Comparative results table 2020/21

[marrs-guitar]

I ran a similar thread last season so, amid the boredom of the international break, decided to revive the concept this year too.

While the league table is taking shape at 8 games in, the impact of the "luck" of the fixture computer is still too significant to use the real league table as the sole basis for a team's performance to date.

To combat this, this thread looks at how teams are performing in comparison to their results in the exact same fixtures last season. It also provides a rough guide to the points tallies that may be required to achieve different positions in the final table.

Wolves' comparative performance to date (after 8 games):
4 points down on last season (13 pts vs 17 pts from the same fixtures last season)

Comparative results table:
Liverpool (76 pts needed for title)
Manchester City
Chelsea
Leicester (66 pts needed for CL)
Manchester Utd
Tottenham
Arsenal
Wolves (8th on 55 pts, i.e. the 59 point tally of last season minus the 4 points we are down to date)
Southampton
Burnley
Crystal Palace
Everton
West Ham
Aston Villa
Sheffield Utd
Brighton
Newcastle (38 points needed for safety)
Leeds
West Brom
Fulham
(Note: the 3 promoted clubs' performance has been compared with the equivalent fixtures of the 3 relegated clubs; for this purpose, I compared like-for-like i.e. the "strongest" relegated side (Bournemouth; 18th place) are used for the "strongest promoted side (Leeds, 1st place) and so on).

Comments:
On average, Aston Villa are the most improved side to date (earning ave. 1.375 more points per fixture), equalling 11 more points in total to date, while Sheffield United are the worst comparatively and are mirroring Villa's performance in a negative sense (i.e. ave. 1.375 point less per fixture).

The Blades are one of just three teams who have fared worse in the comparative stakes to date than Wolves (Burnley and Man City being the others). Wolves' lost 4 points, averages at 0.5 points less per fixture... a trend, which if you applied this trend across the remaining fixtures, would mean Wolves would finish 14th.

 

[Fifty Niner]

Interesting. It reflects our current performance levels, which aren’t great. I agree with Roy Keane’s comments: we are too defensive and negative to go to the next level. But if we finished 8th and pushed on big time next season it could be seen as one step backward and two forwards.

 

[SA Wolf]

Much prefer this type of analysis than the 'well we've had a decent start' brigade as it looks at our comparative performance against similar teams.
We have had a kind start to the season, fixture wise, but now we come to a difficult period, both from the teams we play and it's November when we've done poorly in seasons past! By the way, I don't believe in superstition.
The fact we're 4 points down on the same/similar fixture last year is where it feels we are, rather than that we've had a better start. Sure, it's early in the season and we could easily pull those points back, but performances haven't been consistently great.
Hope you keep this going, marrs and thanks for your analysis to date.

 

[MasWolf]

I ran a similar thread last season so, amid the boredom of the international break, decided to revive the concept this year too.

While the league table is taking shape at 8 games in, the impact of the "luck" of the fixture computer is still too significant to use the real league table as the sole basis for a team's performance to date.

To combat this, this thread looks at how teams are performing in comparison to their results in the exact same fixtures last season. It also provides a rough guide to the points tallies that may be required to achieve different positions in the final table.

Wolves' comparative performance to date (after 8 games):
4 points down on last season (13 pts vs 17 pts from the same fixtures last season)

Comparative results table:
Liverpool (76 pts needed for title)
Manchester City
Chelsea
Leicester (66 pts needed for CL)
Manchester Utd
Tottenham
Arsenal
Wolves (8th on 55 pts, i.e. the 59 point tally of last season minus the 4 points we are down to date)
Southampton
Burnley
Crystal Palace
Everton
West Ham
Aston Villa
Sheffield Utd
Brighton
Newcastle (38 points needed for safety)
Leeds
West Brom
Fulham
(Note: the 3 promoted clubs' performance has been compared with the equivalent fixtures of the 3 relegated clubs; for this purpose, I compared like-for-like i.e. the "strongest" relegated side (Bournemouth; 18th place) are used for the "strongest promoted side (Leeds, 1st place) and so on).

