Just to clear a few things up. Firstly no side is entitled to a set number of penalties a season. A lot of managers and fans seem to have forgotten this in recent years. In theory, you should be awarded a penalty kick every time one of your players is fouled in the opponents box. Logic would dictate that a team that has more possession and as a result does more attacking would naturally earn more penalties. After all you can't physically get a penalty when you don't have the ball in your opponents area.
 |
| When's the peno coming ref? |
Teams generally operate in a more attacking manner at home than away. Particularly teams like United, Arsenal and Chelsea who more often than not dominate games at their own ground. This, and the undeniable pressurising effect of the home crowd will result in a team being awarded more penalties at home than away. This is backed up by the stats showing that almost 75% of Premier League penalties over the past ten years have been awarded to the home side.
For this analysis we'll look at penalty statistics for six sides over the past ten seasons. Firstly the subject of this study, Manchester United. Also examined will be the four sides that have competed with United for league titles over the past ten seasons. Man City, Chelsea, Arsenal and Liverpool. Fulham will also be examined. Fulham, no dis-respect to them, are a good example of a smaller sized club than those previously mentioned and the only applicable one for this analysis having been in the Premier League for all of the previous ten seasons. It will be interesting to compare their penalty statistics to the so-called bigger teams.
Firstly we'll take a look at the total number of penalties awarded to each of the six teams over the past ten seasons.
Man Utd
|
Man City
|
Chelsea
|
Liverpool
|
Arsenal
|
Fulham
|
|
2003/04
|
4
|
4
|
4
|
8
|
6
|
4
|
2004/05
|
3
|
5
|
5
|
4
|
3
|
4
|
2005/06
|
3
|
2
|
4
|
4
|
7
|
4
|
2006/07
|
6
|
4
|
4
|
7
|
10
|
3
|
2007/08
|
6
|
2
|
6
|
5
|
6
|
3
|
2008/09
|
4
|
7
|
2
|
5
|
5
|
5
|
2009/10
|
8
|
5
|
12
|
3
|
4
|
4
|
2010/11
|
5
|
9
|
8
|
7
|
7
|
3
|
2011/12
|
11
|
8
|
5
|
6
|
3
|
4
|
2012/13
|
6
|
6
|
11
|
6
|
5
|
6
|
Total
|
56
|
52
|
61
|
55
|
56
|
40
|
This shows that Chelsea have been awarded the most penalties over the past ten seasons. United have been awarded 56, the same amount as Liverpool and one more than Arsenal. There's nothing out of the ordinary here, as mentioned earlier I expect the likes of United, Chelsea and Arsenal to record the highest numbers here. Unsurprisingly the 'smaller-club' Fulham are well adrift of the title contenders totals with just 40 penalties.
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| Frank Lampard's goal tally the biggest beneficiary |
This doesn't really prove anything other than smaller clubs get fewer penalties than the bigger teams. This, as previously mentioned, is no doubt down to the fact that they do a lot less attacking than the title contending teams.
Let's look only at penalties awarded at home next. There can be no denying that the crowds do influence referees in some cases, particularly at places like Old Trafford and Anfield. Referees get a split second to make a decision and the roar of 60,000 or 70,000 people appealing for a decision can have a big influence over a referee if he's not entirely sure at first glance. It might not be entirely fair, but it's the way it is.
