Surprising Premier League stats: Spurs top of the 'league', Mohammed Kudus-Micky van de Ven showdown, Chelsea surging
Updated 18/10/2024 at 14:06 GMT+1
The international break is over, which of course means that the Premier League is back. And it starts on TNT Sports with Saturday's early kick-off, a London derby between Spurs and West Ham. Both sides have had their ups and downs in the early part of the season, but there are statistical reasons for both to be optimistic as they clash at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
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The Premier League returns on TNT Sports on Saturday, with Ange Postecoglou's Tottenham welcoming West Ham to north London.
For Spurs, it's a chance to restart their season in earnest after the calamitous loss to Brighton, which their Australian boss branded "as bad as it gets", while Julen Lopetegui's Irons will be desperate to keep inching away from trouble.
As the rivals prepare to clash, how about some surprising stats from the Opta vault?
One that shows which table Spurs currently top, and one that shows the Hammers hero who is proving to be the league's best dribbler so far...
Spurs sharp in front of goal
Spurs have constructed one of the most creative attacks in the division this term, with Dominic Solanke coming in to complement the already teeming roster of Son Heung-min, Brennan Johnson, James Maddison and Timo Werner.
And that is borne out in Opta's numbers, with Spurs, ahead of both Liverpool and Manchester City, topping the table for expected goals (xG) this season so far:
| Team | xG |
| Tottenham Hotspur | 15.03 |
| Chelsea | 14.66 |
| Liverpool | 14.03 |
| Manchester City | 13.94 |
| Arsenal | 13.09 |
| Bournemouth | 12.24 |
| Brentford | 11.3 |
| Manchester United | 11.11 |
| West Ham United | 10.96 |
| Fulham | 10.93 |
| Brighton and Hove Albion | 10.81 |
| Newcastle United | 10.46 |
| Aston Villa | 10.03 |
| Southampton | 8.34 |
| Nottingham Forest | 8.32 |
| Crystal Palace | 8.21 |
| Everton | 7 |
| Wolverhampton Wanderers | 6.61 |
| Leicester City | 5.1 |
| Ipswich Town | 5.06 |
As Solanke continues to find form – the England forward currently has an xG under-performance of -1.48 – this overall number could be an encouraging indicator for Spurs' top four hopes.
The stats also show that things aren't that gloomy for West Ham, at least on an underlying basis, with the club sitting ninth in the xG table above the likes of Newcastle and Aston Villa.
Kudus v Van de Ven showdown
More good news for those Irons.
He might not have hit the goalscoring heights yet this term – only opening his account last time out in the big win over Ipswich – but Mohammed Kudus is the main man when it comes to dribbles completed.
The Ghana forward is outstripping the likes of Jeremy Doku and Bukayo Saka in this category, and that should, in theory, mean more chances for the likes of Jarrod Bowen and Niclas Fullkrug in the Hammers' attack, especially against a Spurs side who typically leave space in behind.
| Player | Dribbles Completed |
| Kudus, Mohammed | 23 |
| Traore, Adama | 21 |
| Hutchinson, Omari | 18 |
| Doku, Jeremy | 16 |
| Ndiaye, Iliman | 15 |
| Mitoma, Kaoru | 15 |
| Saka, Bukayo | 14 |
| Rogers, Morgan | 14 |
| Mainoo, Kobbie | 14 |
That said, the battle between the speedsters should be one of the highlights on Saturday afternoon, with Micky van de Ven (quickest so far) and Kudus set to go head-to-head:
| Player | Top Speed (km/h) |
| Micky van de Ven | 37.1 |
| Carlos Forbs | 36.6 |
| Anthony Elanga | 35.9 |
| Erling Haaland | 35.7 |
| Timo Werner | 35.7 |
| Gabriel Martinelli | 35.6 |
| Alejandro Garnacho | 35.5 |
| Cameron Archer | 35.5 |
| Pedro Neto | 35.4 |
| Yankuba Minteh | 35.4 |
| Marcus Rashford | 35.4 |
| Yerson Mosquera | 35.3 |
| Mohammed Kudus | 35.3 |
Chelsea the surprise package?
It's hard not to notice Chelsea's recurring presence in the Premier League's top categories in this nascent campaign.
Cole Palmer is lighting up the division in terms of goals and assists – ably aided by Nicolas Jackson in the former – but it is the collective that is showing such marked signs of improvement.
Some eyebrows were raised when Mauricio Pochettino left the club despite taking The Blues to a sixth-placed finish in 2023/24, but Enzo Maresca has built on those green shoots to create a young, attractive side.
Chelsea stats to date in 2024/25
- Expected points total (2nd)
- Expected goals total (2nd)
- Goals scored away from home (1st)
- Goals conceded away from home (2nd)
Can they continue what they have started and maintain an unexpected title tilt?
How to watch Tottenham v West Ham?
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Tottenham v West Ham will be live on TNT Sports 1 with coverage from 11:00 UK time on Saturday, October 19 ahead of kick-off at 12:30.
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