Aiman Khalid
Dec 31, 2025, 12:09 PM
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With an increasing amount of set-piece ingenuity, a long throw revival and an ever increasing tactical ceiling at the top of the Premier League, statistics have, taken centre stage within the game this season.
Especially when a team is winning, the underlying numbers of any group of players are often a good indicator for whether or not those wins are sustainable.
So, from touches to blocks and even the most times a player has hit the woodwork, ESPN takes a look at some of the (overlooked) stats of the Premier League season so far.
Who tops the Premier League's stats charts heading into 2026? Getty
Most touches
Elliot Anderson has impressed for a struggling Nottingham Forest side this season. Molly Darlington/Getty Images
Despite Nottingham Forest's managerial merry-go-round this season and the fact they're lingering in 17th, just four points above the drop zone, Elliot Anderson leads the Premier League's touch charts heading into 2026 with 1800 ahead of Virgil van Dijk's 1665 in second and Lewis Dunk's 1595 in third.
He has been involved in all 19 of Forest's league games this season and is a No. 6 who likes to get on the ball and look for line-breaking passes, traits that have put him at the centre ofEngland's 2026 World Cup plans.
Anderson is the only non centre-back in the top five for touches and has done so despite his most recent manager Sean Dyche's low-possession brand of football, a crucial clog in the Forest machine attempting to keep their Premier League status come May.
Anderson and his teammate Neco Williams also sit top two of duels won in the league with 146 and 129, respectively, Dyche-ball in full effect.
Elliot Anderson, 1800
Virgil can Dijk, 1665
Lewis Dunk, 1595
Jean Paul van Hecke, 1584
Trevoh Chalobah, 1477
Most successful crosses from open play
Wolves are yet to win a game this season and despite their point at Old Trafford before the New Year, they look a certainty to go down.
But all isn't lost in Wolverhampton, surprisingly, their 23-year-old left-back Hugo Bueno tops the Premier League's successful crosses table with 21, three more Mohammed Kudus in second and four more than fellow full-back Adrien Truffert in third.
Perhaps a sign of Wolves' fate and a dearth of goalscoring threat is despite Bueno's skilled crosses, he is yet to register a Premier League assist this term.
He may fare better in the goal contribution column next season where his side look nailed on to be playing in the Championship.
Hugo Bueno, 21
Mohammed Kudus, 18
Adrien Truffert, 17
Jacob Murphy, 17
Pedro Porro, 16
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Most efforts hitting the woodwork
Who put the crossbar there? Getty
When a player hits the woodwork with a shot, unlucky in the first word that comes to mind, but when it becomes a habit, is there a technical problem there?
Amid Ruben Amorim's struggles at Old Trafford this year, his star man Bruno Fernandes actually tops this list with four efforts hitting the post or crossbar, one more than Cody Gakpo and Enzo Fernández on three.
The Portuguese midfielder does have 5 goals and seven assists this season so far and who knows where United would be without his efforts, so those at Carrington may just let him off for this one.
Bruno Fernandes, 4
Enzo Fernández, 3
Cody Gakpo, 3
Erling Haaland, 3
Omar Alderete, 3
Most blocks
Unsurprisingly, all the contenders here are defenders, with the sides who cede possession and are often playing on the back foot making up the big numbers.
Everton's James Tarkowski is top with 28, closely followed by Marcos Senesi at Bournemouth and Nathan Collins at Brentford. Everton and Brentford both rank in the bottom six for average possession with Everton sitting dangerously in 17th.
James Tarkowski, 28
Marcos Senesi, 27
Nathan Collins, 25
Max Kilman, 23
Nikola Milenkovic, 22
Most clearances
Virgil van Dijk has not been his usual assured self amid Liverpool's woes this term. Catherine Ivill - AMA/Getty Images
Sitting top here is Liverpool's Virgil van Dijk with 146, a player you would associate with recycling possession and being a calm presence on the ball rather than clearing.
And, as a result of the Champions' difficult season the Dutchman is the only player from a traditional "Big Six" club to find his way into the top ten of this list with Liverpool often being played through far too easily this season.
Behind him are Senesi and Tarkowski, and while they are both decent Premier League centre-backs in their own regard, they're not the caliber of player Van Dijk was expected to be mentioned among after Liverpool's romp to the title last season.
Virgil van Dijk, 146
Marcos Senesi, 140
James Tarkowski, 133
Joachim Andersen, 131
Maxence Lacroix, 129
Most touches in opposition box
Yankuba Minteh is in esteemed company for opposition box touches. (Photo by Visionhaus/Getty Images)
With 19 goals and four assists this season, you would think Erling Haaland is a certainty to top this category, but instead he is second to Brighton youngster Yankuba Minteh who has a whopping 124 touches in the opposition's box so far this season.
Unlike Haaland however, Minteh has only managed to turn his time in the box into one goal and three assists, but just to be getting into dangerous positions as much as he does in just his second full season in the Premier League, the numbers are hinting that a big future may be in store for the 21-year-old Gambia international.
Yankuba Minteh, 124
Erling Haaland, 117
Bukayo Saka, 104
Mohamed Salah. 99
Jarrod Bowen, 97