United
|
City
|
Arsenal
|
Chelsea
|
Liverpool
|
Fulham
|
|
2003/04
|
4
|
3
|
5
|
4
|
4
|
4
|
2004/05
|
1
|
3
|
2
|
3
|
3
|
2
|
2005/06
|
2
|
1
|
7
|
2
|
1
|
2
|
2006/07
|
3
|
4
|
8
|
1
|
5
|
3
|
2007/08
|
3
|
0
|
5
|
3
|
3
|
2
|
2008/09
|
4
|
5
|
3
|
2
|
3
|
5
|
2009/10
|
5
|
4
|
3
|
8
|
2
|
1
|
2010/11
|
2
|
8
|
4
|
5
|
3
|
3
|
2011/12
|
9
|
8
|
0
|
3
|
3
|
3
|
2012/13
|
2
|
5
|
4
|
6
|
4
|
4
|
Total
|
35
|
41
|
41
|
37
|
31
|
29
|
Again there's not really a whole lot out of the ordinary here. Sides like United, Arsenal and Chelsea who do more attacking at home are obviously likely to get more penalties than teams who do a lot of defending at home. United have been awarded less than Chelsea, Arsenal and Man City although not by much. Interestingly Fulham aren't as far behind the bigger teams in this category, having only won two less penalties than Liverpool over the ten year period.
Finally, probably the most relevant statistic. Penalties conceded at home. Where, according to popular belief, Man United should have a much lower number than their rivals.
United
|
City
|
Arsenal
|
Chelsea
|
Liverpool
|
Fulham
|
|
2003/04
|
1
|
3
|
1
|
0
|
0
|
3
|
2004/05
|
1
|
2
|
1
|
0
|
0
|
3
|
2005/06
|
0
|
1
|
0
|
2
|
1
|
1
|
2006/07
|
3
|
2
|
1
|
0
|
0
|
4
|
2007/08
|
0
|
1
|
1
|
1
|
1
|
1
|
2008/09
|
2
|
1
|
2
|
0
|
0
|
1
|
2009/10
|
0
|
3
|
2
|
1
|
2
|
0
|
2010/11
|
1
|
2
|
3
|
2
|
3
|
1
|
2011/12
|
3
|
1
|
1
|
2
|
1
|
1
|
2012/13
|
0
|
1
|
3
|
0
|
2
|
4
|
Total
|
11
|
17
|
15
|
8
|
10
|
19
|
These figures show that United have been penalised more at home than both Chelsea and Liverpool over the past ten seasons. Fans at Stamford Bridge have seen only 8 penalties given against their side in the league over the past decade compared to a whopping 37 awarded to them. Again Fulham record the least desirable value here having conceded a total of 19 penalties at home.
Some percentage statistics. 76% of all penalties awarded at Old Trafford go to the home side. The figure is the same at Anfield, 82% at Stamford Bridge, 73% at the Emirates/Highbury and 71% and Eastlands. Only 60% of penalties awarded at Craven Cottage have been awarded to Fulham. Not all that surprising considering they would often be the predominantly defending team at home.
So what does it all mean?
- Chelsea have been awarded the most Premier League penalties overall over the past ten seasons with 61. Followed by Man United and Arsenal on 56. Not hugely surprising that these teams have won nine of the ten league titles in this period.
- United have been penalised the least overall, conceding a total of 25 both home and away. Chelsea and Everton are next on 29.
- At home Manchester City and Arsenal have been awarded the most spot-kicks with 41 each. Chelsea are next on 37. United languish in fourth on with 35 home penalties over ten years.
- Crucially for this study, Stamford Bridge is the most unlikely ground in the Premier League for an opposing team to win a penalty and not Old Trafford as many would believe.
Can we conclude that the referees favour Chelsea then? Not in the slightest. There's not that much of a difference between 8, 10 and 11 or between 25 and 29. United and Chelsea have been constant fixtures at the top of the table for the past ten years and these figures are exactly what we would expect to see. These small differences arise as a result of circumstances in games and could easily be reversed and the point would still be valid. The top teams get more penalties and concede less because they attack more and defend less.
This study should dismiss the ridiculous notion that there is a bias towards Man United with regards to the awards of Premier League penalties. We've also shown that it IS possible for opposing teams to get penalties at Old Trafford, statistically it is more likely than at Stamford Bridge or Anfield.
Verdict: Myth busted
The Deep-Lying Playmaker
@MitchDowling
Full penalty stats can be found at www.statbunker.com
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