Source: Telegraph
Leaving it late the secret to Everton's success
When Liverpool winger Albert Riera spoke recently of United having the 'luck' of scoring late goals to turn draws or even defeats in to victories in pursuit of the Premier League title, it was easy to dismiss him as merely clutching at straws; trying to belittle United's recent swagger and disguise his own side's worrying malaise. [LNB]Liverpool had just dropped two valuable points in their league meeting with Everton when a goal from Tim Cahill had robbed them of a wining position at Anfield as the game drew to a close. [LNB]Conversely, late goals against Stoke and Bolton handed United four more points than they might otherwise have amassed and with them a seductive momentum. [LNB]This season more than ever, and continuing a five year trend, teams are making telling contributions to games late on with 23 per cent of all goals scored coming in the final ten minutes of matches. In 2005-06 that figure was just 16 per cent. [LNB]The clearest beneficiaries of the grandstand finish are not nited, but rather the side who denied Liverpool victory at the last in their most recent Premier League match: Everton, with 10 points earned while both referee and supporters began clock-watching in earnest and only a single point carelessly dropped in the same period. [LNB]Arsenal lead the way with the greatest number of goals scored in the final moments of games with 11 in total, though they have carried nothing like the value of Everton's. [LNB]The reasons for the upturn in significant endings are many and varied but all should be considered by Premier League managers plotting assaults on the title and mere survival alike. [LNB]'I don't like to talk too much in football about teams being lucky,' Riera said. 'But at the moment United are scoring in the last minutes and we've now conceded a late goal [in the draw with Everton].' [LNB]In football, it is said, you create your own luck and Arsenal's place at the top of the late goalscoring charts appears a function of their style rather than any serendipity. [LNB]A passing game built on possession naturally makes the opposition work harder, chasing the ball; an execution of the maxim taught to all junior players of letting the ball do the work. [LNB]Tired legs and minds inevitably make for more mistakes, allowing the fresher side to profit. [LNB]Fitness developments are clearly a factor too, with the appliance of science ever more prevalent as teams try to eek out every last advantage they can. [LNB]Though regardless of stamina, the intensity of games means that even the fittest of the fit will be less able to successfully implement organisational tactics in the last ten minutes than the first. [LNB]Belief and experience play their part, with United's ability to play to the last long established after their treble winning season in which success on all fronts relied on a never say die attitude. [LNB]Liverpool have benefited in this regard, too, after finally mounting a credible title charge and the belief that goes along with that. [LNB]Though neither side has turned late goals in to points as effectively as Everton, whose determination and doggedness reflects the character and will of their canny manager David Moyes. [LNB]If all games this season had finished at the 80 minute mark, Everton would be eighth, behind Manchester City, rather than sixth and challenging for a European berth. [LNB]'What the players have got is a hard working attitude. Because they work really hard they get a bit of good fortune,' said Moyes after the first of this week's draws at Anfield. [LNB]'The harder you work, the luckier you get.' [LNB][LNB]Last 10 goals Total goals % last 10 2008-09 125 555 23% 2007-08 212 1002 21% 2006-07 167 931 18% 2005-06 153 944 16% 2004-05 156 975 16% [LNB]Team Last 10 min goals Team Last 10 min goals conceded Arsenal 11 Middlesbrough 10 Everton 9 Aston Villa 9 Aston Villa 8 Stoke City 9 Blackburn Rovers 8 Blackburn Rovers 8 Liverpool 8 Hull City 8 Manchester City 8 Portsmouth 8 Manchester United 8 West Ham United 8 Newcastle United 7 Wigan Athletic 8 Sunderland 7 Arsenal 7 Tottenham Hotspur 7 Manchester City 7 Hull City 6 Sunderland 6 Middlesbrough 6 Tottenham Hotspur 6 Stoke City 5 West Bromwich Albion 6 West Bromwich Albion 5 Bolton Wanderers 5 Wigan Athletic 5 Fulham 5 Bolton Wanderers 4 Everton 4 Chelsea 4 Newcastle United 4 West Ham United 4 Liverpool 3 Portsmouth 3 Chelsea 2 Fulham 2 Manchester United 2 [LNB]Team Points won from goals scored last 10 mins Team Points lost from goals scored last 10 mins Liverpool 10 Middlesbrough 12 Everton 10 Stoke City 6 Middlesbrough 7 West Ham United 6 Arsenal 6 Wigan Athletic 6 Blackburn Rovers 6 Portsmouth 5 Hull City 6 Arsenal 4 Manchester United 6 Newcastle United 4 Aston Villa 5 Sunderland 4 Stoke City 5 Tottenham Hotspur 4 Sunderland 5 West Bromwich Albion 4 Chelsea 4 Bolton Wanderers 3 Portsmouth 4 Fulham 3 West Bromwich Albion 4 Liverpool 3 Wigan Athletic 4 Blackburn Rovers 2 Newcastle United 3 Chelsea 2 Tottenham Hotspur 3 Hull City 2 Fulham 2 Manchester City 2 Manchester City 2 Manchester United 2 West Ham United 2 Aston Villa 3 Bolton Wanderers 0 Everton 1 [LNB]80 mins table 2008-09 Premier League Pos Team P Pts 1 Chelsea 22 43 2 Manchester United 21 43 3 Aston Villa 22 41 4 Liverpool 22 40 5 Arsenal 22 39 6 West Ham United 22 33 7 Wigan Athletic 22 33 8 Everton 22 27 9 Fulham 20 27 10 Bolton Wanderers 22 26 11 Middlesbrough 22 26 12 Manchester City 21 25 13 Portsmouth 21 25 14 Newcastle United 22 24 15 Hull City 22 23 16 Stoke City 22 22 17 Sunderland 22 22 18 Tottenham Hotspur 22 22 19 West Bromwich Albion 22 21 20 Blackburn Rovers 21 17
