All 20 Premier League clubs’ seasons so far are analysed as the countdown to the Fantasy Premier League (FPL) restart continues.
In this Half-Term Report series, we look at which FPL players and teams have had an A* opening three months and who returned a big fat F.
FPL bosses get unlimited transfers before Gameweek 17, so these articles will hopefully help you pinpoint some key targets for the Boxing Day resumption.
Here, we focus on reigning champions Manchester City.
ATTACK: SEASON SO FAR
| Total | Rank v other clubs (adjusted per game) | |
| Goals scored | 40 | 1st |
| Shots | 247 | 1st |
| Shots in the box | 167 | 2nd |
| Shots on target | 87 | 1st= |
| Big chances | 47 | 1st |
| Expected goals (xG) | 28.09 | 1st |
| Non-penalty expected goals (NPxG) | 25.72 | 2nd |
Man City are unsurprisingly top of the class in most of the key attacking metrics, having scored at least seven more goals than any other top-flight side.
75% of those efforts have arrived at the Etihad, with only Brentford able to stop them from scoring two or more goals on home turf.
Across their six away fixtures to date – West Ham United, Newcastle United, Aston Villa, Wolverhampton Wanderers, Liverpool and Leicester City – they’ve netted a more modest 10 goals.
However, City’s attack is reliable as they come, delivering consistently good numbers for the majority of the season under Pep Guardiola, as the below graphic shows:
Above: How Man City compare to other Premier League sides for minutes per NPxG across 2022/23 (click to expand)
DEFENCE: SEASON SO FAR
| Total | Rank v other clubs (adjusted per game) | |
| Goals conceded | 14 | 3rd |
| Clean sheets | 6 | 3rd= |
| Shots conceded | 102 | 1st |
| Shots in the box conceded | 64 | 1st |
| Shots on target conceded | 38 | 2nd |
| Big chances conceded | 23 | 7th= |
| Expected goals conceded (xGC) | 11.28 | 1st |
| Non-penalty expected goals conceded (NPxGC) | 9.7 | 1st |
Man City’s defence has been equally impressive, a by-product of their ability to control games in the opponents’ half.
They’re top for shots conceded and shots in the box conceded, plus the all-important xGC, with only Arsenal and Newcastle registering more clean sheets and conceding fewer goals this season.
It’s also worth noting 50% of their clean sheets in 2022/23 have been recorded away from home, an important stat given that six of their next 10 league fixtures are on the road.
However, City’s backline did weaken in the final six Gameweeks before the World Cup break, with their rate of NPxGC during this time their worst at any stage of the season:
Above: How Man City compare to other Premier League sides for minutes per NPxGC across 2022/23 (click to expand)
BIGGEST GOAL THREATS
1 year, 5 months agoWard/Sanchez
Dalot/Robbo/Trippier/Dalot/Neco
Maddison/Almiron/KDB/Martinelli/Summerville
Martial/Haaland/Kane
Current team above. Will convert it to a sneaky GW17 Bench Boost team. Kane, Summerville, Dalot, Sanchez, Martial, Neco all on the chopping block. Any suggestions for replacements?