Welcome to the newest version of The Alternative Premier League Table, the place every matchweek, The Athletic analyses your complete division by a particular lens.
After kick-off times within the earlier instalment, this version examines every workforce’s errors made leading to a shot (together with goals).
As regular, the article that follows is lengthy however detailed, so please cool down and take pleasure in all of it — or use the index on the backside of the web page to leap to a particular membership.
Across the 9 Matchday 31 video games (together with Arsenal’s 2-2 draw at Wolverhampton Wanderers that received moved up to February due to the Carabao Cup remaining, however not Manchester City’s as-yet-unscheduled dwelling fixture with Crystal Palace), Premier League groups made six errors leading to goals. That is the fourth-highest throughout a matchday behind the seven on Matchdays 19, 14 and 13, which was once we first analysed the person errors leading to shots metric on this column.
The Premier League returns this weekend after a prolonged break for worldwide soccer and the FA Cup quarter-finals, giving us the prospect to revisit the errors leading to shots metric on this week’s Alternative Table, evaluating the previous 15 rounds to the numbers from the primary 16 video games of the season.
Key takeaways embrace:
- Having made simply seven errors leading to a shot or objective within the first 16 matches, Arsenal have made 16 up to now 15.
- Manchester City have diminished their errors, dropping from 16 throughout the primary 16 video games to a joint-league-low seven (together with Manchester United) of their 14 since, with none of these leading to goals.
- Brighton & Hove Albion have additionally ranked extremely for errors up to now 15 outings, with 21 (essentially the most within the league), rising from 9 (third-least) of their first 16.
- Tottenham Hotspur have stayed constant. They led the league with 20 errors leading to a shot or objective within the first 16 fixtures this season and have been third throughout the following 15 with 19.
- Leeds United have largely eradicated errors of their bid to keep away from relegation again to the Championship, with six of their opening 16 matches (greatest within the league) and eight within the subsequent 15 (second-best).
Arsenal
Since December 15, no workforce have made extra errors leading to a shot within the league and each home cups than Arsenal’s 31 (eight of which have resulted in goals). They have additionally performed essentially the most matches at 23, yet one more than each Chelsea and Manchester City.
Kepa Arrizabalaga and Ben White misjudged conditions of their Carabao Cup remaining defeat to City and FA Cup exit towards Southampton. In the league, David Raya and Gabriel went for a similar ball within the lead-up to Wolves’ late equaliser in February. Gabriel, Martin Zubimendi and Declan Rice gave the ball away of their defensive third towards Bournemouth, Manchester United and Spurs.
A scarcity of focus and communication, which regularly happens throughout a tiring season, has performed its half. But the important thing has been to take the assault to Arsenal, particularly once they have possession.
David Raya and Gabriel in the course of the draw with Wolves (Carl Recine/Getty Images)
Across Arsenal’s first 16 league matches, groups usually sat again, with a league-low 61 per cent of their move makes an attempt occurring below stress. In the final 15, that has risen to 67 per cent, which is fourth-highest.
Bournemouth, who’ve the league’s fifth-best PPDA (passes per defensive action, a measure of how nicely a workforce presses) at 11.0, are doubtless to pose a stiff problem once they go to on Saturday.
Manchester City
With a youthful squad and Pep Guardiola but to discover a stability, City regarded shaky within the first half of 2025-26, making 16 errors leading to shots (three of which led to goals). They confronted points enjoying out of the again and regarded ill-equipped to deal with the direct, vertical model Guardiola experimented with.
Since December 15, although, City have diminished the errors to seven in 14 video games. Fielding a constant again line of Matheus Nunes, Abdukodir Khusanov, Marc Guehi and Nico O’Reilly has helped. Rodri has improved with time after a stuttering first half of the marketing campaign following an extended lay-off with a knee damage, serving to City defend giant areas whereas including assurance in possession.
All of that has secured one trophy and a spot within the FA Cup semi-finals on the finish of the month, whereas they continue to be within the league title hunt, 9 factors behind Arsenal with a sport in hand and a head-to-head with the leaders at dwelling to come.
Brighton
Midfielders Yasin Ayari and Carlos Baleba have contributed to six of Brighton’s 21 errors since December 15, usually whereas selecting the ball up from the again line after their workforce have baited the opposition press. The duo made just one error every within the season’s first 16 matches.
Fabian Hurzeler’s facet have struggled with their decision-making — in and out of possession — all through his second yr as head coach, manifesting into errors.
