Stat, Viz, Quiz is the Opta Analyst football newsletter. This week’s edition looks at Liverpool’s struggles, home and away form in the Premier League, and creative sparks.
Last week, we published an article about how the time was now for Liverpool to return to form as they approached a kinder-looking run of games this season.
Then, on Saturday, they went and put in their worst performance in recent memory to lose 3-0 at home to Nottingham Forest. If anyone out there wants us to jinx any other teams, we are open to ideas.
In this week’s SVQ, we’ll be looking at that chastening day at Anfield for the champions, while we will also have a viz for you showing just how reliant certain Premier League teams are on their home (or away) form.
We have another exhilarating quiz for you to attempt, while this week’s Ask Opta query is all about creativity.
Let’s start with Liverpool, though, who suffered a new low at the weekend.
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STAT – Forest Fire at Anfield
Liverpool have been woefully out of form in recent weeks, but surely no-one saw Saturday’s result coming.
Arne Slot’s men were beaten at Anfield by Nottingham Forest last season, but that was only 1-0 and was ultimately their sole home defeat of the entire campaign in the league on their way to winning the title with ease.
This time, it was by a more comprehensive 3-0 scoreline, it was their second home loss this season, and their sixth loss in their last seven in the league. That’s as many defeats as in their previous 58 games beforehand, while at Anfield, they have lost two of their last three league games, as many as their previous 53 beforehand.
If the Reds’ title challenge wasn’t already over, it surely is now. In fact, their aims for the remainder of the campaign might have to drastically reduce as they find themselves in the bottom half of the table.
Liverpool have lost as many as six of their opening 12 Premier League games of a season for only the second time, after 2014-15 (also six). They are also only the fourth defending PL champions to start the season with six or more defeats in their first dozen outings, after Blackburn Rovers in 1995-96 (six), Chelsea in 2015-16 (seven), and Leicester City in 2016-17 (six).
Most losses for defending PL champions after 12 games
They were on the end of only the second occasion in the Premier League of a team starting the day in the relegation zone winning by three or more goals away against the reigning champions, and Forest were also responsible for the other, a 4-1 win at Leeds United in December 1992.
It has been a horrible few months for Liverpool for various reasons, and the only way to overcome it is to start winning again.
Saturday suggested that could still be some way off.
VIZ – Home and Away
With Matchday 12 out of the way, we are now, erm, 12 games into the 2025-26 Premier League season.
For those with a head for maths, that means each team has played six times at home and six away, so we thought we’d take a look at which teams are doing better in the comfort of their own stadium, and which are thriving more in the home of their opponents.
The team most reliant on playing at home to secure points are Fulham, who have only produced one solitary point on the road – a 1-1 draw at Brighton on the opening day that relied on a 96th-minute equaliser from Rodrigo Muniz. Saturday’s win over Sunderland took their points earned at home to 13 from six games, meaning a whopping 92.9% of Fulham’s points have been earned at Craven Cottage.
Brentford have been the next most reliant on home form, also winning 13 points at the Gtech Community Stadium to go with their three away from home – which came from a 2-0 win at West Ham (81.3% of points won at home). That’s ahead of Newcastle United (12 won at home, 3 away – 80%).
Despite their 4-1 loss to Arsenal in the north London derby on Sunday, Tottenham are still the team with the highest percentage of points won in away games. Thirteen of their 18 points earned have been on the road (72.2%), ahead of Chelsea, who went level with Spurs and Arsenal for most points won in away games this season with their 2-0 win at Burnley. Thirteen of their 23 points have been away from Stamford Bridge (56.5%).
Crystal Palace have a 50-50 split (10 home, 10 away), as do Wolves, but given they still only have two points, their percentage either way was going to be 50-50 or 100%.
Home and away points percentage PL 2025-26
After 120 games played this season in the Premier League, there have been 62 home wins (51.7%), 33 away wins (27.5%) and 25 draws (21%).
The highest percentage of home wins in a Premier League season is 50.8% in 2009-10, so at this rate we are on course to see more home victories than ever, albeit it is still early in the campaign, and this will likely even out as it goes on. There were, after all, five away wins from 10 games on Matchday 12.
It is interesting, though, when you consider last season had the second lowest percentage of home wins in a Premier League season (40.8%), with the only lower proportion being the 2020-21 campaign that was largely played in empty stadiums.
It’s one to keep an eye on, anyway.