Comments:
On average, Aston Villa are the most improved side to date (earning ave. 1.375 more points per fixture), equalling 11 more points in total to date, while Sheffield United are the worst comparatively and are mirroring Villa's performance in a negative sense (i.e. ave. 1.375 point less per fixture).

The Blades are one of just three teams who have fared worse in the comparative stakes to date than Wolves (Burnley and Man City being the others). Wolves' lost 4 points, averages at 0.5 points less per fixture... a trend, which if you applied this trend across the remaining fixtures, would mean Wolves would finish 14th.

Where would Man City finish if the trend continued?

 

[marrs-guitar]

Wolves' comparative performance to date (after 9 games):
4 points down on last season (14 pts vs 18 pts from the same fixtures last season)

Comparative results table:
Liverpool (76 pts needed for title)
Manchester City
Chelsea
Leicester (66 pts needed for CL)
Tottenham
Manchester Utd
Arsenal
Wolves (8th on 55 pts, i.e. the 59 point tally of last season minus the 4 points we are down to date)
Southampton
West Ham
Burnley
Everton
Brighton
Crystal Palace
Aston Villa
Sheffield Utd
Newcastle (38 points needed for safety)
Leeds
West Brom
Fulham

Comments:
Wolves repeated last season's result vs Southampton (1-1) and so remain 4 points down on last season's comparative points and are averaging 0.44 points less per fixture... a trend, which if you applied this trend across the remaining fixtures, would mean Wolves would finish 14th.

As a note of cautious optimism, last season, Wolves won just 1 of the next 8 games so there is plenty of scope for improving the comparative total.

Overall, West Ham's win at Sheffield United means that they are the most improved side to date (11 more points from the same fixtures), while the Blades are comfortably the worst side comparatively (a huge 14 points down after just 9 games). Villa dropped 3 comparative points to fall behind the Hammers (last season: Villa 2 Brighton 1).

 

[SA Wolf]

Wolves' comparative performance to date (after 9 games):
4 points down on last season (14 pts vs 18 pts from the same fixtures last season)

Comparative results table:
Liverpool (76 pts needed for title)
Manchester City
Chelsea
Leicester (66 pts needed for CL)
Tottenham
Manchester Utd
Arsenal
Wolves (8th on 55 pts, i.e. the 59 point tally of last season minus the 4 points we are down to date)
Southampton
West Ham
Burnley
Everton
Brighton
Crystal Palace
Aston Villa
Sheffield Utd
Newcastle (38 points needed for safety)
Leeds
West Brom
Fulham

Comments:
Wolves repeated last season's result vs Southampton (1-1) and so remain 4 points down on last season's comparative points and are averaging 0.44 points less per fixture... a trend, which if you applied this trend across the remaining fixtures, would mean Wolves would finish 14th.

As a note of cautious optimism, last season, Wolves won just 1 of the next 8 games so there is plenty of scope for improving the comparative total.

Overall, West Ham's win at Sheffield United means that they are the most improved side to date (11 more points from the same fixtures), while the Blades are comfortably the worst side comparatively (a huge 14 points down after just 9 games). Villa dropped 3 comparative points to fall behind the Hammers (last season: Villa 2 Brighton 1).

Thanks for doing this Marrs; really interesting.

 

[marrs-guitar]

Wolves' comparative performance to date (after 10 games):
2 points down on last season (17 pts vs 19 pts from the same fixtures last season)

Comparative results table:
Liverpool (76 pts needed for title)
Manchester City
Chelsea
Leicester (68 pts needed to guarantee CL)
Manchester Utd
Tottenham
Wolves (joint 7th on 57 pts)
Arsenal
Southampton
West Ham
Burnley
Everton
Brighton
Aston Villa
Crystal Palace
Newcastle
Sheffield Utd (38 points needed for safety)
Leeds
West Brom
Fulham

Comments:
Wolves recorded an improved comparative result for the first time since matchday 1 (last season: Arsenal 1 Wolves 1) and so cut the deficit to 2 points. Overall, we are therefore averaging 0.2 fewer points per fixture... a trend, which if you applied this trend across the remaining fixtures, would mean Wolves would finish 12th. This weekend provides another opportunity to improve our fortunes (last season: 0-1 loss).

