Skip to content

Race for the Premier League title: Leicester, Tottenham, Arsenal and Manchester City defences analysed

Defenders
Image: Wes Morgan, Toby Alderweireld, Vincent Kompany and Laurent Koscielny

The Premier League's top four go head-to-head on Sky Sports on Sunday, when leaders Leicester travel to Arsenal and Manchester City host Tottenham.

Just six points separate the teams in the table and this weekend offers the perfect opportunity for each to make a statement of intent in the title race.

Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player

Who do you think has been the best defender in the Premier League this season? Here's some of your responses...

To build up to the big showdowns, all this week Sky Sports will be analysing the teams.

Who has the best 'keeper?
Who has the best 'keeper?

As the race for the title heats up, we analyse the top four's goalkeepers...

On Monday, we looked at the top-four teams' goalkeepers. Next up, we take a look at their defences.

Here's what the stats say about their performances in 2015/16...

Top-four centre-backs compared

Player Team International caps Transfer fee
Morgan Leicester City 23 (Jamaica) £1m
Huth Leicester City 19 (Germany) £3m
Alderweireld Tottenham 52 (Belgium) £11.5m
Vertonghen Tottenham 74 (Belgium) £9.5m
Koscielny Arsenal 23 (France) £10m
Mertesacker Arsenal 104 (Germany) £10m
Otamendi Man City 30 (Argentina) £28.5m
Demichelis Man City 49 (Argentina) £4.2m
Jamie Redknapp and Stuart Pearce were both amazed at some poor defending by Nicolas Otamendi on Saturday Night Football.
Image: Nicolas Otamendi (L) has made 144 clearances this season

Team defence stats

Arsenal have kept the most clean sheets in the Premier League this season (12), one more than Manchester City, while Tottenham and Leicester have nine and eight shut-outs, respectively.

Also See:

Live Ford Super Sunday

However, it's Spurs who have conceded the fewest goals. Mauricio Pochettino's team have let in just 19 goals - the best record in the Premier League. Arsenal aren't far behind, with just 22 goals conceded.

When it comes to the playing statistics, Man City have the worst tackle success rate (70.43 per cent) and have made the fewest number of blocks (44) in the Premier League.

Top-four defensive records (incl PL rank)

Team Fewest goals conceded Most clean sheets Tackle success % Most blocks Most clearances Fewest errors leading to goals Fewest shots faced
Leicester 27 (6th) 8 (T8th) 75.89 (8th) 107 (5th) 690 (5th) 1 (1st) 339 (14th)
Tottenham 19 (1st) 9 (T5th) 76.02 (7th) 85 (11th) 710 (3rd) 5 (T9th) 265 (4th)
Arsenal 22 (2nd) 12 (T1st) 74.84 (12th) 90 (9th) 573 (16th) 3 (T4th) 308 (8th)
Man City 26 (5th) 11 (T3rd) 70.43 (20th) 44 (20th) 632 (12th) 5 (T9th) 231 (1st)

City have faced the fewest shots at goal this season. However, when that is analysed alongside their goals-conceded total it suggests they are presenting the opposition with good goalscoring opportunities.

On average, City's opponents score a goal with every 8.8 shots. In contrast, Arsenal only concede a goal for every 14 shots faced, Tottenham for every 13.9 and Leicester for every 12.5.

Marko Arnautovic of Stoke City is closed down by Per Mertesacker of Arsenal, Premier League
Image: Per Mertesacker (R) has a tackle success rate of 90.48 per cent

Top-performing centre-backs

Top-four centre-backs stats

Centre-back Clean sheets Tackle success % Blocks Clearances Errors leading to goals Games played
Morgan 8 72.41 25 130 1 25
Huth 8 75 23 174 0 24
Alderweireld 9 68 18 192 0 25
Vertonghen 7 76.92 17 142 0 23
Koscielny 9 55.56 20 129 0 22
Mertesacker 7 90.48 7 89 0 18
Otamendi 6 62.71 8 144 0 19
Demichelis 3 73.33 4 72 1 17

Robert Huth and Wes Morgan have struck up a key partnership at the heart of the Leicester defence. Ever-present Morgan and Huth, who has missed just one game, have combined for all eight of Leicester's clean sheets this season - and, promisingly for the Foxes, five of those have come in their last seven Premier League fixtures.

 Robert Huth of Leicester City celebrates
Image: Robert Huth scored twice in Leicester's win at Man City

The pair share a similar tackle success rate and number of blocks, while Huth has made 44 more clearances than his defensive partner and Morgan has made Leicester's only Opta-classified error leading to a goal this season.

Vertonghen out for two months
Vertonghen out for two months

Tottenham defender Jan Vertonghen damaged a medial ligament in his knee against Crystal Palace

Their numbers compare favourably to the other top-four centre-back partnerships, although Arsenal's Per Mertesacker has registered a remarkable tackle success rate of 90.48 per cent and Tottenham's Toby Alderweireld has made 192 clearances.

Live Ford Super Sunday

Don't forget Kompany...

Manchester City skipper Vincent Kompany looks dejected as he leaves the pitch against Sunderland
Image: Man City skipper Vincent Kompany has helped the team keep seven clean sheets

An inescapable issue for Manchester City's defence this season has been the absence of Vincent Kompany.

The impact the club captain has had on the City rearguard is plain to see in the stats. With him, they've kept seven clean sheets in nine matches and recorded a 77.8 per cent win record. Without him, they've managed just four clean sheets in 16 matches and their win percentage drops to 43.8.

Man City missing Kompany?

With/Without Kompany Wins Draws Losses Win % Conceded Clean sheets
With 7 2 0 77.8 1 (while VK on field) 7
Without 7 3 6 43.8 25 4

Watch Arsenal v Leicester from 11.30am and Man City v Tottenham from 4pm on Super Sunday live on Sky Sports 1 HD

Around Sky