Premier League's big six at the halfway stage: Arsenal are the mistake makers while high-flying Manchester City are the perfect passers
Manchester City are running away with the Premier League title at the moment
City won on Saturday, while Arsenal and Liverpool shared the spoils on Friday
Sportsmail takes a look at the Premier League's big six at the halfway stage...
By Kieran Gill for MailOnline
PUBLISHED: 21:48 GMT, 24 December 2017 | UPDATED: 21:48 GMT, 24 December 2017
As the season hits the halfway mark, with Manchester City making a mockery of the Premier League’s reputation as the most competitive in the world, the other five are all playing catch-up.
Game day No 19 has been and gone. City won again, while Arsenal and Liverpool shared the spoils as their defenders were caught thinking about what they wanted for Christmas.
Here, with the second half of the season officially kicking off on Boxing Day, Sportsmail has taken a look at the Premier League’s big six and handed out a few awards. Some wanted, some unwanted…
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THE MISTAKE MAKERS – Arsenal
As Alan Shearer said after Arsenal’s 3-3 draw with Liverpool on Friday: ‘A great advert for the Premier League. Not a great advert for defending or goalkeeping.’
Philippe Coutinho opened the scoring by grabbing his first headed league goal in England. The red carpet was then rolled out for Mohamed Salah to make it 2-0. And Roberto Firmino was gifted a pocket of space for Christmas to score their third.
Liverpool’s defending to concede three themselves was also atrocious but Arsenal have shot themselves in the foot a few times this season.
Against Manchester United three weeks ago, Shkodran Mustafi was at fault for Jesse Lingard’s goal after dawdling on the ball. Then against Southampton, Charlie Austin scored after Per Mertesacker's careless pass gifted them possession.
And against West Ham, Javier Hernandez struck the crossbar because of a suicidal pass by Laurent Koscielny which could have cost them.
It can be Benny Hill-esque and, of the big six, Arsenal have made 16 errors that have led to shots from opponents. Eight of those led to goals. They are the mistake makers.
ERRORS LEADING TO SHOTS...
16 - Arsenal
9 - Man Utd
8- Tottenham
7 - Chelsea, Liverpool, Man City
ERRORS LEADING TO GOALS...
8 - Arsenal
4 - Tottenham
3 -Liverpool, Man City, Man Utd
1 - Chelsea
THE PERFECT PASSERS – Manchester City
POSSESSION
71.54% - Man City
62.52% - Arsenal
61.89% - Tottenham
59.81% -Liverpool
56.29- Chelsea
52.38% - Man Utd
Imagine, you’re a Bournemouth player, you’re at the Etihad Stadium, and Eddie Howe has told you the secret to stopping Manchester City is to press and allow them no time on the ball.
The game gets going and, all of a sudden, you’re trapped inside a Manchester City triangle. Three City players, passing between themselves, running you ragged like a piggy in the middle.
That is Pep Guardiola’s style. City have completed 13,768 passes this season in total – a solid 4,457 more than Jose Mourinho’s Manchester United.
City’s accuracy is top of the table on 88.66 per cent too. Passing isn’t everything but who are we to argue when Guardiola’s side are looking like the kings of England?
As you may suspect, this puts City top for the Premier League's average possession (71.54 per cent) and United bottom of the big six (52.38 per cent).
TOTAL PASSES
13,768 - Man City
11,970 - Arsenal
11,203 -Liverpool
10, 735 - Tottenham
10,658 - Chelsea
9,311 - Man Utd
PASSING ACCURACY
88.66% - Man City
84.23% - Chelsea
84.02% - Arsenal
83.91% - Tottenham
83.52% - Liverpool
82.14% - Man Utd
THE COUNTER-ATTACK KINGS – Liverpool
Liverpool have scored seven times from fast breaks this season – more than any other side in the top flight – and two of those came in their 5-1 beating of Brighton this month.
It was their third goal of the game which showed the absurd speed of Liverpool's counter after Simon Mignolet had made a save against Glenn Murray. Just 14 seconds later, they scored, with Firmino beating Brighton goalkeeper Mathew Ryan.
If any visitors to Anfield have a corner, they best beware, because Liverpool know how to go from the back foot to the front in seconds.
With someone such as Salah, who takes joy in leaving defenders for dead, it makes it easier for Jurgen Klopp’s plan to be executed. They are the Premier League’s counter-attack kings.
GOALS FROM FAST BREAKS
7 - Liverpool
4 - Man Utd
2 - Man City, Tottenham
0 - Arsenal, Chelsea
LIVERPOOL'S FAST-BREAK GOALS
2 vs Arsenal (August 27)
1 vs Leicester (September 23)
1 vs West Ham (November 4)
1 vs Stoke (November 29)
2 vs Brighton (December 2)
THE TOP TACKLERS – Chelsea
And no, it is not just because they have N’Golo Kante.
Antonio Conte's Chelsea have managed a total of 245 tackles this season and won 1,082 duels – eclipsing all of England's other big clubs.