Overall, West Ham once again managed an improved result to stretch out their lead as the most improved side to date. They now have 13 more points than last season. At the other end of the scale, Sheffield United once again flopped and are now 15 points off the pace they set last season; Manchester City are the next worst performing side in comparative terms (6 points down).

 

[marrs-guitar]

Wolves' comparative performance to date (after 11 games):
2 points down on last season (17 pts vs 19 pts from the same fixtures last season)

Comparative results table:
Liverpool (76 pts needed for title)
Manchester City
Chelsea
Manchester Utd (68 pts needed to guarantee CL)
Leicester (67 pts needed to guarantee EL)
Tottenham
Wolves (joint 7th on 57 pts)
Arsenal
Southampton
West Ham
Everton
Burnley
Brighton
Crystal Palace
Aston Villa
Newcastle
Sheffield Utd (35 points needed for safety)
Leeds
West Brom
Fulham

Comments:
Wolves repeated last season's loss at Liverpool and so remain 2 points down in comparative terms. As an average, that works out at 0.182 points fewer per fixture... a trend, which if you applied this trend across the remaining fixtures, would mean Wolves would finish 11th. This weekend needs a victory to avoid falling further into the negative numbers (last season: Wolves 2 Villa 1).

Overall, West Ham remain the most improved side to date, though they recorded an inferior result to last season (2-0 win vs Man Utd). By contrast, Chelsea improved on their comparative result to move into second place in this ranking. It's worth noting that for all the talk of Southampton's improvements they actually have earned exactly the same points as they did in the comparative fixtures as last season.

At the other end of the scale, Sheffield United managed to repeat last season's 1-2 loss to Leicester and so remain 15 points down; the next teams in the negatives are "only" 6 points down.

 

[marrs-guitar]

Wolves' comparative performance to date (after 12 games):
5 points down on last season (17 pts vs 22 pts from the same fixtures last season)

Comparative results table:
Liverpool (77 pts needed for title)
Manchester City
Chelsea
Leicester (69 pts needed to guarantee CL)
Manchester Utd (67 pts needed to guarantee EL)
Tottenham
Wolves (joint 7th on 54 pts)
Arsenal
Southampton
West Ham
Burnley
Everton
Aston Villa
Brighton
Crystal Palace
Newcastle
Sheffield Utd (34 points needed for safety)
Leeds
West Brom
Fulham

Comments:
Wolves tumbled to being 5 points down – their worst position of the season – after failing to repeat last season's victory over Aston Villa. As an average, that works out at 0.417 points fewer per fixture... a trend, which if you applied this trend across the remaining fixtures, would mean Wolves would finish 14th.

Overall, West Ham remain the most improved side to date and recorded another improved comparative result, meaning that they are now 12 points better off than last season. Villa's win pushed them into second placed in this ranking. Interesting, Southampton are still on exactly the same points as they earned from the same fixtures in the previous season, which illustrates the skew of the fixture computer as they stand 4th in the actual league table.

At the other end of the scale, Sheffield United managed to repeat last season's loss to Southampton and so remain 15 points down. Another negative comparison result for Leeds meant that the points for safety mark dropped again.

 

[North Bank]

Interesting, Southampton are still on exactly the same points as they earned from the same fixtures in the previous season, which illustrates the skew of the fixture computer as they stand 4th in the actual league table.

That is a big surprise. Their improvement under Hasenhuttl is remarkable though since that 9-0 v Leicester.

 

[marrs-guitar]

Wolves' comparative performance to date (after 13 games):
2 points down on last season (20 pts vs 22 pts from the same fixtures last season)

Comparative results table:
Liverpool (75 pts needed for title)
Manchester City
Chelsea
Manchester Utd (67 pts needed to guarantee CL)
Tottenham (66)
Leicester (66)
Wolves (7th on 57 pts)
Arsenal
Southampton
West Ham
Everton
Burnley
Aston Villa
Brighton
Crystal Palace
Newcastle
Sheffield Utd (37 points needed for safety)
Leeds
West Brom
Fulham

Comments:
Wolves recovered to being just 2 points down by beating Chelsea (last season: 2-5 loss), thereby undoing the damage of the weekend's result. As an average, that works out at a marginal 0.152 points fewer per fixture... a trend, which if you applied across the remaining fixtures, would mean Wolves would finish 10th. The next fixture offered potential for further improvement but only with a win (last season: Burnley 1 Wolves 1).

