Our weekly standout stats article is a pocket-sized statistical bible of everything eyebrow-raising that happened in the previous gameweek. For starters, we’ll shine the spotlight over everyone who over and underperformed their underlying stats. Our eagle-eyed analyst also keeps an eye on player heatmaps, searching for any assets who might be drifting out of their FPL position.
As with most of the content posted on our blog, the aim is to find FPL’s hidden gems. If you read nothing else ahead of next gameweek, read this.
(by the way, the xG Delta stat is the difference between actual goals and expected goals (xG). A high minus figure indicates underachievement and a high plus figure indicates overachievement. Cool.)
GAMEWEEK 8 OVERACHIEVERS AND UNDERACHIEVERS
xG OVERACHIEVERS
Adama Traore (+1.32)
N’golo Kante (+0.96)
Douglas Luiz (+0.96)
Conor Hourihane (+0.95)
xG UNDERACHIEVERS
Mohamed Salah (-0.95)
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (-0.78)
Roberto Firmino (-0.64)
TEAM UNDER/OVERACHIEVERS
Gameweek 8 was very much a weekend of underachievement rather than overachievement. Manchester City, Everton and Watford can be considered the biggest underachievers of the week, scoring a combined 0 goals, but registering a combined xG of 4.37.
City trumped Wolves’ xG 1.62 to 1.19, yet saw another unexpected defeat come their way, putting them in a far from ideal position 8 points behind Liverpool after just 8 matches.
Watford and Everton clocked an xG of 1.44 and 1.31 respectively, but also failed to find the net. Everton have not only entered the relegation zone this week but they have also become the first members of the regular xG underachievers WhatsApp group chat. Manchester United are loitering by the way, awaiting final approval from the moderator any day now.
No team overachieved to the extent that they did not deserve to win their respective match. With that said, both Chelsea and Aston Villa embellished their xG figures with additional goals to sink their opponents. Chelsea scored 4 goals from an xG of 2.15 and Aston Villa netted 5 from an xG of 3.68.
GAMEWEEK 8 KEY STATS AND POSITIONS
Total Goal Attempts
Defenders – Maguire, Chambers (3)
Midfielders – Salah, El Ghazi (5)
Forwards – Connolly, Wesley (6)
Chances Created
Defenders – Young (6), Alexander-Arnold (5)
Midfielders – Rodri (5), S.Longstaff (4)
Forwards – Pukki, Jimenez (3)
AVERAGE POSITIONS
OTHER STANDOUT STATS
TOP OF THE STATS – LAST 4 GAMEWEEKS
GOAL ATTEMPTS
Defenders – Maguire (7)
Midfielders – McGinn (16)
Forwards – Aguero (17)
SHOTS INSIDE THE BOX
Defenders – Maguire (6)
Midfielders – Salah (11)
Forwards – Aguero (16)
CHANCES CREATED
Defenders – Alexander-Arnold (14)
Midfielders – Gross (14)
Forwards – Deulofeu (10)
Stats sourced from Fantasy Football Fix and Understat.