Of course, their ability to put up a fight did them little good at Goodison Park on Saturday.
Part of Everton boss Sam Allardyce’s Premier League survival mantra is to not lose possession in your own half because, simply, the opponent is then closer to your goal and with the ball.
Chelsea made 10 tackles in total against Allardyce’s team on Saturday but were unable to break them down, drawing 0-0 and making it feel like two points dropped in their pursuit of Manchester United.
After witnessing his team throw away a win at Leicester on Saturday night, Mourinho’s mood may not be improved by the news that they are bottom of the table for tackles on only 168.
The Premier League’s top three players for tackling, by the way, are Leicester’s Wilfred N’Didi (78), Everton’s Idrissa Gueye (69) and West Ham’s Pablo Zabaleta (59).
TACKLES WON
245 - Chelsea
231 - Liverpool
214 - Arsenal
208 - Man City
194 - Tottenham
168 - Man Utd
DUELS WON
1,082 - Chelsea
1,024 - Arsenal
991 - Liverpool, Tottenham
984 - Man Utd
967 - Man City
THE SUPERB SHOOTERS – Manchester City
Manchester City, top of the table with 18 wins from 19 and scorers of 60 goals this Premier League season, are superb shooters. Who would have guessed?
City are the first English top-flight team to score 100 goals in a calendar year since Liverpool in 1982 (106). In the top flight, they have had a pop 341 times, with 146 of those on target.
With attackers on fire – such as Raheem Sterling, who has been involved in 16 league goals this season (scoring 12, assisting four) – they are flying.
What can come as a surprise from this list is that lethal Liverpool are not closer to City, or that they aren’t even second top for shots.
Liverpool have attempted 334 to Arsenal’s 337, though Klopp’s side tend to get them on target more often than Arsene Wenger’s.
SHOTS
341 - Man City
337 - Arsenal
334 - Liverpool
326 - Tottenham
297 - Chelsea
255 - Man Utd
SHOTS ON TARGET
146 - Man City
124 - Liverpool
120 - Arsenal
109 - Chelsea
107 - Tottenham
93 - Man Utd
THE NOT-SO-SUPERB SHOOTERS – Manchester United
As those tables above show, Manchester United are way off when it comes to actual art of bombarding opponents with shots.
Manchester City, Arsenal, Liverpool and Tottenham have all attempted at least 300 this season, while Chelsea are only three off that milestone themselves.
United have attempted a grand total of 255 – less than Crystal Palace. Of those, only 93 have been on target.
Romelu Lukaku is responsible for 58 of United’s 255 shots this season. Against Leicester, he attempted one, which was off target. Previously injured Zlatan Ibrahimovic, an unused substitute at the King Power Stadium, is waiting in the wings.
THE BIG CHANCE CONVERTORS – Manchester United
Despite their lack of shooting, Manchester United top the Premier League for turning big chances into goals.
This may come as a surprise, given some of the opportunities squandered by Lukaku this season, with the £75million striker having a nightmare at Watford in November.
Not to mention the open goal that went to waste by Lingard against Leicester on Friday.
Yet the statistics state that more than half of their big chances have wound up with players in red celebrating (and Mourinho sat sulking on the substitutes' bench regardless). United sit top on 52.08 per cent, followed by Manchester City on 48.78 per cent.
As for shot conversion, that honour goes to City on 17.6 per cent, with United chasing them on 16.08 per cent.
It’s the wooden spoon for Arsenal with a big chance conversion of 35.29 per cent and a poor shot conversion rate of 10.09 per cent.
BIG CHANCE CONVERSION
52.08% - Man Utd
48.78% - Man City
45.45% - Liverpool
41.03% - Chelsea
40.91% - Tottenham
35.29% - Arsenal
SHOT CONVERSION RATE
17.6% - Man City
16.08% - Man Utd
12.28% - Liverpool
10.77% - Chelsea
10.43% - Tottenham
10.09% - Arsenal
THE LEAKY LADS – Liverpool
Arsenal and Liverpool have both conceded 23 goals – as many as Brighton and only three fewer than bottom-of-the-table Swansea.
It was close between the two top-four chasing clubs, but Mignolet tipped the scales in Liverpool’s favour for this unwanted award.
Mignolet has made 23 saves in the Premier League this season – and conceded as many goals when between the sticks.
While the signing of Ederson has had a great deal of influence on Manchester City, Liverpool have been left with a problem in a pair of gloves. January beckons for Klopp and Co.
GOALS CONCEDED
23 - Arsenal,Liverpool
18 - Tottenham
14 - Chelsea, Man Utd
12 - Man City
SHOTS ON TARGET THAT TURN INTO GOALS
47% - Lee Grant, Stoke
45% - Simon Mignolet,Liverpool
45% - Joe Hart, West Ham
42% -Jack Butland, Stoke
40% - Jonas Lossl, Huddersfield
Interesting reading
