There’s something beautifully chaotic about a Premier League weekend where the numbers tell stories the highlights barely capture. Gameweek 9 delivered drama, defensive masterclasses, creative brilliance, and the kind of statistical anomalies that make you appreciate football’s intricate details. From record-breaking clearances to Phil Foden’s creative explosion, here’s what the data reveals about the weekend that was.
Goalkeeping Heroics
- Robin Roefs (Sunderland) – 6 saves, most in GW9
- Shot-stopping masterclass kept Sunderland competitive under sustained pressure
- Performance highlights the quality required from promoted sides navigating Premier League intensity
Defensive Giants: Clearances and Aerial Dominance
Clearances:
- Kevin Danso – 19 clearances vs Everton (most by any player in a single gameweek this season)
- Maxence Lacroix – 17 clearances
- Virgil van Dijk – 14 clearances
- Reflects the relentless attacking pressure elite defenders now face weekly
Aerial Duels Won:
- Max Kilman – 8 aerial duels won (most in GW9)
- Virgil van Dijk & Ruben Dias – 7 each
- Aerial dominance remains crucial against physical forwards and set-piece threats
Midfield Battle Supremacy
Ground Duels Won:
- Bruno Fernandes & Dominik Szoboszlai – 9 each (joint-highest)
- Captures the invisible work: winning tackles, shielding possession, disrupting attacks
- Bruno Fernandes’ competitive edge and Szoboszlai’s physicality define their teams’ midfield control
Creative Explosion: Foden’s Masterclass
Chances Created:
- Phil Foden – 7 chances created (most in GW9)
- Kevin Schade – 5 chances created
- Bruno Guimarães – 4 chances created
- Foden’s output underscores his evolution into City’s primary creative force
Crosses Completed:
- Phil Foden – 5 crosses completed (most in GW9)
- Dominik Szoboszlai – 4 crosses completed
- Hugo Bueno – 3 crosses completed
- Demonstrates Foden operating at peak confidence with a vision few can match
Box Presence: Where Goals Originate
Touches in Opposition Box:
- Ollie Watkins – 10+ touches (only player to reach double figures)
- Mohamed Salah – 9 touches
- Jack Grealish – 8 touches
- Reveals constant movement and positioning in dangerous areas where goals originate
Discipline Issues: Serial Foulers
Four Fouls Committed:
- Tijjani Reijnders (Man City)
- Sasa Lukic (Fulham)
- Calvin Bassey (Fulham)
- Joško Gvardiol (Man City)
- Suggests either overly aggressive play or positional vulnerabilities, forcing desperate challenges
Passing Excellence
- Reece James – 34 final third passes vs Sunderland
- Second-highest total in a single game this season
- Only Ryan Gravenberch has registered more (37 vs Burnley)
- Reflects James’ quality as modern full-back functioning almost as an auxiliary midfielder
Shooting Volume Without Reward
- Raúl Jiménez – 6 shots vs Newcastle (only 2 on target)
- Frustrating afternoon epitomizing the struggle for consistency
- Volume shooting without clinical finishing rarely translates into goals
Three Shots on Target:
- Six players recorded 3 shots on target
- Erling Haaland & Enzo Fernández – Only two who failed to score from any attempts
- Rare off-day for Haaland; further evidence that finishing remains Fernández’s weakest aspect
Dribbling Kings
Most Take-Ons Completed (4 each):
- Jean-Ricner Bellegarde (Wolverhampton)
- Iliman Ndiaye (Everton)
- Bryan Mbeumo (Manchester United)
- Different philosophies: Bellegarde’s direct running, Ndiaye’s close control, Mbeumo’s explosive acceleration
- Beating defenders one-on-one remains vital against organized defensive blocks
Global Stats: The Bigger Picture
João Palhinha’s Tackling Dominance
- 39 tackles this season (at least 8 more than any other PL player)
- 46% duel success rate (66/104) among midfielders contesting 75+ duels – league’s best
- Showcases a combination of aggression and perfect timing
Arsenal’s October Perfection
- Won all 5 October matches across all competitions without conceding a single goal:
◉ W 2-0 vs Olympiacos
◉ W 2-0 vs West Ham
◉ W 0-1 vs Fulham
◉ W 4-0 vs Atletico Madrid
◉ W 1-0 vs Crystal Palace - Defensive solidity underpins their title credentials
Kylian Mbappé’s Clásico Dominance
- Second Real Madrid player to score in 4 consecutive El Clásico matches (21st century)
- After Cristiano Ronaldo in 2012
- Most goals vs Barcelona (21st century):
◎ 20 – Cristiano Ronaldo (34 games)
◎ 16 – Karim Benzema (46 games)
◎ 12 – Kylian Mbappé (9 games)
Pedro Porro’s Attacking Output
- 25 goal involvements since PL debut (Feb 2023) – matches Trent Alexander-Arnold
- TAA leads in assists: 18 vs Porro’s 17
- Demonstrates evolution into one of the league’s most dangerous full-backs
Xabi Alonso’s Historic Clásico Win
- First Real Madrid manager to win debut El Clásico in La Liga since Zinedine Zidane (2016)
- Remarkable achievement given the fixture’s pressure and unpredictability
Bournemouth’s Century
- 24th different side to win 100 Premier League games
- Reached milestone in 313 matches – fastest since West Ham (November 2000)
- Rapid ascent from Championship to an established top-flight side
Jude Bellingham’s Clásico Brilliance
- 22 years and 119 days old
- Youngest Real Madrid player to both score and assist in El Clásico (21st century)
- Further evidence that generational talent transcends age and experience
The Takeaway
Gameweek 9 reminded us that football’s beauty lies in its complexity:
- For every Foden creating 7 chances, there’s a Danso making 19 clearances
- For every Watkins prowling the box, there’s a Roefs making 6 saves
- Statistics reveal the invisible work separating winning from losing, excellence from mediocrity
As the season progresses, these numbers accumulate into narratives: title challenges built on defensive solidity, individual awards decided by creative output, and relegation battles determined by moments of quality. Premier League’s Gameweek 9 was another chapter in those unfolding stories, and the data shows exactly who’s writing them.
