6 quirky stats that will surprise football fans

While discussing statistics in football, the usual ones that crop up are the highest goal scorer, the most clean sheets, the most assists and so on. We’ve had just about enough of that! What if we dig deeper and find some more interesting statistics which we usually miss out on, but are still as interesting nonetheless?Here is a list of six quirky facts that might surprise some, baffle some others while bringing chuckles to the rest. After all, football is all about the entertainment factor, isn’t it?

#1 Barcelonas away form at Anoeta

Barcelona have not beaten Real Sociediad away for six years now

Barcelona’s recent loss against Real Socediad at the Anoeta stadium caused much much furore and raised question marks on Barcelona’s credibility for a title push. It also saw the end of Andoni Zubizarreta’s reign as the Sporting director and the resignation of Carles Puyol as the assistant director. There have also been rumours of a rift between manager Luis Enrique and their talisman Messi, leaving the club in a crisis situation.

However, a closer look shows us that the Anoeta has not been a place of happy memories for Barcelona in the previous seasons. The last time they won at the Anoeta was back in the 2006/07 season when they carved out a slender 1-0 victory thanks to a goal from Ronaldinho.

Yes, That’s how far it dates back – 6 years!

#2 Hamburger FC have scored only 9 goals this season

The goals just don’t go in for Hamburger

A look at the Bundesliga table and it is evident that it is one of the most free-scoring leagues where teams are as likely to score as concede, making for an exciting spectacle for the fans. However, one team that stands out is Hamburger FC, having only scored 9 goals while conceding 19 in 17 matches this season, leaving them with a goal difference of -10 despite having players like Rafael van der Vaart and Lewis Holtby.

They are the only team in the top six leagues in Europe who have not scored 10 or more league goals so far. Now you may think that they must languishing at the bottom of the table, but surprisingly they are at the 14th position, two places above the drop zone. Another interesting fact that pops up is that apart from the top seven teams, all the clubs have a negative or zero goal difference.

And you thought the EPL was the most open league!

#3 Dortmund are in the relegation zone at the winter break after more than 30 years

Dortmund are 17^th in the table with only 15 points in 17 games

Borussia Dortmund’s season started on a promising note, beating Bayern Munich 2-0 in the DLF Super Cup making it their second consecutive victory over Pep Guardiola’s side in the tournament. However, since that victory, it has been a downhill ride for the Dortmund faithful, with their team languishing at the seventeenth position with just 15 points after 17 games.

They have won four, lost 10 and drawn three of their matches this season. In fact, their performance has been so poor that this is their worst tally after the 1987/88 campaign and their first appearance in the relegation zone for over 30 years.

In fact, not even in the troubled 2006/07 season, when their financial problems saw them struggle to remain in the top flight having offloaded key players like Tomas Rosicky and a change of three managers in one season, were they so poor.

#4 Chelsea have let go of 51 players this season (transfers and loans)

Frank Lampard (L) left Chelsea and eventually joined Manchester City for the 2014/15 season

Jose Mourinho claimed that Chelsea did perfect business at the summer transfer window bringing in five players who are all proving pivotal to their challenge for top honours this season. The likes of Diego Costa, Cesc Fabregas and Didier Drogba are already proving themselves to be important members of the squad.

But it’s not the incoming figures but the outgoing ones that are baffling. This season, Chelsea have let go of 51 players on permanent transfers and loans – that is equivalent to more than two full team squads!

They released 17 players in the summer transfer window, with the most prominent ones being David Luiz, Ashley Cole, Frank Lampard, Samuel Eto’o and Romelu Lukaku. In the winter transfer window, they have released Australian goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer who has moved to Leicester City.

Chelsea’s unique policy of buying young starlets and sending them out on loans continues. The Blues let go of 28 players on loan in the summer and a further 6 players in the winter transfer window. We don’t quite understand what Roman Abramovich and Mourinho have in mind, but what we do know is that Chelsea have a bucketload of players who may never get an opportunity to feature for the first team.

#5 Atletico Madrid have scored 20+ goals from set pieces this season

Set it like Atletico

When it comes to set-pieces, no one does it like Atletico Madrid. The team have been accused of heavily relying on set-pieces this season for much needed goals and they have come in abundance.

They have scored more than 20 goals this season from set-pieces across all competitions. So lethal has Diego Simeone’s team been on set-pieces that their corners create as much panic as a penalty or a free kick just outside the box.

This may appear as a tactic used by lesser teams. But judging by their position in the league (third, but only behind Barcelona on goal difference), their commanding position against Real Madrid in the Copa del Rey and their qualification to the Round of 16 in the Champions League says otherwise.

In La Liga alone they have scored 18 of their 34 goals from set-pieces. Add to that the goals in the Champions League and Jimenez’s header from a corner against Real Madrid and their goals from set plays comfortably crosses the 20 goal mark. This clearly reflects the work they are putting on set-plays in the training ground.

#6 Goal droughts that came to an end

Roberto Soldado celebrates his winner against Everton

Roberto Soldado must be ruing his move from Valencia to Tottenham if statistics are anything to go by. After his move from Valencia to White Hart Lane, he has found the net only seven times, out of which four were penalties.

In fact, Soldado’s winner in the 2-1 victory against Everton in December ended a run of 8 months and 28 days without a league goal. His last strike in the Premier League had come way back in March in a victory over Cardiff City.

Another player who ended a long goal drought was Andrea Pirlo, although his was a bit different – from open play. Pirlo’s stoppage time goal agsinst Torino in the Turin derby was his first goal from open player after 2 years, 8 months and 13 days.

Here is a list of 5 players who broke a long goal scoring drought this season: 5 players who broke their goal-scoring drought