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Courtesy of the Premier League's official website, we're about to jinx Cesc Fabregas.
.@cesc4official could be a #BPL record-breaker this season. Find out more: http://t.co/CeiOhW4cA1 pic.twitter.com/KzvLsm1vWF
— Premier League (@premierleague) November 16, 2014
Thanks, Premier League!
Fàbregas already holds the third spot on the all-time list with 17 from 2007/08, though he was also on pace to break that (and Lampard's 18 and Henry's record 20) in 2009/10 when he had 10 in the first 11 games. Injuries (Arsenal, check) and a dip in form (narrative? check) prevented him from doing so and he finished with "just" 13. Should he manage to avoid either of those hindrances (Chelsea, check; narrative, check), he might just do it this year. One thing that will help him in his quest is our ability to score off set pieces: 3 of his 9 assists have come from corners, which has equaled or bettered all but one of his seasons at Arsenal.
| Matches | Assists | Set-play assists | Chances created | Chances created /match | Goals/ chances created | Passes into final third |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006/07 | 38 | 11 | 2 | 116 | 3.05 | 9% | 537 |
| 2007/08 | 32 | 17 | 7 | 112 | 3.50 | 15% | 507 |
| 2008/09 | 22 | 8 | 3 | 71 | 3.23 | 11% | 366 |
| 2009/10 | 27 | 13 | 1 | 95 | 3.52 | 14% | 366 |
| 2010/11 | 25 | 11 | 1 | 72 | 2.88 | 15% | 317 |
| 2014/15 | 11 | 9 | 3 | 32 | 2.91 | 28% | 137 |
In related data baubles, Fàbregas has covered more distance in the Premier League so far this season than all but one player. Third on the list is Nemanja Matić of course. We only need to look to the number "sprints" (going with the obvious definition in lieu of a legend) to see a drastic, yet complementary difference in how our two midfielders approach the game.
| Player | Team | Matches | Distance (km) | Ave speed (km/h) | Top speed (km/h) | Sprints |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Schneiderlin | Southampton | 11 | 134.3 | 7.6 | 34.9 | 572 |
| Fabregas | Chelsea | 11 |
130.9 | 7.5 | 32.6 | 342 |
| Matic | Chelsea | 11 | 129.1 | 7.3 | 34.8 | 573 |
| Colback | Newcastle | 11 | 128.3 | 7.4 |
32.8 | 638 |
| Livermore | Hull City | 11 | 127.0 | 7.3 |
33.9 | 625 |
| Arfield | Burnley | 11 | 127.0 | 7.3 |
33.6 | 753 |
| Ki | Swansea | 11 | 125.7 | 7.5 |
32.9 | 481 |
| Sigurdsson | Swansea | 11 | 122.5 | 7.2 |
35.0 | 608 |
| N'Zonzi | Stoke City | 11 | 121.9 | 7.6 |
35.8 | 441 |
| Janmaat | Newcastle | 11 | 120.9 | 6.8 |
33.3 | 645 |
Keep up the good work, keep up the good health, and the title shall be ours!