Overall, West Ham remain the most improved side to date and added yet another improved comparative result to pull out to being 13 points better off than last season. Villa remain second in this ranking, while Southampton stay absolutely level with last season's points total from the same fixtures.

At the other end of the scale, Sheffield United once again recorded a worse result to fall 16 points behind. Manchester City returned to being the next worst team on this negative side of the ranking with their embarrassing draw.

 

[SA Wolf]

Thanks, Marrs. I wish those fans that keep stating that this is our best start to a season, would look at this thread.

 

[Wonder Boyo]

Thanks, Marrs. I wish those fans that keep stating that this is our best start to a season, would look at this thread.

But it is our best start to the season in the Premier League, the way those stats are universally measured and accepted. It's a fact. We have more points after 13 games than we have in any other Premier League season.

Do you think if someone was top of the league after 13 games it would right for someone to argue, well you might be top of the league on points but in the comparative league table you're only fifth? The season is judged on the actual league table, not the comparative league table. I can't remember the comparative league table champions over the years, just the actual league champions. It's just a useful and interesting tool, but that's all it is. As the old football adage goes, you can only beat the team put in front of you.

 

[Deleted member 8455jwf]

Comparative results bit odd to me tbh, teams we've best last year were better some teams we lost too are worse. Not saying don't make the thread but just sees to be a small data set.

 

[JR WAS KING]

I'm sorry, but I just don't get what last seasons results have to do with this season. There are 3 different teams to last season and the remaining teams all buy and sell players in the transfer window. It all seems meaningless as you are not playing against the same teams in terms of personnel.
Statistically 20 points from 13 games is our best start to a Premier league season.

 

[marrs-guitar]

I can't remember the comparative league table champions over the years, just the actual league champions.

At the end of the season, the comparative results league table and the actual league table will be identical.

 

[SA Wolf]

But it is our best start to the season in the Premier League, the way those stats are universally measured and accepted. It's a fact. We have more points after 13 games than we have in any other Premier League season.

Do you think if someone was top of the league after 13 games it would right for someone to argue, well you might be top of the league on points but in the comparative league table you're only fifth? The season is judged on the actual league table, not the comparative league table. I can't remember the comparative league table champions over the years, just the actual league champions. It's just a useful and interesting tool, but that's all it is. As the old football adage goes, you can only beat the team put in front of you.

Of course, comparative results are the best way to measure. We had a gentle start to the season playing SU, WH, Fulham, Leeds, Newcastle and Palace in our first 7 games. We would expect to pick-up a decent haul of points. Had we played Liverpool, City, Utd, Spurs and Leicester within those 7 games, we could well have been saying that it was our worst start to a season.
The order that we play games has a bearing on how well we do and how many points we collect.

 

[marrs-guitar]

Wolves' comparative performance to date (after 14 games):
3 points down on last season (20 pts vs 23 pts from the same fixtures last season)

Comparative results table:
Liverpool (78 pts needed for title)
Manchester City
Chelsea
Manchester Utd (70 pts needed to guarantee CL)
Leicester (69)
Tottenham (63)
Wolves (7th on 56 pts)
Everton
Arsenal
Burnley
Southampton
West Ham
Aston Villa
Brighton
Crystal Palace
Newcastle
Leeds (36)
Sheffield Utd (36)
West Brom
Fulham

Comments:
Wolves dropped another comparative point by losing at Burnley (last season: 1-1) to fall back to being 3 points behind last season's equivalent points tally. This works out at 0.214 points fewer per fixture... a trend, which if you applied across the remaining fixtures, would mean Wolves would finish 11th.

Overall, Aston Villa became the most improved side in the league to date, being 13 points better off than last season. West Ham recorded an inferior result to drop into second in this ranking. As I've mentioned them in each of the recent posts, I'll add that Southampton are actually now worse off than last season's points total from the same fixtures.

