The Official 2013-14 EPL Season Thread

Shaunao1983 said:

Michael Platini said a couple of years ago that he'd like to cap the amount of foreign players allowed per team. Platini's point was that it protects the future generations . makes perfect sense to me. I look forward to the day this happens if it happens.

Click to expand...

This is a fantastic idea by Platini, but yeah I can't see it getting up either. The epl and la liga hold far too much sway with fifa as they are big money spinner leagues.
It would be great to turn on an EPL game between Chelsea and Man City and see 14 of England's best players running around with 8 of the best foreigners. It would stop faux powerhouses rising from mediocre teams only because they have filthy rich owners willing to throw crazy money at foreign players.
Similarly you'd like to turn on a Serie A or french league game and see their countries best talent on display.
But we know FIFA are one of the most corrupt old boys clubs around (see the revived hoohaa about the ridiculous decision to give the wc to qatar in the middle of their scorching summer)

it would be a good way to curb the influx of rich investors flooding the game with money, but wouldnt it also punish teams (like united) that have earned their money through winning?

beautiful to watch, ozil to giroud inside 10 mins.

bloody walcott if he could shoot, we would dominate.

some big results overnight
1-0 everton over Chelsea
ManCity struggling
Good opportunity for Liverpool to skip away to a 5 point lead, need to get a win at Swansea

This Pellegrini City project is long term right??

ljandkg said:

This Pellegrini City project is long term right??

Click to expand...

who knows mate? I predicted sparky hughes to be the 1st manager sacked but if city keep going at the rate they are my prediction may be wrong. I think the reason why city hired manuel is because of his experience, especially his experience when it comes to European fixture's. I think the city owner would want a European champions league trophy more than a domestic trophy. obviously you want to win them all but the champions league is there main goal and they have a team which will challenge.

I was kinda kidding, he'll be given time but it's been a rough start....

ljandkg said:

I was kinda kidding, he'll be given time but it's been a rough start....

Click to expand...

LOL its been a rough 132 years

...sounds like my sex life

Matty76 said:

...sounds like my sex life

Click to expand...

hahahahaha i say the same

AyiosYiorgos said:

http://au.sports.yahoo.com/videos/watch/18849571/team-physio-stops-goal/?cmp=ob

Click to expand...

fark me this is the funniest video ive seen for a while. he sh.. himself and made hey whilst the sun didn't shine and got himself out of there. he probably got the sh.. kicked out of him , not that i like that. makes you wonder what went through his head ?????????

Great win for Newcastle away at villa 2-1 wooooo..

anyone else keep an eye on other leagues serie a , La Liga,scottish league ,portuguese league etc....

heard on the radio this arvo it is the first time ever in the epl that last year's top four have all lost a game in the first month of the season.
and yet despite that fact its still the 'big 6' that occupy the first six places on the table after a mere 4 games.

Scary thing for City is they've played no one really. We should be on 12 pts with the teams we've played. Now the derby at the weekend...

What a night for jonjo shelvey, scores after 1.5 mins. then at the 4th min he assists sturidge ... 37 mins in he assists moses. and then in the 63rd he assists michu

Hero - > Zero - > Negative 10 - > Zero

at one stage there i think he thought he was still playing for liverpoool

Arsenal
* Arsenal have won nine consecutive away games in all competitions dating back to March's victory in Bayern Munich.
* Mesut Ozil has been credited with 73 league assists in five seasons - the highest in the top five leagues of Europe.
* Aaron Ramsey made seven tackles on Saturday at Sunderland but was also dispossessed five times.


Aston Villa
* Aston Villa have not kept a clean sheet since December 2012 - a run of 26 games where they have conceded at least one goal.
* Fabian Delph made seven of Villa's tackles v Newcastle on Saturday.
* Christian Benteke has scored 18 PL goals in 2013 - more than any other player.


Cardiff City
* Don Cowie is joint-top of the PL assists chart with two after setting up Peter Whittingham on Saturday at Hull.
* The wonderfully named Kévin Théophile-Catherine made three tackles, two interceptions and seven clearances at Hull.
* England international Fraizer Campbell had a pass completion rate of just 55% but that looked good in comparison to his substitute Rudy Gestede (18%).

Chelsea
* Seven points from four games marks their worst start to a PL season since 2002/03.
* Fernando Torres came off the bench v Everton and touched the ball just eight times in 21 minutes.
* David Luiz found a teammate with only seven of his 12 attempted long balls v Everton.