Lewis Dunk’s misguided header for Milos Kerkez’s equaliser within the latest 2-1 win towards Liverpool is one instance of this, whereas West Ham United’s Jarrod Bowen scored from Brighton errors in each the 1-1 draw on the Amex in early December and the 2-2 in east London three weeks later.
Tottenham
Pedro Porro led the league in errors leading to an opposition shot with 5 (degree with Calvin Bassey of Fulham and Wolves’ Andre) within the first 16 matches. Spurs had restricted choices to play out from the again, leaving Porro their outlet.
In their 15 video games since, Djed Spence, a right-footer enjoying at left-back, has been culpable, with a league-high six errors leading to a shot (together with two goals). Teams have pressed Spence to drive him inside or onto his weaker foot by the byline. Combined with Tottenham’s midfield missing construction and their entrance six usually pushing excessive up the pitch, low-cost giveaways have been frequent.
Their seven errors leading to goals since December 15 have regularly been down to poor particular person decision-making. Radu Dragusin and Yves Bissouma have been culpable for a objective every in February’s 2-2 draw with Manchester City. Against Arsenal, a couple of weeks later, it was Dragusin once more and Spence. That doesn’t embrace the league-high three crimson playing cards they’ve picked up on this interval.
New head coach Roberto De Zerbi’s Marseille facet made 45 errors leading to a shot or objective in Ligue 1 from the beginning of 2024-25 till his departure in February (second-worst within the French prime flight, behind Nice’s 54).
Djed Spence has made six errors leading to a shot in Spurs’ previous 15 league video games (Carl Recine/Getty Images)
Leeds
Leeds ranked backside for errors leading to a shot of their first 16 league matches with simply six, although three of these resulted in goals. These errors occurred whereas trying to play out from the again, contributing to supervisor Daniel Farke’s determination to change the workforce’s method halfway by the season.
They have made marginally extra errors — eight — within the 15 video games since however none of those have led to goals. Leeds have usually had a settled defensive form whereas committing these miscues, giving them ample cowl and decreasing the standard of opposition makes an attempt.
Farke’s facet have allowed extra shots up to now 15 matches (12.5 per 90 minutes) than of their first 16 (11.6) however fewer of these efforts have been on the right track (3.7 vs 4.3 per 90) and extra have been blocked (4.0 vs 2.9 per 90).
Manchester United
United have been cautious of their build-up play below Ruben Amorim and Michael Carrick. Their long-pass fee of 11 per cent is the third-highest up to now eight seasons.
They made three errors leading to goals within the first 16 matches, all of which got here within the first month of the season towards Arsenal, Fulham and Manchester City. Since then, they’ve made no errors which have led to the opponents scoring. Amorim’s United had simply began discovering some defensive resistance however have been struggling in assault earlier than he was sacked in January. Carrick has constructed on that and added attacking efficiency to oversee an increase to third place.
United have tried riskier passes out from the again below their former midfielder, leading to a couple of errors. But they’ve achieved so from a extra stable defensive base, with assist from an energised Casemiro and a reinstated Kobbie Mainoo, proscribing opponents to low-quality possibilities.
Their possessions misplaced within the defensive third have dropped considerably from 38.9 per 90 minutes of their first 16 matches to 30.4 per 90 within the following 15. They have additionally minimised points from set items thanks to Senne Lammens’ dominant presence in objective.
Senne Lammens has impressed in objective for Manchester United (Molly Darlington/Getty Images)
Newcastle
Sloppy defending has outlined the second half of Newcastle’s season, with their 20 errors leading to shots (together with 5 goals) since December 15 rating solely behind Brighton.
Concerningly for Eddie Howe, these errors have come about in several methods. Nick Pope fumbled regulation saves and conceded goals towards Everton and Liverpool. The goalkeeper has not been helped by his defence giving the ball away cheaply on a number of events and dropping duels. Newcastle’s urgent construction has additionally been picked aside, most noticeably by Manchester City on three events and Barcelona within the Champions League.
Fatigue is unquestionably a major contributor for a workforce who’ve performed 51 matches throughout 4 competitions, however there isn’t a straightforward repair to Newcastle’s points.
Everton
Everton made 19 errors leading to a shot of their first 16 video games, largely down to a scarcity of communication within the field, leading to missed assignments and hacked clearances. They dedicated two every in matches towards Leeds, Brighton, Wolves, West Ham, Tottenham, Manchester United and Nottingham Forest.