At the other end of the scale, Sheffield United are pretty much in a league of their own, 18 points behind. The next team in this ranking is "only" 6 points behind, which is actually Liverpool.

 

[marrs-guitar]

Wolves' comparative performance to date (after 15 games):
2 points down on last season (21 pts vs 23 pts from the same fixtures last season)

Comparative results table:
Liverpool (78 pts needed for title)
Manchester City
Chelsea
Leicester (69 pts needed to guarantee CL)
Manchester Utd (68)
Tottenham (61)
Wolves (7th on 57 pts)
Arsenal
Everton
Burnley
West Ham
Aston Villa
Southampton
Brighton
Crystal Palace
Leeds
Newcastle (37 pts needed to guarantee survival)
Sheffield Utd
West Brom
Fulham

Comments:
Wolves recovered a point by drawing vs Tottenham (last season: 1-2 defeat) and so are back to being 2 points down on last season. This works out at 0.133 points fewer per fixture... a trend, which if you applied across the remaining fixtures, would mean Wolves would finish 11th.

Overall, Aston Villa remain the most improved side in the league to date by being 13 points better off than last season. While all 3 promoted sides recorded improved results, Sheffield United repeated their loss to Everton and so remain a huge 18 points behind. Liverpool are actually the next team in this ranking, who, by recording an inferior comparative result, drop to being 8 points of the pace they set last season.

 

[marrs-guitar]

Wolves' comparative performance to date (after 16 games):
3 points down on last season (21 pts vs 24 pts from the same fixtures last season)

Comparative results table:
Liverpool (78 pts needed for title)
Manchester City
Manchester Utd
Chelsea (69 pts needed to guarantee CL)
Leicester
Tottenham
Arsenal (59)
Wolves (8th on 56 pts)
Everton
Burnley
Aston Villa
Southampton
West Ham
Crystal Palace
Leeds
Brighton
Newcastle (36 pts needed to guarantee survival)
Sheffield Utd
West Brom
Fulham

Comments:
Wolves fell back to being 3 points worse off than last season's comparative points tally with the late defeat at Old Trafford (last season: 0-0). This works out at 0.188 points fewer per fixture... a trend, which if you applied across the remaining fixtures, would mean Wolves would finish 11th.

Arsenal's improved result this matchday and Wolves' inferior result means that Arsenal push ahead of Wolves in the comparative results table. A further consequence of this result is that, even with 3 wins in the remaining 3 games before the league reaches the halfway point, Wolves will still end the first half of the season on a negative point compared to last season's comparative results (31 points were won last season from our first 19 fixtures of this campaign).

Overall, Aston Villa recorded another improved result to reach a positive figure of 14 points compared to last season. At the other end of the spectrum, Sheffield United managed another inferior comparative result to now reach the tally of 19 points behind their comparative results. Liverpool are actually the only other team to have a negative figure in the double digits (10 points worse off).

 

[SuperGran]

From the athletic
Wolves may have been seventh on January 1 and now sit 12th on December 31 with a new system, new players and a new style, but in 2019, they earned 1.5 points per game… and in 2020? The same figure, despite a dip in performances.

 

[marrs-guitar]

From the athletic
Wolves may have been seventh on January 1 and now sit 12th on December 31 with a new system, new players and a new style, but in 2019, they earned 1.5 points per game… and in 2020? The same figure, despite a dip in performances.

The Athletic is being a little creative with the rounding up and rounding down with those figures to make a point: 2019 was 1.53 pts per game, while 2020 was 1.47 pts per game.

And the new system and style, etc, only really applies to post-August 2020, not 2020 as a whole. Until the summer break we played with exactly the same system as we had since promotion. Post-August 2020 we have been going at 1.31 pts per game.

It would be more relevant to note that in 2020, Wolves earned an average of 1.61 pts per game (and progressed through two knockout rounds of European competition) playing with their established system and personnel, and have been earning 1.31 pts per game since the new season began and we have attempted a "change of style".

