Premier League Focus: Shooting Statistics

With the 2012/13 Premier League season just over a mere month old, we are still some way from learning how the table will pan out come May. The generally considered top clubs are starting to take up positions towards the upper part of the table, while all three promoted clubs currently lie in the bottom five, but there are still some anomalies that many will be expecting to even themselves out.

Few expect Everton to qualify automatically for the Champions League - as they would with a top 3 finish - or their Merseyside rivals Liverpool to be spending next season in the Championship. As these 'creases' in the table are ironed out as the season ensues, many of the surprising stats will disappear into the forgotten past. Looking back to a year ago, Aston Villa had the 3rd best conversion rate in the league. By the end of the season only Liverpool had a worse such rate. As we can see, the stats will change, but at this point in time some extremely interesting shooting statistics stand out, and it will be even more interesting to see if the teams and players involved can keep up their attacking form, or in some cases overturn what has been a forgettable start to the campaign.

Fast starters

David Moyes is about as celebrated as managers get for doing a great job on a shoestring budget (albeit shoestring compared to the riches of England's elite), and he has led his side to a fantastic start to the season. Not since the 2007/08 season have the Toffees won 3 of their opening 5 Premier League fixtures, and much of their doing so this season has been down to their aptitude for creating goalscoring chances. In fact, they have had more shots this season that any other team in Europe's top 5 leagues, with 102 attempts on goal. However, with struggling Tottenham and Real Madrid having had the joint-second most (95), there is obviously more to their attacking than sheer volume of shots.

Only Man City (11) and Chelsea (9) have created more clear-cut goalscoring chances in the Premier League than Everton's 7 this season, and those chances have on occasion found in-form Marouane Fellaini on the end of them. The Belgian international has had 8 headed attempts this season - at least 2 more than any other player - and has scored 3 of those, while no other player has scored more than 1.

At the other end of the spectrum is the player who held Fellaini's mantle for best header of the ball last season. Steven Fletcher recently joined Sunderland in a record breaking deal, and he leads the most astounding of the stats that his club can boast this season. In four league games, the Black Cats have mustered just 20 shots, and have hit the target with only 6 of those attempts. Respective averages of 5 shots and 1.5 shots on target per game are by far an away the worst in Europe's top 5 leagues. Nevertheless, Sunderland remain unbeaten in the league having drawn all four games, and that is in no small part thanks to their Scottish forward.

Having played 3 times since signing, Fletcher has managed just 4 shots on target, from a total of only 6 shots. What is so impressive, however, is that the Scot has scored with all four of those attempts that have hit the target, meaning he is yet to see a shot saved whilst in a Sunderland shirt. Somewhat surprising, though, is the fact that Fletcher, who scored the most headed goals in the Premier League last season (7), is now playing at the only club in the division yet to have a single headed attempt this term. Sunderland have the best overall conversion rate (20%) as well as the best conversion rate of shots on target (67%) in the Premier League, but it is hard to deny that a little more creativity in midfield and a few more resulting chances for Sunderland - and in particular Fletcher - would see them end their drawing streak with a much-needed victory.

Slow movers

When it comes to those that have struggled in front of goal this season, Liverpool are up there with the most culpable. They have hit the target with only 24% of their shots - the lowest percentage in the Premier League - whilst only Norwich (3%) have scored a lower proportion of their chances than Liverpool (4%). Luis Suarez accounts for 30 of their shots yet he can only boast 2 goals so far this season, while Borini and Shelvey both remain on nil points for goals despite having 9 shots apiece. Whilst Suarez has only scored twice from 8 shots on target, and has missed 4 clear-cut scoring chances - as many or more than 6 of the league's 20 sides in total - one thing going for the Uruguayan is that at least he can say he has scored at all.

Southampton's Adam Lallana and Newcastle's Papiss Demba Cisse share the unwanted title of the least prolific shooters in the Premier League this season. Cisse was an instant hit in England last season, but has struggled to get going this time around, failing to hit the back of the net with any of his 12 attempts this season. While Lallana has also had 12 attempts without scoring himself (4 of which have been from outside the penalty area), Cisse's is by far the more surprising and alarming. The Senegalese striker has missed all 3 of his chances when one-on-one with the keeper, including a penalty he blazed over the bar against Norwich last weekend. 

With yet worse striking stats is England striker Danny Welbeck. The Manchester United frontman has failed to even hit the target with any of his 10 attempts on goal this season. While it is undeniably difficult playing a bit-part role behind Robin van Persie, a striker coming off the bench for a team like United should expect to have had at least one shot on target in over 4 hours of playing time this season. Arsenal's new signing from Montpellier, Olivier Giroud, is close behind Welbeck in terms of shots without hitting the target, having had 9 shots without finding the target. What is more, Giroud has missed the target from a clear-cut chance on 3 separate occasions already this season. While he is still finding his feet in English football, it would not be unreasonable to expect more of a multi-million pound signing.

Things do, however, get even worse in the shooting statistics for Manchester United. Portuguese winger Nani has missed the target with 7 shots so far this season. However, not one of his attempts on goal can even be classed as a 'near miss', with all seven of them flying harmlessly well wide of the mark. Nani has become something of an inconsistent player for United, and his shooting has certainly left something to be desired this term.