James Tarkowski was accountable for 4 of the 19. Over the previous 15 matches, Tarkowski has made one other three errors, one among which — a misplaced move towards Brentford — led to a objective. But Everton’s complete quantity has dropped by over half to 9.
They have nonetheless had a couple of points on the again, however are successful the next share of their complete duels (54 per cent vs 51 per cent within the first 16 video games) and aerial battles (56 vs 54).
Reducing fundamental errors has helped them rise to eighth within the league desk, simply three factors behind fifth-placed Liverpool, with a house Merseyside derby looming on April 19.
Liverpool
Since December 15, no participant within the league has made extra errors leading to an opposition shot than Curtis Jones (4, degree with Djed Spence of Spurs).
Three of his 4 got here within the first half of the 1-0 win at Forest in February and have been extra of an indictment of the workforce’s struggles than of Jones individually. He has been the one deep-lying Liverpool midfielder to recurrently get into positions to obtain passes, and groups have centered on locking him down as soon as the ball arrives.
Structural deficiencies have been a problem for the outgoing champions for a lot of the marketing campaign. They have averaged 6.8 interceptions per 90 minutes, the bottom up to now eight seasons, whereas permitting essentially the most shots (11.2 per 90).
The lack of ability to cease groups moving into the ultimate third has meant they’ve already made 26 errors, having dedicated 31 in 2024-25 en route to successful the title.
Curtis Jones has made 4 errors leading to a shot since December 15 (Michael Regan/Getty Images)
Bournemouth
Bournemouth’s aggressive man-marking setup with out the ball can drop gamers into unfamiliar positions. That — and their direct model, which makes for end-to-end video games — can lead to errors as people are pressured to change path at tempo.
Their begin to the season was admirable, with solely eight errors throughout the primary 16 matches. Three of these — together with two within the 4-4 draw towards Manchester United, by Djordje Petrovic and Adrien Truffert — led to goals.
In the previous 15 video games, Bournemouth have made 9 errors leading to a shot, however none have ended with the ball of their web. Some of that — just like the Thierno Barry miss under for Everton from one other Petrovic mistake — has been down to success…
… however others, like this James Hill double-block in the identical sport after one other clanger by his goalkeeper, level to resolute last-ditch defending once they give the ball away.
Aston Villa
Unai Emery’s facet struggled to maintain onto the ball in defensive areas throughout their first 16 matches, with their opponents successful a league-high 4.9 possessions per 90 minutes in Villa’s defensive third. That contributed to 14 errors leading to a shot. Nine of these got here inside the first 10 minutes of a half, and three resulted in goals. Another got here proper on the finish of the primary half, in a 2-0 defeat to Liverpool, when goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez handed the ball straight to Mohamed Salah.
Villa’s giveaways adopted an identical development. As one among Boubacar Kamara, Amadou Onana or Youri Tielemans acted as their outlet within the build-up, groups merely marked them tightly or swarmed as soon as they obtained possession.
Across the previous 15 video games, their opponents have received 4.1 possessions per 90 in Villa’s defensive third. But the issue has shifted as an alternative from in-possession points to defensive lapses, leading to 17 complete errors, with eight ending in goals. This one for Everton, after defender Pau Torres and Martinez make errors inside seconds of one another, sums it up properly.
Both have made one different error leading to a objective too, placing them alongside Lucas Digne (additionally two) for essentially the most since December 15. Matty Cash and Lamare Bogarde have been accountable for one every towards Manchester United away and at dwelling.
Burnley
Burnley have taken over from Villa since December 15 in leading the league for opposition regains of their defensive third at 5.4 per 90 minutes. But their greater downside has been misjudged clearances close to their objective, contributing to half of their six errors leading to goals.
Josh Laurent slipped towards Bournemouth and Florentino Luis couldn’t gradual himself down towards Sunderland. When they confronted Brighton, Florentino tried to slide in to rescue a poor Lesley Ugochukwu move, solely to reward the ball to Yasin Ayari, who scored. Add in two dealing with errors by the in any other case stable Martin Dubravka that straight led to goals and Burnley have had too many avoidable concessions.
Many of their 13 errors leading to shots in these first 16 video games got here whereas trying to play out from the again, a technique head coach Scott Parker has largely ditched since.
