Premier League restart: Few clear-cut chances, Phil Foden and Paul Pogba shine
Home advantage dips after first 12 games; Clubs utilise five-sub rule; And all the trends we've spotted so far...
Tuesday 23 June 2020 16:13, UK
The Premier League is back with 12 games under its belt - but has three months of lockdown and empty stands affected teams?
Low expected goals but a high conversion rate
Matchday 30, which excludes the opening two games last week, produced the fewest expected goals this season and some of the lowest totals for shots and shots on target - suggesting creativity was somewhat rusty after the enforced break.
On the upside, teams still managed to buck the season-low 20 expected goals to actually score 25 - so there was no lack of clinical edge when an opportunity presented itself.
Home advantage?
Home advantage has been wiped out since the Bundesliga returned behind closed doors and Premier League results could be heading the same way with an 11.5 per cent dip in home wins since the restart - albeit from only 12 games.
The other benefit of home crowds is the potential influence over referee decisions - even in the age of VAR - such as winning free-kicks and penalties.
But the lack of support hasn't diminished decisions for hosts, with home teams winning 1.4 more fouls per game since the restart, while away teams averaged 0.8 more.
Which teams were fittest?
Burnley averaged more ground than any other club since the restart, covering 114km while being run ragged in the 5-0 defeat at Manchester City on Monday night - 5.5km more than their average before lockdown.
Five other teams recorded greater distances than their season average over the past week: Brighton, Aston Villa, Tottenham, Chelsea and Manchester United.
But the remaining 14 teams covered below-par distances, with Bournemouth and Norwich having considerable dips - both suffering crushing defeats in the restart round.
In terms of sprints, it was a similar story as seven clubs recorded numbers above their pre-lockdown season averages: Southampton, Norwich, Brighton, Chelsea, Newcastle, Sheffield United and Leicester.
Those relentless bursts were key factors in wins for Newcastle and Brighton against 10-man opponents, while Southampton cruised closer to safety with a comfortable 3-0 win over rock-bottom Norwich.
The majority of clubs recorded declines, the most notable, again, being Bournemouth. Manchester United and Burnley also had major dips - despite covering above-average distance - suggesting there was endurance without intensity.
Utilising five subs?
Teams are allowed to make five substitutions per game for the remainder of the season in a maximum of three intervals, to minimise the risk of injury - and nearly half of teams took full advantage.
Arsenal, Brighton, Liverpool, Manchester United, Newcastle, Norwich, Southampton and Watford used all five subs, as did Manchester City against Arsenal - before deploying four in the 5-0 win over Burnley.
Interestingly, Spurs were the only team to use fewer subs than their season average - making just two changes during the 1-1 draw with Manchester United.
Supersubs
The rule change led to a host of subs making considerable contributions over the past week, led by Manchester City midfielder Phil Foden, who seized his opportunity against Arsenal on Wednesday.
Foden staked his claim to become the long-term replacement for outbound veteran David Silva - coming on in the 65th minute and scoring City's third in a comfortable win over 10-man Arsenal.
The 20-year-old earned a starting berth five days later against Burnley and broke the deadlock before netting a second to help his side cruise to victory at the Etihad.
Wolves winger Adama Traore was scintillating in his 26-minute cameo against West Ham, fizzing a pinpoint cross for Raul Jimenez to break the deadlock - before team-mate Pedro Neto scored a late screamer after his introduction off the bench
Chelsea midfielder Christian Pulisic also levelled the scores just five minutes after coming off the bench on the hour mark in a 2-1 win over Aston Villa.
At the other end of the scale, David Luiz produced a 'disasterclass' cameo during the Gunners' defeat to City after replacing the injured Pablo Mari midway through the first half.
In just 25 minutes on the field, the Brazilian made a costly error which led to Raheem Sterling scoring the opener before conceding a penalty and receiving his marching orders.
Meanwhile, Paul Pogba made his long-awaited return to action for Manchester United, having missed 22 league games this season with an ankle injury - and it was worth the wait.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's side were trailing Tottenham 1-0 and lacking penetration in the final third when the France international took to the field in the 63rd minute.
Pogba oozed class, winning a penalty - cooly despatched by fellow midfield maestro Bruno Fernandes - and, minutes later, pinged an audacious volleyed long pass for Marcus Rashford.
Live Premier League
The graphic below shows the cumulative xG of both teams, with United's potency in attack soaring after Pogba's introduction - suggesting United fans have reason to be excited about a Pogba-Fernandes partnership.
The action continues to come thick and fast as matchday 31 gets underway on Tuesday when Leicester host Brighton before Tottenham face West Ham - both games are live on Sky Sports Premier League and Sky Sports Main Event.
Live Premier League
Live Premier League