 

[marrs-guitar]

Wolves' comparative performance to date (after 17 games):
3 points down on last season (22 pts vs 25 pts from the same fixtures last season)

Comparative results table:
Liverpool (81 pts needed for title)
Manchester City
Manchester Utd
Leicester (67 pts needed to guarantee CL)
Chelsea
Tottenham
Arsenal (61)
Wolves (8th on 56 pts)
Burnley
Southampton
Everton
West Ham
Aston Villa
Crystal Palace
Leeds
Brighton
Newcastle (33 pts needed to guarantee survival)
Sheffield Utd
West Brom
Fulham

Comments:
Wolves remain 3 points down on last season's comparative points tally after once again drawing at Brighton (last season: 2-2). This works out at 0.176 points fewer per fixture... a trend, which if you applied across the remaining fixtures, would mean Wolves would finish 10th.

Arsenal once again recorded an improved result to stretch away from Wolves in the comparative table and it is now clear that Wolves will end the first half of the season, at best, 3 points down even in the best case of 2 wins in the next 2 games.

Overall, Aston Villa fell slightly down as the best overall comparative team (13 pts better off), while West Ham improved their second place position (11 pts better off). Sheffield United are now 22 points behind the pace they set last season, with their only real competition for worst comparative team actually being Liverpool (now 13 pts worse off).

 

[Jay Jay de Wolf]

It's where we are now that matters

13

Wolverhampton Wanderers

17

6

4

7

18

24

-6

22 W L D L D

 

[wwbug]

For me the loss against Burnley the draw against Newcastle and the loss to West Ham and Villa were the poor results .
But we have done well against the three (big) London clubs .
So its all to play for , but the window will decide if its below or above mid table. A good window and we could be 5th.
A poor window and we could be 14th.

 

[SA Wolf]

Three points down on comparative games doesn't seem too bad. It seems more than that based on our performances and the disappointments such as the two 4-0s, the last minute goals against Utd and Villa and the way we capitulated second half against Brighton.
Three additional points would have us in 11th place in the table, still worse than at most points last season where we hovered between 5th and 9th, but mid-table.
We are now coming up to the half way point in the league and will remain around 12th to 14th, depending on results against Everton and Albion. Of course, it's probable that the comparative results table will suffer as we beat both Everton and all last year's bottom three at Mol.

Thanks again for continuing with this, marrs.

 

[marrs-guitar]

Wolves' comparative performance to date (after 18 games):
6 points down on last season (22 pts vs 28 pts from the same fixtures last season)

Comparative results table:
Liverpool (81 pts needed for title)
Manchester City
Manchester Utd
Leicester (67 pts needed to guarantee CL)
Chelsea
Arsenal
Tottenham
Everton
Wolves (joint 8th on 53 pts)
Burnley
Southampton
West Ham
Aston Villa
Crystal Palace
Leeds
Brighton
Newcastle (36 pts needed to guarantee survival)
Sheffield Utd
West Brom
Fulham

Comments:
Wolves fell further behind last season's comparative points tally by losing to Everton (last season: 3-0 win). This works out at 0.333 points fewer per fixture... a trend, which if you applied across the remaining fixtures, would mean Wolves would finish 15th. Saturday is a must-win is we are to avoid falling further into the minus numbers.

Only half the teams have actually played this matchday as it is split across two midweeks, so I'll spare an overall analysis of the league as a whole (and perhaps recalculate this post anew after next Thursday).

 

[SA Wolf]

I think now that we're at the half-way mark of the season, the comparative table is starting to look like the actual table and that Wolves will finish around the 15th mark.
Thanks for doing this, Marrs. I always find it interesting.

 

[Northampton_wolf]

I looked at it before, and i predicted at current efforts wolves were going to fall between 13th and 15th.

 

[wwbug]

I looked at it before, and i predicted at current efforts wolves were goign to fall between 13th and 15th.

That seems about right , but does it weight the results towards the later games without Jimenez .
I think 14th to 17th may be likely without goals. Very disappointing.

 

[Northampton_wolf]

That seems about right , but does it weight the results towards the later games without Jimenez .
I think 14th to 17th may be likely without goals. Very disappointing.

we can turn our season round tomorrow - big win with goals could catapult our season

 

[wwbug]

we can turn our season round tomorrow - big win with goals could catapult our season

Fingers crossed.

