Premier League Pecking Order- Matchweek 20 (Premier League Season 2020/21- In a Nutshell)
The pecking order is based on the performance of the Premier League teams during the given Matchweek; on this occasion, it’s Matchweek 20. No one had the week off, which meant all 20 Premier League teams featured. The Premier League Pecking Order starts with the 20th team (worst performed team) on the Pecking Order and finishes with the 1st team (best performed team) on the Pecking Order.
20- West Brom
West Brom offered nothing in terms of spirit and character. It was an extremely disappointing to see them not at the races. It was a no brainer that they were at the bottom of the Pecking Order. They only had 22.3% possession and one shot on target. They got what they deserved based on their performance, which was a comprehensive 5-nil loss.
19- Tottenham
Tottenham put in a poor performance and were punished by Liverpool on the scoreboard. The 3-1 score line was a reflection of Tottenham’s disappointing display. The fact that they had just three shots tells the story. They weren’t good enough at both ends of the park. They got what they deserved. There weren’t positives to take out of the match for them. To make matters worse, the player who’s probably their barometer suffered an ankle injury; Harry Kane. He only played 45 minutes, which can substantiate their display as they rely too heavily on him.
18- Wolves
Wolves were extremely poor from a performance perspective against Chelsea. Fortunately for Wolves; Chelsea didn’t have their shooting boots on! It was five shots on target to none in Chelsea’s favour. There weren’t positives to take out of the match for Wolves. That’s despite the fact they kept a clean sheet and claimed a point.
17- Crystal Palace
Crystal Palace scored two goals from their three shots on target against West Ham. The fact that Crystal Palace did manage to control possession with 54.2% of it meant virtually nothing. They were losing 3-1, but they scored a consolation goal, which made the final score 3-2. It didn’t count for anything as they would be disappointed with their performance.
16- Everton
Everton weren’t at the races for the majority of their match against Leicester City. The fact that Leicester City had six shots on target to Everton’s two, tells the story. Along with that, Everton finished the match with only 34.9% possession. They were fortunate to claim a point in a 1-all draw.
15- Leeds United
Leeds United didn’t perform well, but they defeated Newcastle United 2-1. The fact that Leeds United scored two goals from their two shots on target said it all. They had 57.7% possession, but they wasted quite a bit of it.
14- Sheffield United
Sheffield United won a match against Manchester United. It just goes to show that stats aren’t everything. The fact that Sheffield United claimed all three points, despite having less than a quarter of possession says lots. They have been on the bottom of the table throughout the season, but showed that they shouldn’t be underestimated. They scored two goals from three shots on target. Despite their lack of control of the match, it was inspirational that they were clinical and won the match!
13- Manchester United
Manchester United performed to a reasonable level against a Sheffield United team with nothing to lose. The fact that Manchester United had 75.8% possession substantiates their dominance. They weren’t clinical enough as they finished with four shots on target from 16 shots. The fact that they lost the match 2-1 to the team of the bottom of the table seems alarming. Despite that, it shows that there are no easy matches in the Premier League!
12- Fulham
Fulham were fortunate they didn’t concede any goals against Brighton and Hove Albion. The fact that Fulham had three shots on target from ten shots suggests they weren’t clinical enough. The fact that they claimed a point from the match was due to their goalkeeper, Alphonso Areola. They kept a clean sheet, which would be a positive to take out of the match for them. They did have slightly more possession with 50.5% of it.
11- Southampton
Southampton scored the opening goal of the match in the 3rd minute. They finished the match with 58% of possession. Both them and Arsenal had five shots on target. From a statistical perspective they deserved something out of the match, but made some defensive errors.
10- Arsenal
Arsenal played in a match that was fairly even from a statistical perspective. They had 42% possession and scored three goals from five shots on target. They were fortunate that they had Bernd Leno as their goalkeeper as he made some good saves.
9- Newcastle United
Newcastle United finished with five shots on target from 22 shots. They may have had just 42.3% possession, but they were arguably the better team, compared with Leeds United. The only thing standing between them and claiming a point was the Leeds United goalkeeper, Illan Meslier.
8- Brighton and Hove Albion
Brighton and Hove Albion put on their usual level of performance. Unfortunately, despite having five shots on target to Fulham’s three the match ended in a scoreless draw. The fact that the Fulham goalkeeper, Alphonso Areola was probably man of the match told the story. It was a mixture of reasons why Brighton and Hove Albion didn’t claim all three points and didn’t score. To put it bluntly they weren’t clinical enough in the final third.
7- West Ham
West Ham scored three goals from seven shots on target. They may have had less possession than Crystal Palace. It wasn’t a reflection of West Ham’s control of the balance of play. They put in an impressive performance and the 3-2 score line didn’t reflect the quality of football they played.
6- Burnley
Burnley showed plenty of character to come back twice and defeat West Ham 3-2. The fact that Burnley had 38.2% possession showed that they were clinical. They finished with three goals from five shots on target. Their performance was admirable as they won a match they didn’t really deserve to win. Despite that they were efficient and clinical in the final third. Their 2nd goal was a bit fortuitous. At the end of the day, they were resilient and that’s what counts.
5- Leicester City
Leicester City controlled the balance of play against Everton. The fact that Leicester City led Everton in all of the statistical measures says it all. The fact that Leicester City had 19 shots to Everton’s 8 tells the story. Another statistical measure was in Leicester City’s favour was the possession stat, as they had 65.1% of it. They have many positives to take out of the game, especially given the absence of Jamie Vardy being injured.
4- Aston Villa
Aston Villa performed to just about their optimum level. They were unfortunate to come up against arguably the Premier League’s best goalkeeper, Nick Pope of Burnley. The fact that Aston Villa scored two goals and had ten shots on target from 18 shots was interesting. It was intriguing, because they were so good from an attacking perspective, but lost the game 3-2. They controlled the game with 61.8% possession, which told the story. Their performance was good, but it was partly bad luck and poor defence that lost them the match.
3- Liverpool
Liverpool recaptured their form controlling the majority of the match against Tottenham. The fact that Liverpool had seven shots on target to Tottenham’s three sums up the match. Despite that, possession was very even with Liverpool having 50.2% of the possession! They only allowed Tottenham to have two shots on target from three shots. The fact that Liverpool scored three goals from seven shots was the difference, they were clinical.
2- Chelsea
Chelsea played some decent football considering it was their 1st match they played with the new Manager. They controlled the balance of play and the tempo of the match and made Wolves look 2nd rate. The opportunities were there for Chelsea to win as they had five out of 14 shots on target. They restricted Wolves to no shots on target from four shots. From a performance perspective they were solid, despite the match being a scoreless draw.
1- Manchester City
Manchester City played some good football in Matchweek 20. They did so without possibly their most important player, Kevin De Bruyne. Now Ilkay Gündogan may be viewed as their best player as it stands. He scored a brace. It may have been a one horse race as West Brom weren’t at the races. Despite that, Manchester City should be considered contenders based on their Matchweek 20 performance.
Premier League Pecking Order- Matchweek 20 (Premier League Season 2020/21- Final Thoughts)
It was an unpredictable Matchweek 20 of football in the Premier League. That can be substantiated in the Pecking Order. Even though there were two scoreless draws the entertainment value dished up was 1st class. There were three draws in ten matches. There were a lot of goals scored. To be exact there were 31 goals scored in ten matches even though there were two scoreless draws.