QUIZ – Early-Bird Blues, Big Chances at St. James’, and Distant Richarlison
SVQ subscribers: What do they know? Do they know things? Let’s find out. Answers at the bottom of the page (and a bonus point to anyone who gets that reference).
1. Chelsea have won each of their last eight Premier League games kicking off at 12:30 on a Saturday after beating Burnley 2-0. Who are the only team to enjoy a longer run of successive victories in this specific kick-off slot in the competition?
2. Fabian Hürzeler oversaw his 50th Premier League match in charge of Brighton and Hove Albion on Saturday at the age of 32 years and 269 days, albeit from the stands due to a touchline ban, but it made him the youngest manager to reach a half-century of games in the competition’s history, breaking which former Fulham boss’ record?
3. Although Newcastle went on to beat Man City 2-1, the first half of their game on Saturday had the most big chances on Opta’s record (from 2010-11) in a goalless Premier League first half. How many were there? A) Three, B) Five, or C) Seven? A ‘big chance’ is an opportunity from which the attacking team would be reasonably expected to score.
4. Lucas Digne made his 100th Premier League start for Aston Villa, becoming only the fourth French player to start 100+ games for two different clubs (also 111 starts for Everton). Name any of the other three French players to do so. Clue: They are all also defenders.
5. It wasn’t a fun afternoon for Spurs at Arsenal on Sunday, but Richarlison’s goal (35.3 yards) was the furthest in the Premier League this season, and the furthest scored in a north London derby in the competition since who scored for Spurs in October 2008 at the Emirates from 35.7 yards?
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Ask Opta
Our question this week comes from Steve B, who asks: “With Kevin De Bruyne and Trent Alexander-Arnold no longer in the Premier League, who is creating the most chances this season?”
Do you have a stat-based question you’d like Opta to answer in a future edition of SVQ? Email us at editors@theanalyst.com or message us on X @OptaAnalyst with #AskOpta and we’ll pick the best one.
Answer:
With De Bruyne gone, it will be a relief to Man City that they have another player who is standing out as one of the most creative in the Premier League.
Jérémy Doku has created 27 chances this season in 12 games, all from open play (the most in the league), while his six ‘big chances’ created is the joint most along with Leeds United’s Sean Longstaff.
He trails Bruno Fernandes overall, though, with the Manchester United man the most creative with 31 chances made for his teammates, 20 of which have been from open play, and three of which have been big chances.
Jack Grealish and Mohamed Salah aren’t too far behind with 24 chances created each, ahead of Phil Foden and Cody Gakpo (22 each). In fact, between them, City and Liverpool players make up five of the top nine for chances created, so despite their respective issues, perhaps they aren’t missing De Bruyne and Alexander-Arnold all that much.
Most chances created PL 2025-26 after MD12
Quiz Answers
1. Chelsea have won each of their last eight Premier League games kicking off at 12:30 on a Saturday after beating Burnley 2-0. Who are the only team to enjoy a longer run of successive victories in this specific kick-off slot in the competition?
Manchester City (9 wins in a row from May 2021-Oct 2022)
2. Fabian Hürzeler oversaw his 50th Premier League match in charge of Brighton and Hove Albion on Saturday at the age of 32 years and 269 days, albeit from the stands due to a touchline ban, but it made him the youngest manager to reach a half-century of games in the competition’s history, breaking which former Fulham boss’ record?
Chris Coleman (34 years, 107 days)
3. Although Newcastle went on to beat Man City 2-1, the first half of their game on Saturday had the most big chances on Opta’s record (from 2010-11) in a goalless Premier League first half. How many were there? A) Three, B) Five, or C) Seven? A ‘big chance’ is an opportunity from which the attacking team would be reasonably expected to score.
C) Seven (Newcastle – 4, Man City – 3)
4. Lucas Digne made his 100th Premier League start for Aston Villa, becoming only the fourth French player to start 100+ games for two different clubs (also 111 starts for Everton). Name any of the other three French players to do so. Clue: They are all also defenders.
Gaël Clichy, Sylvain Distin and William Gallas
5. It wasn’t a fun afternoon for Spurs at Arsenal on Sunday, but Richarlison’s goal (35.3 yards) was the furthest in the Premier League this season, and the furthest scored in a north London derby in the competition since who scored for Spurs in October 2008 at the Emirates from 35.7 yards?
David Bentley
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