 

[marrs-guitar]

Wolves' comparative performance to date (after 19 games):
9 points down on last season (22 pts vs 31 pts from the same fixtures last season)

Comparative results table:
Liverpool (83 pts needed for title)
Manchester City
Manchester Utd
Leicester (66 pts needed to guarantee CL)
Chelsea
Tottenham
Arsenal
Everton
West Ham
Burnley
Wolves (11th on 50 pts)
Aston Villa
Southampton
Crystal Palace
Brighton
Leeds
Newcastle (33 pts needed to guarantee survival)
Sheffield Utd
West Brom
Fulham

Comments:
We've reached the halfway point with Wolves in their worst position of the season to date - a whole 9 points worse off than last season's comparative results. This works out at 0.474 points fewer per fixture... a trend, which if you applied across the remaining fixtures, would mean Wolves would finish 16th.

Although there are still 5 outstanding postponements, the majority of teams have also now reached the midpoint so we can have a look at their progress:

+14 points
West Ham

+13 points
Aston Villa

+11 points
Leicester

+7 points
Fulham
Manchester United

+5 points
Arsenal

+4 points
Everton
Leeds

+3 points
Brighton
Tottenham

+1 point
Crystal Palace
Manchester City

-1 point
Chelsea

-3 points
Burnley
West Brom

-4 points
Southampton

-7 points
Newcastle

-9 points
Wolves

-16 points
Liverpool

-22 points
Sheffield United

 

[marrs-guitar]

Wolves' comparative performance to date (after 20 games):
8 points down on last season (23 pts vs 31 pts from the same fixtures last season)

Comparative results table:
Liverpool (83 pts needed for title)
Manchester City
Leicester
Manchester Utd (64 pts needed to guarantee CL)
Chelsea
Tottenham
Arsenal
West Ham
Burnley
Everton
Wolves (joint 10th on 51 pts)
Southampton
Aston Villa
Brighton
Crystal Palace
Leeds
Sheffield Utd (35 pts needed to guarantee survival)
Newcastle
West Brom
Fulham

Comments:
Wolves recovered a point with the draw at Chelsea (last season: 0-2 loss) to climb to being "only" 8 points behind last season's comparative points tally. This works out at 0.4 points fewer per fixture... a trend, which if you applied across the remaining fixtures, would mean Wolves would finish 14th.

Overall, West Ham extended their lead as the most improved team (17 points better off than last season). Villa recorded a negative result by losing at Burnley (last season: 2-1 win) to drop down behind Leicester who are now 12 pts better off.

Sheffield United continue to bring up the rear as the worst comparative side, but did record a huge improvement by winning at Manchester Utd (last season: 0-3 loss) to improve somewhat to a figure of -19 points. This was enough to push them ahead of Newcastle - and out of the bottom three - in the comparative table above.

 

[marrs-guitar]

Wolves' comparative performance to date (after 21 games):
9 points down on last season (23 pts vs 32 pts from the same fixtures last season)

Comparative results table:
Liverpool (83 pts needed for title)
Manchester City
Manchester Utd
Leicester (64 pts needed to guarantee CL)
Chelsea
Tottenham
Arsenal
West Ham
Burnley
Everton
Wolves (joint 10th on 50 pts)
Aston Villa
Southampton
Leeds
Crystal Palace
Brighton
Newcastle (36 pts needed to guarantee survival)
Sheffield Utd
Fulham
West Brom

Comments:
After the point improvement at Chelsea, Wolves immediately fell back down to a 9 point deficit compared to last season's comparative points tally by losing at Crystal Palace (last season: 1-1). This works out at 0.429 points fewer per fixture... a trend, which if you applied across the remaining fixtures, would mean Wolves would finish 16th.

Overall, West Ham remain the most improved team (17 points better off than last season) with Villa regaining their spot in second, while Leicester flopped vs Leeds.

Sheffield United continue to bring up the rear as the worst comparative side on -19 points. Newcastle's victory at Everton (last season: 2-2) dropped the Blades however back into the dropzone in the comparative points table above, in which Fulham have moved off the bottom with their draw.

