By the Numbers: DSTV Premiership

There was a lot to admire about the PSL this weekend, primarily the fact that 11 of the 12 teams that played on the day scored at least once. Only Pirates kept a clean sheet in a good gameweek for those of us that love goals, and for Sundowns fans, who saw their team earn a historic 1500th PSL point against Arrows. In By The Numbers, we examine the finer details of the gameweek, shining a light on key numbers from the action.

Efficient Chippa Won Despite Off-Field Noise

Crisis club Chippa beat AmaZulu 2-1 in a result that may have surprised many. Our betting guide hinted at Chippa’s attack being pretty decent, despite their penchant for sitting back in recent matches. Against AmaZulu, they were meeting a team who had been overperforming a bit lately. In the end, we saw one of the most open games of the campaign:

3.8 – the combined xG total here, the 2nd highest in a game this season (incl, one pen, 0.75xG)
4.5 – the combined xG total in the Arrows v Chippa game in August, the highest in a league game this season (incl, one pen, 0.75xG)
45 – entries into the opposition box in this game, the highest recorded in a match this season
28 – shots in the AmaZulu v Chippa game, the 2nd highest in a match this season

An efficient Chippa took just six of those (incl. 1 pen) but returned home with all the points.

Iqraam Rayners Thriving On The Wing

Gavin Hunt’s Supersport won their third consecutive match this past weekend. It’s been almost two years since they did that (Nov/Dec 2020), so that must have been celebrated with an extra glass. Not much was created by SuperSport and Maritzburg here, with both teams generating less than a goal’s worth of xG.

Gavin Hunt’s recent approach seems to depend a lot on wing play – each of their last four goals have come from crosses coming in from outside. The passing network from the last game also shows two sub-groups of attacking passing combinations. One on the left and one on the right.

31 – right flanks attacks per 90 by SuperSport this season (2nd in the league)
4.3 – right flanks attacks per 90 by SuperSport that end in a shot this season (1st in the league)
20 – crosses per 90 by SuperSport this season (1st in the league)
15 – crosses per 90 for SuperSport last season

The passing network also highlights the importance of players like Iqraam Rayners (dark red represents the most threatening player). He provided yet another assist to add to his total and stake his claim as one of the most dangerous players in the final third. Individually, he also stuck to the script.

4 – Assists by Iqram Rayners this season
3 – Expected Assists for Rayners this season (joint-top with Khanyisa Mayo in the league)
3 – Expected Assists for Rayners this season (the most at SuperSport)

Chiefs’ Blunt Attack

After seven games last season, Chiefs were in 9th position with 9 points. At the same stage this term, they are in 14th, albeit with 8 points. Indeed the difference is minuscule. They have conceded as many times this season as the last (both 8), but at least then, they were scoring. And a majority of the goals they concede this season can be attributed to individual (not systems) errors. But why are they not scoring now?

Chiefs’ Attack

8 – goals scored at this stage last season (compared to 5 this term).
4.3 – big chances created per 90 this season (compared to 5.1 last season & 5.3 the season before)

While the results seem inconsistent (L-W-L-W-L-D-D), one thing that has improved in the last few weeks has been Chiefs’ offensive efficiency. They are finding their way into the box, even if the goals aren’t forthcoming.

11 – average occasions Chiefs entered the opposition penalty area in the first four games of the season
16.5 – average occasions Chiefs entered the opposition penalty area in the last four games of the season (incl. the MTN8)
14 – average occasions Chiefs entered the opposition penalty area last season

Five goals is below the league average (7) at this point. However, Chiefs xG (9.47) is higher than the league average (8.11). Based on xG, they should have had at least four more goals than the five they currently have. Whether the four ‘missed’ goals are because of bad luck or poor finishing will be shown in the long run. For now, the evidence points to the latter (poor finishing), exemplified by the two recent wasted penalties. Getting to the box isn’t an issue, it’s what they do when they get there that matters.