might see a reduction here.
Here’s the table in order of the number of times each team is fouled per game. The difference in the number of times each team is fouled per game is huge. Why are Arsenal players getting fouled so often?
| Team | Shots pg | Fouled pg | Shots per foul |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Arsenal | 16.6 | 12.3 | 1.35 |
| 2. Chelsea | 11.7 | 12 | 0.98 |
| 3. Crystal Palace | 11.3 | 11.5 | 0.98 |
| 4. Wolverhampton | 11.7 | 11.4 | 1.03 |
| 5. Southampton | 11.1 | 11.3 | 0,98 |
| 6. Aston Villa | 9.6 | 11.3 | 0.84 |
| 7. Bournemouth | 6.3 | 10.9 | 0.57 |
| 8. Leicester | 11.1 | 10.3 | 1.08 |
| 9. Leeds | 13 | 9.8 | 1.32 |
| 10. Newcastle | 15.4 | 9.7 | 1.59 |
| 11. Brentford | 11.7 | 9.7 | 1.21 |
| 12. Everton | 12 | 8.9 | 1.35 |
| 13. Nottingham Forest | 11.3 | 8.7 | 1.30 |
| 14. Brighton | 13.7 | 8.5 | 1.61 |
| 15. Fulham | 11.6 | 8.3 | 1.39 |
| 16. Manchester City | 16.9 | 8.1 | 2.08 |
| 17. Liverpool | 19.5 | 7.7 | 2.53 |
| 18. West Ham | 11.3 | 7.6 | 1.49 |
| 19. Tottenham | 15.4 | 7.4 | 2.08 |
| 20. Manchester United | 12.5 | 7.2 | 1.74 |
Part 3: Data on shots per foul
Finally, we look at the number of shots a club is able to get in before it is fouled. Here we see that Liverpool, Manchester City and Tottenham are the winners while Arsenal linger in mid-table. The message is, our young players need to shoot faster – in fact shoot before you are fouled.
Arsenal can do nothing about the number of times it is fouled per game except be more prepared for this to happen, and clearly being fouled is working to the advantage of high fouling teams like Manchester United and Leeds United.
Liverpool have a huge advantage because they are simply not being fouled despite putting in many more shots than other clubs.
Here is the table of the number of shots each team can get away before it is fouled.
| Team | Shots pg | Fouled pg | Shots per foul |
|---|---|---|---|
| 17. Liverpool | 19.5 | 7.7 | 2.53 |
| 16. Manchester City | 16.9 | 8.1 | 2.08 |
| 19. Tottenham | 15.4 | 7.4 | 2.08 |
| 20. Manchester United | 12.5 | 7.2 | 1.74 |
| 14. Brighton | 13.7 | 8.5 | 1.61 |
| 10. Newcastle | 15.4 | 9.7 | 1.59 |
| 18. West Ham | 11.3 | 7.6 | 1.49 |
| 15. Fulham | 11.6 | 8.3 | 1.39 |
| 12. Everton | 12 | 8.9 | 1.35 |
| 1. Arsenal | 16.6 | 12.3 | 1.35 |
| 13. Nottingham Forest | 11.3 | 8.7 | 1.30 |
| 11. Brentford | 11.7 | 9.7 | 1.21 |
| 8. Leicester | 11.1 | 10.3 | 1.08 |
| 4. Wolverhampton | 11.7 | 11.4 | 1.03 |
| 5. Southampton | 11.1 | 11.3 | 0,98 |
| 3. Crystal Palace | 11.3 | 11.5 | 0.98 |
| 2. Chelsea | 11.7 | 12 | 0.98 |
| 6. Aston Villa | 9.6 | 11.3 | 0.84 |
| 7. Bournemouth | 6.3 | 10.9 | 0.57 |
Conclusion: Arsenal are doing very well indeed when it comes to getting shots in. But they are being fouled more en route to goal which is costing the club in terms of goals scored.
Aside from “every time you are tackled, go down” it is difficult to know what Arsenal can do other that protest to PGMO – but that has never worked in the past.