Chelsea
Discipline has been a continuing theme within the discourse surrounding Chelsea, given they lead the league with eight crimson playing cards and additionally in yellows for dissent (21). They have constantly made errors leading to shots too, with 13 of their first 16 matches and 14 within the subsequent 15.
Josh Acheampong was the first wrongdoer within the first half of the season, with 4 errors in simply 351 minutes of sport motion. The largest a type of got here with 10-man Chelsea already dropping 2-1 to Brighton as he handed straight to Brajan Gruda, who arrange Danny Welbeck to seal the win in stoppage time.
In the previous 15 matches, the widely dependable duo of Reece James and Moises Caicedo have made two errors every leading to a shot, all coming after receiving the ball in midfield. Robert Sanchez, who has been usually stable in objective, has additionally dedicated two, together with permitting Beto’s shot to squeeze by his legs within the 3-0 loss to Everton earlier than the March worldwide break.
Robert Sanchez made an error within the defeat to Everton (Darren Staples/AFP by way of Getty Images)
Sunderland
Errors will not be what you’d generally affiliate with Sunderland, given the position of their defence in them pushing in direction of a top-half end of their first season again at Premier League degree for eight years. But they averaged one error leading to a shot per sport of their first 16 outings of the season and have continued to achieve this within the subsequent 15.
Five of their first 16 errors resulted in goals, with two of these coming inside the primary quarter-hour towards Bournemouth in November, whereas two extra have been low-cost giveaways in midfield below stress towards Liverpool and Arsenal.
In the previous 15 matches, solely two of their 15 errors have resulted in goals, greater than solely 4 groups (Leeds, Bournemouth and each Manchester golf equipment). Luke O’Nien’s poor move towards Newcastle within the Tyne-Wear derby win was the newest, whereas the opposite was within the return towards Bournemouth, with Robin Roefs and Omar Alderete failing to cease Evanilson changing a Marcus Tavernier cross.
Sunderland haven’t misplaced any of the video games through which they’ve conceded goals by way of errors. They got here again towards Bournemouth at dwelling and Newcastle away to win 3-2 and 2-1 respectively, whereas drawing with Liverpool, Arsenal and Villa, and away to Bournemouth.
Crystal Palace
Having made 19 errors leading to a shot (eight goals) in all of final season, Palace have already dedicated 20 on this one, although solely 5 of them have resulted in goals.
Chris Richards has contributed to two of the 5. He flicked on an extended Leeds throw straight to Dominic Calvert-Lewin, who scored on the second try in December, three months after the USMNT worldwide additionally supposed to head the ball clear towards Liverpool however inadvertently arrange Federico Chiesa.
Forty-five per cent of Palace’s errors (9 of the 20), although, have come from Ismaila Sarr, Daichi Kamada, Adam Wharton, Will Hughes, Jefferson Lerma and Jean-Philippe Mateta. Oliver Glasner’s system requires everybody to pitch in defensively but additionally be ready for a fast breakaway. That has sometimes led to momentary indecision from his gamers and turnovers in their very own third.
Brentford
Brentford have put collectively the other development. They made 28 errors leading to a shot (eight goals) in 2024-25 however have lower that to 19 after 31 video games of this season. The concern for first-year head coach Keith Andrews is that seven of these have resulted in goals, with 4 coming on the finish of the primary half.
In the wild 4-3 win towards Burnley in February, Michael Kayode needlessly slid in to strive to block a Jaidon Anthony cross and rolled it into his personal web seconds earlier than the half-time whistle. The earlier weekend, throughout a 2-0 loss to Brighton, Nathan Collins’ try at a backheeled clearance fell straight to Danny Welbeck, who scored the second objective.
Collins’ centre-back companion Sepp van den Berg has been accountable for the opposite two. The first got here at Nottingham Forest on the opening weekend of the season when Elliot Anderson intercepted his move out from the again to ship Chris Wood, who had a operating begin, by to rating. Van den Berg was additionally culpable towards Tottenham in December, giving the ball away on the midway line to Xavi Simons, who may race into the house the Brentford defender had vacated earlier than scoring within the forty third minute.
Overall, Brentford have conceded seven instances within the remaining 5 minutes of the primary half plus stoppage time, the worst report within the league together with Spurs and Newcastle.
Sepp van den Berg struggles to comprise Xavi Simons (Henry Nicholls/AFP by way of Getty Images)
West Ham
West Ham made solely two errors leading to a objective (out of 9 leading to a shot) of their first 16 matches, each by their goalkeepers: Mads Hermansen helplessly clawed at a Chelsea nook from which Moises Caicedo scored in a 5-1 dwelling defeat in August, and Alphonse Areola spilt a regulation save within the dying moments of November’s 3-2 win towards Burnley, additionally on the London Stadium.
