Man Utd suffer huge drop-off but Arsenal almost as bad after Declan Rice transfer

Manchester United created the third-most Big Chances in the Premier League last season. This term, it’s a woefully different story. The numbers don’t make reading for Arsenal either…

Manchester United are a dull watch right now. Erik ten Hag has spent most of the season fighting fires while attempting to tighten up his defence. Whether he will get the opportunity to properly address his faltering attack, Sir Jim Ratcliffe will see…

The 2-2 draw with Tottenham on Sunday, the first game Ratcliffe has taken in since he began moves to buy into his boyhood club, was further evidence of the Red Devils’ creative struggles. United scored twice and took a point, but the stats suggest they were fortunate.

They created only one Big Chance – which wasn’t taken by Scott McTominay in added time – which is in keeping with the general lack of threat they have carried all season.

United are languishing in 13th place in the Big Chances Created metric. On average, Ten Hag’s side are carving out just 1.43 big chances. And that’s with Bruno Fernandes, one of the Premier League’s most creative individuals.

The drop-off from last season is perhaps the most alarming aspect for Ten Hag. Last term, only Liverpool and Manchester City – leading the way once more this term – created more big chances than United. Now most of the league is at it.

The numbers don’t make great reading for Arsenal either. The anecdotal evidence suggested the Gunners were nowhere near as creative as they were last season while Mikel Arteta firmed up his midfield, and the numbers back up that theory.

Aston Villa have climbed on the back of their ruthlessness as one of three sides to score more goals than the number of Big Chances they have created – Bournemouth and Fulham are the others. Is that sustainable?

If Everton and Brentford were more clinical in front of goal, they would not be worried about relegation. But they weren’t so they are.

Looking down further still, it is hardly a surprise to see the Premier League’s bottom two creating the fewest Big Chances. Though the five sides who propped up this table last term all survived. Leeds (15th), Southampton (13th) and Leicester (ninth, FFS!) were all too wasteful to stay up.

Here is the Premier League table based on Big Chances Created: