REVEALED: The insane stat which explains Man City’s poor Premier League season | OneFootball

We all know Manchester City suffered a decline in performances and results on the pitch in the Premier League this season, but one stat recently discovered by The Athletic sheds some light on the why this was the case.

As the City correspondent for the Athletic, Sam Lee, revealed on Twitter: ‘The average quality (xG) of shot that City faced last season is the worst of any team in the PL in the last 5 years.’

Lee explained further what this actually meant, saying ‘So the shots that teams had against City last season were of very high quality, i.e. they were very good chances. City’s figure is 100th out of the 100 teams to play in the PL in the last five seasons’.

If someone had claimed that Pep Guardiola’s City side would break a record at the beginning of this season, you wouldn’t have bet that it would have been an unwelcome one. But, after back-to-back titles and an unprecedented domestic treble, it has been a reminder that City’s all-conquering squad are mortal after all.

While it’s even more surprising that City hold this record in the same season that Ederson won the Golden Glove, it’s actually not as bizarre as it sounds.

City generally dominate possession and control the game, even when they lose, but this season Pep Guardiola’s side have been vulnerable to counter-attacks and individual errors.

This has meant that, although City concede few chances and teams play extra cautiously against them, when they do concede an attack it is often when the defence is at its most exposed. That, therefore, explains why the xG of shots faced is historically high.

A big factor in this has undoubtedly been the removal of Fernandinho from the CDM position, with Rodri needing time to adjust to the pace of the league, and the injury suffered by Aymeric Laporte against Brighton early on in the season.

However, there is also some welcome statistical news: against Real Madrid, City won possession in the opposition’s final third 12 times – their highest tally over the past 3 seasons against any team.

If Guardiola can get his side to keep up that energy and determination, this may well be the year that City leave their mark on the elusive Champions League.

—–

Follow the author on Twitter here: @MDGough96

Follow us on Twitter for live updates: @City_Xtra