Premier League Pass Masters
It’s no secret that, in the modern game, the most successful football teams are often the best at dominating possession and scoring goals, efficiently turning control of play into an end product that gets positive results.
However, underpinning these two key aspects of play is quality passing, whether it’s that killer pass to a scorer in the final third or midfielders crafting openings, to defenders moving the ball around to evade rival pressing.
The Team Where Distance Doesn't Matter
The hallmark of any side managed by Pep Guardiola is dominance of possession, based around precision of passing. These have undoubtedly been key ingredients to his success with Barcelona, Bayern Munich, and, currently, Manchester City.
During the 2020-21 Premier League campaign, no team has excelled more than Manchester City at moving the ball around. No matter which metric you choose from any of the passing statistics, Pep’s team top the charts in all of them.
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— RouteOneFootball (@Route1futbol) February 13, 2021
Man City 3-0 Tottenham
⚽� 22': Rodri (1-0) pen.
⚽� 50': I. Gundogan (2-0)
⚽� 66': I. Gundogan (3-0)
📊 xG: 2.41-0.44
🎯 Possession: 60-40
🥅 Shots: 15-7
👟 Passes: 627-381#MCITOT #MCFC #THFC pic.twitter.com/Qjh2TU4uKp
Total pass completion is 87.9% with 14,388 from 16,368 from 23 games. This team has completed 92.4% of short and 92% of medium passes attempted, along with 73.6% of long passes.
In each of those metrics, City are at least two percentage points ahead of any other team in the Premier League; which is a big difference in terms of passing precision and accuracy.
Identifying the Individual Passing Aces
We often associate the best quality and most creative passing with attacking players, although, with increasingly more teams seeking to retain possession, moving the ball around at the back, passing ability is now an important attribute for defenders.
Having already mentioned how Manchester City dominate every passing metric, it should be no surprise that they also boast the most accurate passer, who also happens to be a central defender. John Stones has completed 93% of passes attempted, in his 14 appearances this season.
"I like that player, I ����... I am ��������� to have John Stones..." 🥰💙 #ValentinesDay pic.twitter.com/0A60Wj0QYP
— City Xtra (@City_Xtra) February 14, 2021
Focusing on players with a similar number of appearances or more, next is 36-year-old centre-back Thiago Silva with 93.2% at Chelsea, followed by Rúben Dias at Manchester City who has also topped the 93% pass completion mark.
Turning attention towards the attacking third of the pitch, along with scoring 13 goals in 21 appearances, Tottenham Hotspur striker Harry Kane has also provided 11 assists. He was the first Premier League player this season to hit double figures in both.
Backing the Best with the Best
Using statistics like passing metrics can be a great way of identifying potential winners, when looking at which teams to back in Premier League games.
Nevertheless, backing the best teams with the best sports betting sites is just as important. No two teams are alike, and neither are any two online bookmakers. Always look for detailed reviews, rating each site accurately for the overall quality of their service offered to punters.
Managers expect the best from their players; therefore we should also expect the same from whichever bookies we choose to use. Focus on sites that not only offer great bonus deals and promotions, but also those with the broadest range of markets available.
Practicalities should also matter, whether it’s the first steps of signing up for a new account, making deposits and withdrawals, along with the discovery of site features and ease of use. Finally, to ensure that football wagering remains fun, look for sites that support responsible gaming.