Some people think that pre-season results are a good indicator of how well one's club is going to perform in the corresponding season. Let's see how significant they have been for Arsenal over the last 11 years.
Win
|
Draw
|
Lost
|
Points Per Game in Pre-season
|
Final League Position
| |
2002/03
|
5
|
2
|
0
|
2.83
|
2
|
2003/04
|
3
|
3
|
1
|
1.71
|
1
|
2004/05
|
4
|
2
|
0
|
2.33
|
2
|
2005/06
|
6
|
0
|
0
|
3
|
4
|
2006/07
|
4
|
0
|
1
|
2.40
|
4
|
2007/08
|
6
|
0
|
1
|
2.58
|
3
|
2008/09
|
6
|
2
|
1
|
2.22
|
4
|
2009/10
|
5
|
1
|
1
|
2.29
|
3
|
2010/11
|
4
|
1
|
0
|
2.60
|
4
|
2011/12
|
2
|
3
|
1
|
1.50
|
3
|
2012/13
|
3
|
1
|
2
|
1.67
|
4
|
2013/14
|
5
|
1
|
1
|
2.29
|
?
|
The statistics basically show that there is almost no correlation between pre-season and league results. The Invincibles had the third worst pre-season in the last 12 years. The average number of points per game in pre-season when finishing fourth (2.38) is actually slightly higher than our average number of points per game in pre-season when finishing third (2.12).
As shown above we shouldn't be reading too much into pre-season results, but beating Manchester City 3-1 a week before the Premier League starts makes me feel positive about the season ahead.
Regards
No matter what the antecedents are, confidence is certainly on a high, which can only be a good thing for both team and fans. Unless we are getting complacent.
ReplyDeletethis preseason has been a bit different due to the Asia Tour, but I like what I've seen. despite the lack of signings, there's a lot of effective communication and understanding because, for better or for worse, everyone seems to know each other's tendencies/skills/weaknesses.
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