Gary Lemke looks at five talking points ahead of this weekend’s Premier League games, with Joey Barton, Aston Villa and the the dearth of 0-0 draws all under the microscope.
THREE 0-0’S IN 150 EPL GAMES
When are the 0-0 scorelines going to start dropping in the Premier League? Because the stats say they will. Last season there were 23 such scorelines from the 380 matches, which meant one in every 16 games was goalless.
This season there have been three 0-0s from 150 games, which is one in every 50 matches there are no goals. Three teams have yet to keep a clean sheet. You can probably guess that Sheffield United, bottom of the table, are one of those clubs. Another is 18th-placed Luton.
The third club that has conceded in all of their 15 matches so far? Unbelievable it’s eighth-placed Brighton. They’ve won seven, lost four and drawn four, but only Arsenal, Liverpool, Aston Villa and Man City have scored more than them.
They’re home to Burnley this weekend. Could this be their week? Their odds to win are 5/10 which looks like stealing money. By comparison, there have been 15 0-0’s from 100 games in South Africa’s DStv Premiership.
Premier League Wednesday Results. pic.twitter.com/bPbq7afD6b
— ExtraTime (@extraXTime) December 6, 2023
VILLA PARK A PROPER FORTRESS
Aston Villa’s win over Treble winners Manchester City was their 14th successive win at home, which is an amazing streak, showing Villa Park is a real fortress.
Despite the scoreline only being 1-0, City were lucky to get nil, as the stats show. They had no corners, while Villa had six. City had two shots at goal all evening, which is the lowest of any Pep Guardiola-managed team of all those he has managed in top-flight football – City, Barcelona and Bayern Munich.
You have to think there will be a backlash from City. They travel to Luton on Sunday…
Aston Villa’s last 14 Premier League games at home:
— B/R Football (@brfootball) December 6, 2023
1-0 win vs. Crystal Palace
3-0 win vs. Bournemouth
2-0 win vs. Nottingham Forest
3-0 win vs. Newcastle
1-0 win vs. Fulham
2-1 win vs. Spurs
2-1 win vs. Brighton
4-0 win vs. Everton
3-1 win vs. Crystal Palace
6-1 win vs.… pic.twitter.com/1sLpE5f9OO
VILLA NEAR THE TOP, CHELSEA NEAR BOTTOM
While we’re showering Villa with praise, it’s worth updating that if there was a table for the calendar year, the Villans would be third on the log with 75 points. Unai Emery has been manager for a year and his team have never been involved in a 0-0 draw.
A look at the updated table for 2023 shows: Man City (83pts), Arsenal (77), Villa (75), Liverpool (73). Man United (70), Newcastle (63), Brighton (63) and Tottenham (57).
Of all those teams to have played at least 35 games, Nottingham Forest are bottom with 38 points, and Bournemouth, Crystal Palace and Chelsea all have 39.
Chelsea are beaten in Manchester. #CFC | #MunChe pic.twitter.com/p72EhbAKre
— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) December 6, 2023
THE ‘SEXIEST’ FANS IN THE PREMIER LEAGUE ARE…
Not quite sure how this worked, but a poll conducted with 2,000 people by the tabloid Sun newspaper has revealed the “sexiest fans” in the Premier League.
If you’re a Luton fan you can puff your chest out. They top the poll with 12%, followed by Liverpool at 10%, Man United at 9%, Man City at 8% and Brentford at 7%.
The three “unsexiest” fans as reported by this poll are Sheffield United, Aston Villa and Newcastle. Don’t shoot the messenger!
Just want to congratulate fellow @LutonTown fans on being the sexiest fans in the Premier League
— Adam (@tweetertucker) December 7, 2023
But we knew this already 😉 pic.twitter.com/MlNOJ7Vqv9
BARTON OPENS UP A CAN OF WORMS
Fiery former player turned manager Joey Barton didn’t mix his words when going on the front froot on social media and on TV this week about his thoughts of women as commentators and analysts in the Premier League.
Come on. Let’s be serious,’ Barton added, before suggesting: ‘Any man who listens to women commentary or co-comms needs their heads testing … There’s a lot of similarities between both (men and women’s football), but the men’s game is played at a completely different speed, with a different skillset needed. For someone to stand there and say ‘I would have done this’, or ‘He’s made a mistake’. who have no experience of that … It’s not just one or two, it (football broadcasting has) been taken over.’
It’s not the first time that former players and managers have criticised some women’s analysts for commentating “what they would have done”, given the pace of the men’s game compared to the women’s. Barton is the first to come out publicly though.
Stand by everything I’ve said on Women commenting and co-comms on the Men’s football.
— Joey Barton (@Joey7Barton) December 7, 2023
Like me talking about Knitting or Netball. Way out of my comfort zone.
Some of the Men are bad enough!
We have gone too far. You cannot watch a game now without hearing the nonsense.
Any…
