Premier League winners and losers
Date published: Thursday 27th April 2017 11:54
Winners
Tottenham, the Premier League’s run-enders
Manchester City had won six straight league games. Then they faced Spurs.
Burnley were unbeaten at home for four months. Then they faced Spurs.
Chelsea had won 13 consecutive league games. Then they faced Spurs.
Everton were unbeaten in almost three months, dropping just six points. Then they faced Spurs.
Crystal Palace had won six of their last eight league games. Then they faced Spurs.
Not only does that read like a weird remix of Afroman’s ‘Because I got high’ (I know you’ll try it out), it also describes just how effective Mauricio Pochettino’s team have been against all manner of in-form opponents. Tottenham probably won’t win the league, but you have to look hard to find meaningful flaws.
Tottenham’s chance creation
Tottenham’s winning run in the league has now reached eight matches, a sequence that has only been bettered twice in the Premier League since 2009. Not only does that show just how impressively Pochettino’s side have pushed Chelsea (and their 13-match streak of league wins is one of those aforementioned two) despite participation in Europe and with weaker squad depth, but Tottenham have produced this superb run of victories at the most crucial time in the season. The expectation was that the clubs behind Tottenham would snap at their heels. Instead, they have extended their lead.
As Tottenham prepare to face Arsenal, knowing victory would ensure finishing above their rivals for the first time in 22 years, they could not be in ruder health. This streak of eight victories has been achieved with the concession of just four goals, but it is Tottenham’s chance creation that is most noticeable.
Chances created per game (since start of Tottenham’s winning run):
Tottenham – 15.1
Manchester United – 12
Manchester City – 11.7
Liverpool – 11.7
Chelsea – 11.14
Southampton – 10.29
Everton – 9.75
Watford – 9.29
Arsenal – 9.14
The gap to Tottenham and Manchester United in second is bigger than the gap between United and Arsenal, in ninth. This is a purple patch that has been extended to a purple field.
Christian Eriksen
Eriksen may have provided the final, glorious touch to Tottenham’s winner on Wednesday evening, but don’t let that persuade you that the Dane was not also his team’s provider. No player on the pitch managed more than his four chances created. N’Golo Kante may have been the deserving Player of the Year, but Eriksen is the Premier League’s best on current form.
If the statistics above highlight Spurs’ ridiculous chance creation, Eriksen is the one most responsible for making the figures look silly. Over the last eight games he has created 30 chances, seven more than any other player in the Premier League and only 21 fewer than Hull City have created as a whole.
Even across the season, Eriksen’s chance creation has been exceptional; his total of 97 is 16 higher than Kevin de Bruyne in second place. A reminder than Eriksen signed a new four-year deal last September worth just £70,000 a week. That’s £5,000 a week more than Marko Arnautovic and James Morrison, and less than Fraser Forster and Andy Carroll. He’s at least three years younger than them all.
