Welcome to part 7 of the 2011/12 review of the season by numbers. Now we'll look at shots on target conceded home and away and see how the teams fared by this measure.
Join me after the jump
2011/12 EPL season by shots on target conceded (home)
By Chart
By Graph
Here we have a strange set of data with 11 teams the good side of the mean line, this is due in part to Wolves' appalling number. Wolves are a full 3 shots per game over the mean and it is truly a number that contributed to the worst home form in the EPL.
Bolton struggle by this measure, they were just unable to prevent shots on their own goal. Norwich, suprisingly fare little better with Blackburn, the relegated side, faring a touch better.
Fulham struggle in regards to shots on target conceded at home which is strange considering their relatively strong home form. This is where the previous article, where we looked at shots on target for, comes in. Fulham were 6th in shots on target for at home and they comfortably ended up with a + differential figure by the shots on target measure.
We have to consider that scoring % (shots on goal/goals) ran at around 30% in the 2011/12 EPL
When we consider this we can see just how good, and what those good numbers meant for sides who conceded very few shots on target per game.
Arsenal were 1st with only 2.63 shots on target conceded per game. This should of led to a stronger EPL record but they were let down by a poor season long save % number.
Liverpool again excel by the stats, finishing 2nd. A stubborn Everton side at Goodison rarely concede much, they lie in 3rd. Spurs were pipped by Man City to 4th. Man City had a very strong save %, and this coupled with a low shots on target conceded was just one off the factors behind gaining 55 home points.
Man Utd finished 11th by this measure, 11th. They had the 2nd best home record in the EPL but again, like City, they had a very high save % number and they also comfortably managed a + shots on target differential number due to being 1st in shots on target for at home. But still, that is not a good number for what we are told is a side that was as good as Man CIty in 2011/12.
Stoke ,Villa and Sunderland all climb out from the bottom 6 of these tables where they have been stuck for a while now when looking at several different measures.
2011/12 EPL Table by Shots On Target Conceded (away)
By Chart
By Graph
Here we can see a new front runner, and this is Everton. Away from home, Everton were the best club by the shots on target conceded measure. They conceded the fewest with only 3.89 shots on target per game. This number was a fraction ahead of Man City's excellent number of 3.94 shots conceded per game. I will have a detailed breakdown of Man City's stats after these general posts and the jist is, even during that barren spell of away form mid season, the defense held, held better than it had before, even. That statement is backed up here with the second best defensive record in regard to shots on target conceded per game.
Man Utd Chelsea and Liverpool finished on identical numbers, and yes I double checked it. Arsenal and Spurs round out the usual top 6 or 8 suspects. Villa are impressive by this measure, finsihing 8th best for a team who came 16th. Big Eck's endlessly negative tactics did instill Aston Villa with the ability to be stingy in terms of giving up shots on target.
Stoke are improved again by this measure, Newcastle are in mid table, where they should be. Towards the bottom Wolves, QPR and Bolton are dying by this measure and we see Fulham's effects of being a poor travelling team given more credit with this poor shots on target conceded showing.
Overall we see the best teams rising to the top by this accurate measure, with a stubborn as hell Everton team joining them and a falsely positioned Newcastle dropping lower. The relegation teams are hovering around the bottom 6 and that is to be expected with a lower quality of player and poor defensive tactics and personnel.
Shots on target +/- is an accurate measure incorporating the data from the previous 2 posts and taht is what we shall be looking at in the next post.
Twitter @benjaminpugsley