Our team of Hall of Famers and guest writers will be providing Fantasy Premier League (FPL) tips and advice throughout 2023/24. Here, two-time Indian FPL champion Lateriser picks out some of the most interesting stats from the first four Gameweeks.
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After four weeks of FPL action, I thought it would be worth popping into the Premium Members Area to see what statistics jump out to me. Although it’s still a fairly small sample size, some of the numbers are still worth talking about.
Brentford, Brighton and Chelsea
Thomas Frank’s side currently tops the league for expected goals (xG) and big chances. While favourable fixtures have been on their side, the Bees have consistently shown that they are a functional, very capable attack and they’re about to meet Everton (h), Nottingham Forest (a) and Burnley (h) in their next five fixtures.
So far, Bryan Mbeumo (£6.8m) is top for non-penalty expected goal involvement (NPxGI) accumulated. He takes penalties, too.
Above: Teams sorted by expected goals (xG) so far in 2023/24
Meanwhile, Brighton and Hove Albion rank amongst the highest for both xG and xGC (expected goals conceded). They have kept no clean sheets while scoring the most goals (12), indicative of their playing style.
It shows that facing Roberto De Zerbi’s side might not be good for your defenders’ prospects but it is still promising for attackers about to face them. Those from Manchester United, Aston Villa, Liverpool and Manchester City soon go against them.
Chelsea’s attacking numbers are fairly encouraging. They sit fourth in the league for xG (8.42) and joint-second for big chances (14) but the problem lies in their finishing, being inside the worst five for shot accuracy (26.9%) and goal conversion (7.5%) rates.
Newcastle’s defence
The Season Ticker puts Newcastle United on top until Gameweek 10, meaning that FPL managers are considering investing in their defence. Despite their difficult fixtures to start the season, only five teams have a better xGC than their 4.95. Additionally, they have conceded the joint-fewest big chances (four) alongside Man City.
That is all from me this week. I also did an ‘early take’ pod with Zophar, revealing my Gameweek 5 thoughts which you can view below.
