I have gathered some attacking statistics for each midfielder and attacker in the current failing Villa squad. The stats show each player’s record thus far this campaign as well as their overall Premier League record for their combined clubs in parenthesis. The stats include each player’s shots on target ratio, the shots to goals ratio and the average amount of minutes on the pitch it takes each player to score. I will list the top 3 players in each category regarding their attacking record as well as the bottom 3 culprits out of the midfielders and strikers in the squad.
Shots on Target Ratio This Season
Top 3:
Gabby Agbonlahor – 0.67
Nigel Reo-Coker – 0.67
Ashley Young – 0.60
* (Robert Pires omitted as he has had just 1 shot)
Bottom 3:
John Carew – 0.23
Stephen Ireland – 0.29
Nathan Delfouneso – 0.44
Surprisingly 2 of the 6 midfielders/strikers not to score this season have the highest shots on target ratio. Both Nigel Reo-Coker and Gabby Agbonlahor hit the target with two thirds of their attempts. Nigel Reo-Coker rarely ventures far enough forward to shoot but did miss a glorious opportunity in the dying seconds to give Villa victory against Chelsea earlier in the season. Injury has halted Gabby’s progression this season though he has racked up 10 starts out of a possible 19 now with no profits.
John Carew has hit the target with just 1 in 4 of his attempts with one of his misses crucially coming from the spot at 0-0 against Newcastle, a game Villa went on to be hit for 6. Stephen Ireland’s nightmare Villa career may well come to an end next month but potential suitors would not be impressed by a shots on target ratio of 2.9. Nathan Delfouneso is the only other a player to missed the target with over half of his attempts.
Shots to Goals Ratio This Season
Top 3:
Ciaran Clark – 0.33
Emile Heskey – 0.22
Marc Albrighton – 0.14
Bottom 3:
6 Players – no goals
Ashley Young – 0.07
Stiliyan Petrov – 0.10
Having bagged a brace in the 4-2 defeat to Arsenal last month Ciaran Clark is the club’s most prolific marksmen in terms of goals to shots ratio. Playing in an advanced role to his usual centre-back position the youngster has impressed scoring 2 out of 6 attempts. He could have a hat-trick in that game and also hit the post against Chelsea earlier in the season. Emile Heskey has netted twice in 9 attempts at goal in a season which has seen him turn from donkey into stallion in the eyes of the Villa fans and become an integral part of the side, sorely missed when injured which is all too often. In 28 attempts at goal Marc Albrighton has scored four in the league, topped only by Stewart Downing with 5 though the ex-Middlesbrough man has had more efforts at goal.
6 of the midfielders/strikers have yet to score this season meaning that a goals to shots ratio is pretty redundant however, out of the goalscorers, Ashley Young has been most wasteful having not scored in open play all season. Similarly to Albrighton, Young has had 28 shots at goal but unlike the youngster he is yet to convert other than from a free-kick against Bolton and the spot against United. Stiliyan Petrov’s rare goal on the opening day is his only one this season from 10 attempts.
Minutes Per Goal This Season
Top 3:
Emile Heskey – 233
Marc Albrighton – 290
Stewart Downing – 342
Bottom 3:
6 Players – no goals
Stiliyan Petrov – 882
Ashley Young – 718
Having been injured for much of the season, twice during the opening 45 minutes of games against Tottenham, Emile Heskey has been the clubs deadliest striker during his time on the pitch scoring a goal every 2 and a half matches or so. Says a lot really! Marc Albrighton’s 4 league goals have come at a rate of just over 1 in 3. Impressive for a winger and especially considering it’s his first full season. The clubs leading league scorer is Downing with 5, with one coming every 4 games or so. The winger has played every minute of Villa’s league campaign thus far.
Again with 6 players yet to score the minutes per goal stat is nullified though out of the scorers, Petrov has the worst strike rate per minutes on the pitch having scored once in his 882 minutes of action. Ashley Young will certainly want to improve on his ratio of a goal every 718 minutes (8 matches), if he stays at the club that is!
Below is the full list of attacking stats to ponder!
|
NAME (Position) |
Appearances (Sub) |
Shots on Target Ratio (Overall) |
Shots to Goals Ratio (Overall) |
Minutes Per Goal (Overall) |
|
Stephen Ireland (CM) |
6 (4) |
0.29 (0.52) |
– (0.12) |
– (635) |
|
Stiliyan Petrov (CM) |
10 (1) |
0.60 (0.55) |
0.10 (0.03) |
882 (2362) |
|
Nigel Reo-Coker (CM) |
9 (3) |
0.67 (0.57) |
– (0.08) |
– (1720) |
|
Steve Sidwell (CM) |
1 (3) |
– (0.36) |
– (0.06) |
– (855) |
|
Ciaran Clark (CB/M) |
7 (2) |
0.50 (0.43) |
0.33 (0.29) |
360 (405) |
|
Ashley Young (WM) |
16 |
0.60 (0.55) |
0.07 (0.1) |
718 (519) |
|
Stewart Downing (WM) |
19 |
0.56 (0.59) |
0.12 (0.06) |
342 (726) |
|
Marc Albrighton (WM) |
14 (1) |
0.65 |
0.13 |
290 (306) |
|
Robert Pires (WM) |
1 (4) |
1 (0.63) |
– (0.24) |
– (204) |
|
John Carew (CF) |
5 (4) |
0.23 (0.53) |
– (0.16) |
– (213) |
|
Gabriel Agbonlahor (CF) |
7 (3) |
0.67 (0.67) |
– (0.18) |
– (309) |
|
Emile Heskey (CF) |
6 (2) |
0.56 (0.49) |
0.22 (0.21) |
233 (439) |
|
Nathan Delfouneso (CF) |
2 (8) |
0.44 (0.67) |
0.11 (0.17) |
379 (331) |
