Liverpool Statistical Analysis: Jack Rodwell’s Red Card Turning Point in Reds’ 2-0 Victory Over Everton

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Oct 1, 2011

Sometimes statistics reveal hidden subplots in a match, and other times they simply confirm what the naked eye already suggested.

In the case of Saturday's Merseyside derby, the statistics reaffirm the three key themes of the match: Jack Rodwell's red card created an entirely new contest, Liverpool struggled to turn possession into goals for much of the match and Everton failed to threaten Liverpool in the air.

Obviously, the main talking point, and turning point, of Saturday's match was Jack Rodwell's dismissal. Regardless of where you stand on Martin Atkinson's decision, it is indisputable that Rodwell's ejection in the 23rd minute drastically changed the course of the match. The opening exchanges saw end-to-end action, with Liverpool dominating possession but Everton looking more likely to open the scoring. However, the dismissal immediately stymied Everton's attacking threat, and Liverpool moved into the driver's seat for the remainder of the match.

                                                    Everton         Liverpool

Shots (on target) pre-dismissal         6(1)              1(1)

Shots (on target) post-dismissal        6(2)             15 (5)

Corners pre-dismissal                       5                 0

Corners post-dismissal                      0                 9

Passes/completed pre-dismissal       32/45           60/82

Passes/completed post-dismissal     175/226        357/410

The end-to-end action seen for the first 20 minutes quickly disappeared and the match turned into a war of attrition. Everton boss David Moyes sensibly pulled his squad deeper into compact banks of four, making it very difficult for Liverpool to play on the ground through Everton's final third.

The Toffees ferociously defended the central area just outside their 18-yard box and attempted to force Liverpool out to the flanks as often as possible. This strategy paid dividends for much of the match as Liverpool lacked incisive vertical passing. The Reds' passing chart roughly forms a "V" in Everton's final third, and they struggled when attempting to take on defenders off the dribble.

Defensively, the Reds were largely comfortable after Rodwell's ejection, and only conceded opportunities through failing to close down long range Everton attempts. However, a key factor in Liverpool's second clean sheet of the season was the Reds' aerial dominance.

Everton's attacking menace often comes through the leaping abilities of flying kangaroo Tim Cahill and world-class afro Marouane Fellaini, however both were nullified in this fixture. Rodwell's sending off meant that Fellaini had to occupy a deeper, more conservative midfield position, while Cahill was dominated by center back duo Jaime Carragher and Martin Skrtel.

                                                  Everton                 Liverpool

Crosses                                          2/20                     5/32

Aerial Challenges (Team)               9/26                     17/26

Aerial Challenges (Player)          Fellaini 1/1           Skrtel 5/5

                                               Cahill 2/8             Carragher 3/5

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