Build up attacks: Analysing the Premier League's contrasting styles
Styles make fights and one of the Premier League's most attractive qualities is the contrast in approaches the fixture list throws up on a weekly basis. Frank Lampard vs Marcelo Bielsa, Sean Dyche vs Carlo Ancelotti and Jose Mourinho vs Mikel Arteta are some of the managerial match-ups on offer this weekend.
Measuring style of play, a nebulous concept, in a quantitative way is a difficult task, but one statistic becoming more widely quoted is Opta's Build Up Attacks: sequences of 10 or more passes that end with a shot or touch in the box. This metric can help determine which teams attack in a more continuous, possession-based way and which create opportunities from staccato, direct moves. On the other side of the ledger, Build Up Attacks Against can indicate which teams disrupt opponents through proactive defending and which employ a more passive approach.
"I knew from my stats before the game that they've scored the most goals from open play starting with the goalkeeper," said Aston Villa manager Dean Smith after their 3-0 victory at Arsenal last month, in a revealing insight into the homework done by Premier League clubs.
Burnley host Everton on Saturday, and are one of the league's most distinctive teams. Dyche's team have had fewer build up attacks than any other side, just five in nine games, which is no surprise given Burnley prioritise gaining territory rather than mastering possession. They have also allowed more build up attacks against them than any other team, 37, pointing to a deep-lying defensive strategy. Newcastle United and West Ham United are next on the list for allowing build attacks, with 35 and 33 against them respectively.
Chelsea have established themselves as one of the most technically impressive teams in the division, their 40 build up attacks one clear of Manchester City's 39. They are significantly clear of Liverpool on 29, with Manchester United and Arsenal level on 28. Unsurprisingly, Chelsea, City and Liverpool have also allowed relatively few of these types of attacks against them which is why they look strong. Ten teams have allowed fewer build up attacks against them than Mourinho's Tottenham, which marries with the eye test that they are not especially keen to press high.
Speaking of pressing, the two teams with the fewest build up attacks against them are Southampton and Leeds United. Bielsa's team have allowed just seven moves of 10 or more passes ending with a shot or touch in their box in 900+ minutes of Premier League football.