Across the previous 15 matches, they’ve dedicated 4 errors which have led to the opposition scoring (from 11 in complete).
In the 2-2 dwelling draw with Brighton in late December, Areola unconvincingly punched a nook straight to Joel Veltman, who scored. Then, within the 2-0 March defeat at Villa, Hermansen pushed a tame Morgan Rogers shot straight again into the hazard zone and Ollie Watkins tucked it away.
Their two different errors leading to goals got here from their defenders within the house of 1 week in December: Kyle Walker-Peters and Jean-Claire Todibo made a large number of attempting to lower out a move within the field at Manchester City to let Erling Haaland seal a 3-0 dwelling win and Ollie Scarles fully missed a clearance within the space and Harry Wilson arrange Raul Jimenez to rating the one objective for Fulham on the London Stadium.
Mads Hermansen made an error within the defeat to Villa (Michael Regan/Getty Images)
Wolves
Wolves tended to make pricey errors of their first 16 matches, from which they received solely two factors. Seven of their 17 errors leading to a shot resulted in goals, with the ratio (41 per cent) rating second behind Brentford and Leeds (50 per cent every, however from 14 mixed errors).
Jean-Ricner Bellegarde and Emmanuel Agbadou contributed two every in these matches.
Bellegarde gave the ball away in his personal third to concede a stoppage-time winner in October’s 3-2 loss at dwelling to Burnley, two months after being dispossessed in an identical place within the lead-up to the one objective in a defeat at Bournemouth. Agbadou handed the ball straight into midfield towards each Manchester City and Leeds, with each groups capitalising in respective 4-0 and 3-1 wins.
In their previous 15 league matches, 4 of Wolves’ 12 errors leading to a shot have resulted in goals, with the ratio of 33 per cent rating nearer to midtable.
Ladislav Krejci, who has popped up with vital goals on the different finish, has made 4 errors himself. One of these led to Brentford’s opener in a 2-0 December win after Krejci misjudged the bounce of a cross, letting it bounce over his head and attain eventual scorer Keane Lewis-Potter.
Ladislav Krejci has scored goals but additionally made 4 errors leading to shots within the final 15 video games (Naomi Baker/Getty Images)
Nottingham Forest
Forest had already made 18 errors by the 16-game mark of the season, and they’ve added 13 extra within the 15 video games since to transfer seven away from the 24 they made in all 38 matches in the course of the 2024-25 Premier League.
Playing 4 totally different kinds below 4 managers was certain to trigger confusion and indecision on the pitch, and it has proven. They made three errors within the opening three video games below Nuno Espirito Santo, eight in 5 with Ange Postecoglou in cost and then 16 within the 18-game Sean Dyche period.
Dyche additionally oversaw 4 errors leading to goals, together with this John Victor brain-fade in January’s 3-1 loss at Villa Park…
…and Brazilian centre-back Morato’s poor defending to reward Stefanos Tzimas a objective in a 2-0 dwelling defeat to Brighton in November.
Matz Sels additionally misjudged a Tavernier nook to concede an ‘Olimpico’ towards Bournemouth in October.
Head coach Vitor Pereira’s 5 video games in cost have concerned 4 errors, too.
Fulham
Fulham have conceded eight instances from particular person errors and are one among solely two groups within the division to make two leading to a objective in two totally different matches (together with Spurs, who’ve achieved it on three events, and Burnley).
The first occasion was their 2-1 defeat to Newcastle in October. Calvin Bassey first gave the ball to Jacob Murphy for his or her Seventeenth-minute opener earlier than passing straight to Anthony Elanga within the ninetieth minute, which led to Bruno Guimaraes’ winner.
The different was a 2-2 draw with Liverpool in January. Raul Jimenez misplaced the ball in midfield as Fulham pushed ahead, permitting Conor Bradley to arrange Florian Wirtz to make it 1-1, then Joachim Andersen misinterpret Jeremie Frimpong’s cross to permit Cody Gakpo to faucet dwelling on the far publish and put the guests in entrance.
Bassey was additionally concerned in a mix-up with goalkeeper Bernd Leno to permit Crysencio Summerville to rating West Ham’s winner at Craven Cottage final month.
