Arsenal: Trends behind fixture dates and times

Arsenal statistician Josh James analyses the quirkS and trends behind fixture dates and times. draw with Aston Villa on Boxing Day 2008), and not once on a Thursday. The Gunners' last Thursday fixture was a 3-1 win tion for this, perhaps, lays in the fact that 14 out of the 15 quarter-past-five kick-offs since 2005/06 have come in at Man City on May 4, 2006. away games, and therefore is more likely to result in a Generally speaking Arsenal prefer to play at home during midweek, and away on a weekend. Arsenal's win percentage for Saturday matehes on the road since 2006/07 is 52.6 per cent - a lower win percentage. Arsenal have had seven different kick-off times over their ARSENAL: BEHIND THE NUMBERS past eight matches, and 17 different start times in all since 2006/07. The most common of these is 7.45pm (33.2 per Coincidentally four of the past five times Arsenal have been knocked out of the FA Cup (Sunderland 11/12, Man United 10/11, Chelsea 08/09 and Man United 07/08) have been in 5.15pm kick-offs. Arsenal whole ten percentage points better than the overall win percent- age for away games in this time. TRENDS BEHIND FIXTURE cent), followed by 3pm (22.2 per cent), then 4pm (11.4 per cent). Arsenal haven't lost a "traditional' Saturday 3pm fixture - home DATES & TIMES or away - since September 25, 2010. The record for such fixtures this season is P7 W7 DO LO F15 A1. Of the remaining ten fixtures in 2011/12, just three will be played at this time. Of the eight most common kick-off times from the past six seasons, Arsenal have been at their most successful at 7.45pm Yet strangely, when games commence just 15 minutes later, the Gunners have their best win percentage on the road for FORWAUC (63.1 per cent win rate). any kick-off time - 68.8 per cent from 16 matches, much higher than the owerall away rate of 42.6. SINCE 2006/2007 Arsenal's least favourite day over the past six seasons has been a Sunday, registering just a 47.9 per cent win rate overall. This is mainly due to the away record on that day, when the matches are often live television fixtures against the leading sides. The Gunners also enjoy playing games at 1.30pm at Emirates - the 5-2 win over Spurs was the ninth victory out of ten games kicking off at that time in the stadium's history. Given Arsenal's excellent recent record from 3pm kick-offs (ns mantioned aboualikn shame that.onl 136 par cant.of At the other end of the spectrum, 5.15pm is the kick-off time with the lowest Arsenal win percentage (26.7). An explana- the team's away games since 2006/07 have kicked off at this time - fewer than half the number of home 3pm Arsenal have played just once on a Friday since 2006/07 (a 2-2 kick-offs. RESULTS BY KICK-OFF TIME (SINCE 2006/2007) FRIDAY WEDNESDAY TUESDAY MONDAY SUNDAY SATURDAY 100 HIGHEST HOME WIN PERCENTAGE Since the start of the 97/98, Arsenal's record for Monday home fixtures is: PI4 W14 DO LO F38 A6. +--...... HOME 100% SATURDAYS 90 7:45 IS THE IS STILL THE That run includes five matches played at Emir- ates Stadium, making it the most successful day TIME ARSENAL DAY ARSENAL for games at the venue. HAS PLAYED 80 HAS PLAYED THE MOST Since 06/07, it has been a 100% win rate when Arsenal plays on Monday. The high success rate for 7.45pm kick-offs (the default time for Champions League matches) is based on a very impressive Emirates record for these matches. So far Arsenal have played 56 7.45pm games at Emirates Stadium (more than at any other time) losing just one and enjoying an 80.4% win rate. THE MOST SINCE MATCH SINCE 70 2006/2007 2006/2007. HIGHEST AWAY HOME WIN PERCENTAGE 60 12 PM 52.6% 1245PM • Where there are gaps represents no WED 50.7% 805PM FRI games were played at those times TUES 69.1% 50, 0% 41.29 SINCE 2006/ 2007 63.1% SINCE 100% 40- 2006/ 2007 SAT 58,6% AWAY -----*** O 60,9% 61.1% MON AWAY 26.7% 515P 63.6% 100% 30 SUN 47.9% APM 415p • 0% 410PM 2PM TOTAL WIN PERCENTAGES OVERALL 20 LOWEST AWAY In terms of win percentage, by Tuesday (86.7 %) although Wednesday is the only other day on which Arsenal are unbeaten at Emirates - 28 games unbeaten on that day. 205PM 3PM WIN PERCENTAGE 430PM SPM 10 TOTAL WIN PERCENTAGES OVERALL ARSENAL'S RESULTS BY DAY SINCE 2006/07 SMALL DETAILS: DESIGNED BY: @dorkkly SOURCES: ' HTTP://www.ARSENAL.COM/NEWS/NEWS-ARCHIVE/42473/BEHIND-THE-NUMBERS- CONTENT AND STATS ALL BY JOSH JAMES AND ARSENAL.COM classier than a fan girl in Toronto, CANADA http://whimisically-afc.tumblr.com/ ranon HTTP://www.AIRBNB.COM/GLOBAL-GROWTH A GOONER. DUH. ON TWE ETER 1200 PM | 2 4 5 PM -- OOPM - 200PM .. 205PM .. B00 PM -- 400PM .. 410 PM - 415PM -.- 430 PM - 500PM-- 515PM -. 5 30PM -- 745PM-- 800PM .. 805PM- 100% 52.2% 130PM