Crystal Palace
* Marouane Chamakh won a massive 11 aerial duels v Manchester United but did not have a single shot.
* Cameron Jerome touched the ball just six times in 26 minutes and completed just one of his five attempted passes.
* Mile Jedinak and Joel Ward are both in the top five for tackles per game in the PL this season.


Everton
* Goalscorer Steven Naismith recorded a pass completion rate of just 51% v Chelsea.
* Ross Barkley dribbled past seven players on Saturday v Chelsea - the most of any player in any game in this PL season.
* Gareth Barry committed five of Everton's ten fouls v Chelsea but did not get booked.


Fulham
* Fulham have the lowest number of tackles per game (14.5) in the Premier League.
* No Fulham player is averaging more than one key pass per game.
* Attacking midfielder Pajtim Kasami made five tackles v West Brom but did not create a single chance.


Hull City
* Sone Aluko has been fouled more times (16) than any other player in the top flight in the first four games.
* Tom Huddlestone and Jake Livermore have created 13 chances in three PL games for Hull. The rest of their teammates have created 14 chances in four games in total.
* Danny Graham has not scored in his last 1236 Premier League minutes of football.


Liverpool
* Liverpool's ten points from four games matches their 2008/09 start when they finished second.
* Daniel Sturridge's four PL goals this season have come from just 13 shots. Robin van Persie has taken 19 shots to score three goals.
* Martin Skrtel recorded a rare 100% pass completion rate v Swansea on Monday night.


Manchester City
* City have failed to win in six Premier League visits to the Britannia Stadium, despite winning all five home games with an aggregate score of 14-0.
* Álvaro Negredo lost the ball through a poor touch five times at Stoke while being dispossessed a further three times.
* Right-sided combination Pablo Zabaleta and James Milner failed to create a single chance v Stoke.


Manchester United
* United have averaged more interceptions per game (19.3) than any other side this season. Michael Carrick averages six per game and tops the PL interception charts.
* Adnan Januzaj created more chances in 23 minutes (2) v Palace than Robin van Persie, Ryan Giggs or Danny Welbeck so far this season.
* Ashley Young has reached a teammate with just one of 20 attempted crosses in three games.


*Newcastle United
* Newcastle have played the lowest number of long balls per game (48) in the PL this season.
* Hatem Ben Arfa dribbled past five Villa players on Saturday as well as scoring from one of three on-target shots.
* Newcastle are in the top half of the table for the first time since September 2012.


Norwich City
* Norwich have averaged only 41.8% possession so far this season - the lowest in the top flight.
* Ricky van Wolfswinkel has committed more fouls (12) than any other PL player this season.
* The Canaries have lost five of their last six away games in the PL.


Southampton
* Only Manchester City (62.4%) have averaged more possesion that Southampton (59.1%) so far this season.
* Pablo Osvaldo's pass completion rate v West Ham on Sunday was a pretty woeful 59%.
* Southampton have won just one of their last ten Premier League games.


* Stoke City
* Stoke have not won back-to-back home league games since November 2012.
* Stoke have a better pass completion rate (78.7%) than eight other PL teams this season.
* No Potters' striker has scored in their opening four PL matches.


* Sunderland
* Sunderland have won just two of 11 games managed by Paolo Di Canio.
* They actually had more shots than Arsenal on Saturday (18 v 14) but only three were on target. Craig Gardner had six shots in 45 minutes but his penalty was his only shot on target.
* Only Eden Hazard has created more chances (12) than Adam Johnson (11) in the PL this season. Neither has got an assist.


* Swansea City
* Swansea have the best pass completion rate in the PL this season at 87.1%.
* They have won none of their last seven PL games at the Liberty Stadium.
* Michu only passed the ball 24 times in 90 minutes but he set up three goalscoring chances.


Tottenham Hotspur
* Tottenham have averaged the most shots per game (19) and have allowed the fewest shots of any team (7.3) in the PL this season.
* Andros Townsend has had more shots (16) than any other player in the PL without scoring. He took nine v Norwich on Saturday.
* Christian Eriksen got the lauded assist but Mousa Dembélé and Kyle Walker both created five chances v the Canaries.


West Brom
* Jonas Olsson is king of the clearances this season with 48 in his first four PL games.
* West Brom have won only one of their last 13 Premier League games.
* The Baggies have won only four of 40 Premier League away games in London.


West Ham
* The Hammers have the lowest pass completion rate in the PL this season at 71.5%.
* They have had just six shots on target in five Premier League games.
* Ravel Morrison was dispossessed six times v Saints players on Sunday.

Brickbats for Ashley Young and Negredo from that list!

Its not the EPL, but check this out for a kickoff strategy!

ahahahah brilliant.