“That’s in stark contrast to Everton who have won just five times across the 27 games of theirs Pawson has been in the middle for, and you have to go back eight games to May 2022 for the last time they won under his watch.”
Apart from the use of language like “under his watch” it is almost as if they have been reading Untold. Still, out purpose has been to make more people aware of how much impact referees have on games and if Arsenal.com are drawing attention to refs, so much the better.
Today’s referee made 19 appearances last season in the league and was the second-highest awarder of fouls per tackle. He was also the second-highest awarder of penalties per game. He was the fifth highest awarder of yellow cards per game
This season he has appeared eight times, with half the games being home wins, 37% away wins and 12.5% draws. This bodes rather well for Arsenal, and suggests he can be influenced by the crowd.
But while looking at referees and discipline, we might recall the mega mega fuss made by the media over the issue of Arsenal’s red cards total, and how the club was totally out of control and not fit to be in the league. Here’s the latest
Arsenal are on 33 yellows – making them 13th in the league for yellow cards. If there has been a great outcry against Chelsea on 50 cards I have missed it. And that is funny, for when Arsenal came top of the league for a few weeks on red cards it was headline news in every paper. Now with Chelsea (as per last season) being the yellow card champions, we get absolutely nothing about it in the media. Ah well, that’s reporting for you..
Everton’s highlight is that they are 19th in in league for possession and 18th for pass accuracy.
Talk Sport offer a team of
Raya,
Timber, Saliba, Kisior, Lewis Skelly
Odegaard Partey Rice
Saka, Havertz, Trossard
Sporting News offer us a team of
Raya,
Partey, Saliba, Gabriel, Timber
Odegaard, Rice, Merino
Saka, Havertz, Martinelli
So for once a bit of variation! Right, I must get ready for the long journey from the Midland down south. More tomorrow.