 

[The Wolf In The North]

Grim reading. But, silver lining: we only picked up one point against the next two equivalent fixtures last season. Beat Arsenal and Leicester and we're back to only four points behind!

Hurrah...?

 

[The Wolf In The North]

(Thanks, btw, Marrs!)

 

[marrs-guitar]

Wolves' comparative performance to date (after 22 games):
6 points down on last season (26 pts vs 32 pts from the same fixtures last season)

Comparative results table:
Manchester City
Liverpool (81 pts needed for title)
Leicester
Manchester Utd (64 pts needed to guarantee CL)
Chelsea
Tottenham
West Ham
Arsenal
Burnley
Everton
Wolves (joint 10th on 53 pts)
Aston Villa
Crystal Palace
Brighton
Southampton
Leeds
Sheffield Utd (34 pts needed to guarantee survival)
Newcastle
West Brom
Fulham

Comments:
Wolves' victory over Arsenal improved our comparative points tally by 3 (last season: 0-2 loss) to reduce the deficit vs last season to 6 points, a much-needed result given that the remaining four February fixtures brought 8 points last time out.

This improved position works out at 0.273 points fewer per fixture... a trend, which if you applied across the remaining fixtures, would mean Wolves would finish 12th.

Overall, West Ham extended their position as the most improved team (19 points better off than last season) with Villa and Leicester behind them (both 12 pts better off).

Liverpool are now the worst comparative side on -19 points, which has also cost them top spot in the comparative league table above for the first time this campaign. Sheffield United sneaked by them by beating West Brom to improve to being "only" 17 points down on last season. The Blades' win was also enough to jump over Newcastle and out of the bottom 3 in the comparative table.

 

[marrs-guitar]

Wolves' comparative performance to date (after 23 games):
6 points down on last season (27 pts vs 33 pts from the same fixtures last season)

Comparative results table:
Manchester City (78 pts needed for title)
Liverpool
Leicester
Manchester Utd (67 pts needed to guarantee CL)
Chelsea
Tottenham
West Ham
Arsenal
Burnley
Everton
Wolves (joint 10th on 53 pts)
Aston Villa
Leeds
Southampton
Crystal Palace
Brighton
Sheffield Utd (34 pts needed to guarantee survival)
Newcastle
Fulham
West Brom

Comments:
Wolves repeated last season's result at home to Leicester and so remain 6 points down on last season's comparative tally. This works out at 0.261 points fewer per fixture... a trend, which if you applied across the remaining fixtures, would mean Wolves would finish 13th.

Overall, West Ham remained the most improved team but lost two comparative points (now 17 points better off than last season) with Villa and Leicester still behind them (both 12 pts better off).

Liverpool worsened their position as the worst comparative side to now be 22 points down, while Sheffield United are now 20 points behind.

 

[marrs-guitar]

Wolves' comparative performance to date (after 24 games):
6 points down on last season (30 pts vs 36 pts from the same fixtures last season)

Comparative results table:
Manchester City (78 pts needed for title)
Leicester
Manchester Utd
Liverpool (67 pts needed to guarantee CL)
Chelsea
Tottenham
West Ham
Arsenal
Everton
Wolves (joint 9th on 53 pts)
Burnley
Aston Villa
Leeds
Southampton
Crystal Palace
Brighton
Newcastle (34 pts needed to guarantee survival)
Sheffield Utd
Fulham
West Brom

Comments:
Wolves repeated last season's win at Southampton (last season: 3-2) and so remain 6 points down on last season's comparative tally. This works out at 0.25 points fewer per fixture... a trend, which if you applied across the remaining fixtures, would mean Wolves would finish 13th.

Overall, West Ham stretched away as the most improved team (now 19 points better off than last season) with Leicester now alone in second place (15 pts better off).

Liverpool worsened their position as the worst comparative side to now be a whopping 25 points down, while Sheffield United are now 21 points behind. Incidentally, these two clubs are the only ones to date who are unable to match their points tallies of last season and so are already guaranteed to finish the campaign with a negative comparative pts tally.