10 Games Unbeaten in the PL Era - Does it Mean Anything?

[npearl4spurs]

I'm sure many of you yiddos have had your heads held high so far this week, not only coming off our move into 5th place with a win over Villa, but also because the win marked our 10th straight match undefeated. We are the 95th team since the Premier League began in the 1992-1993 season to go 10 unbeaten.

The team has been playing very well, and the defense in particular, has allowed the attacking players to push forward without fear. We have now scored 19 goals on the season, tied for 5th-most thus far, to go alongside a meager 9 goals allowed, tied for 3rd-fewest thus far, giving us the 3rd highest GD so far of +10.

Feeling all the good vibes, and having no little time at work in which to research, I wanted to see if a team going 10 unbeaten meant anything in the PL era. How many times it had been done, where the teams finished, etc.

Here is what I found. (If you want to go back and double-check me, be my guest. My sources are http://www.statto.com/football/stats/england/premier-league/2008-2009/longest-sequences; http://www.myfootballfacts.com/Premier_League_2008-09.html).

EDIT: These statistics have been edited to reflect through 2015-2016.
The statistics (includes the first 3 seasons where there were 22 teams in the PL):
Teams to go 10 Unbeaten in PL Era: 99 (through 2015-2016)
Average Number of Teams Per Season: 4.125
Range of Finishes: Low- Ipswich Town (92-93) 16th High- Manchester United 1st (13 times)
Average Finish of Teams that go 10 Unbeaten: 3.95
Average Points: 72.76
Median Finish: 3rd
Median Points: 73
Percentage of Teams to Finish in the Top 4: 65.7%

• Every team to win the title in the PL era has had at least one 10-game unbeaten run.

 

[worcestersauce]

More succinctly we have never done it before.

 

[npearl4spurs]

More succinctly we have never done it before.

We actually have. Four times before. 5 times now.

94-95: We finished 7th on 62 points.
95-96: We finished 8th on 61 points.
2011-2012: We finished 4th on 69 points.
2012-2013: We finished 5th on 72 points.

 

[Good Doctor M]

It means very little if we can't get a result at Arsenal. Too many of those games have been draws. A point at the Emirates would be fine with me come Sunday. I think if we can get a return of 7 points in the next three games, Top 4 becomes something that we will be in a position to throw away rather than chase.

 

[Gb160]

It means we're very hard to beat.

 

[Good Doctor M]

Sorry, I know that sounds a bit party-pooperish.

It's a good acheivement and with such a young team. HAven't felt this postive about the team since the days of VDV, Modric and Bale.

The current squad, I think I'm even fonder of. No superstars but a vibrant, bright, hungry young team. Future looks good. Just need them to show maturity over the next few weeks. But I've been so impressed with them so far. Poch really was the right man for the job and exactly what this club has been crying out for, for years.

 

[Lufti]

Should really be 11 games and 2 of those (Stoke and Leicester) should be wins but still impressive!

 

[npearl4spurs]

Sorry, I know that sounds a bit party-pooperish.

It's a good acheivement and with such a young team. HAven't felt this postive about the team since the days of VDV, Modric and Bale.

The current squad, I think I'm even fonder of. No superstars but a vibrant, bright, hungry young team. Future looks good. Just need them to show maturity over the next few weeks. But I've been so impressed with them so far. Poch really was the right man for the job and exactly what this club has been crying out for, for years.

It is a good achievement. I thought it would be historically better than it is, but still very good. to be one of only 95 teams in this the 24th season of the PL, and one of 21 seasons (80 teams) in which there were 20 teams v 22 is still something to be proud of.

It means we're very hard to beat.

Exactly.

 

[Gaz_Gammon]

It means very little if we can't get a result at Arsenal. Too many of those games have been draws. A point at the Emirates would be fine with me come Sunday. I think if we can get a return of 7 points in the next three games, Top 4 becomes something that we will be in a position to throw away rather than chase.

Why does "it means very little if we can't get a result at Arsenal".

So if we had lost four games this season it would mean more?

We don't absolutely have to get a result against any if the top four to qualify for a CL place. We do however need to beat the percieved cannon fodder of this league in order to do so.

Too much claptrap written on here about what the outcome of one result will mean to the previous nine or so.

 

[yankspurs]

Unfortunately, we've only picked up 20 points out of it, and our form has picked up only recently. It means very little in the grand scheme of things if we dont continue to do well and pick up points. One thing we have going for us is that we have done this while we've had injuries to some key first teamers like Bentaleb, Chadli, Son, Mason and some young players who would have played a role like Carroll and Pritchard. When we return to full fitness, we should have players who will be able to step in when signs of fatigue for the guys getting the bulk of the minutes right now start to kick in.

The next 3 games are absolutely massive to our season. These london derby's will tell us alot. Have to pick up 5 points at the very least from them.

 

[Lighty64]

It means very little if we can't get a result at Arsenal. Too many of those games have been draws. A point at the Emirates would be fine with me come Sunday. I think if we can get a return of 7 points in the next three games, Top 4 becomes something that we will be in a position to throw away rather than chase.

depends if we manage another 10 games undefeated straight after.

Should really be 11 games and 2 of those (Stoke and Leicester) should be wins but still impressive!

out of the 5 draws I'd of chose Everton more so than Leicester

 

[npearl4spurs]

To those saying it means very little, I don't agree. Looking throughout the history and the teams to do it, it is not common that any team outside of United, Arsenal, Chelsea, and Liverpool do it.

In fact, we are tied with City (who obviously have done it in recent years) for the 2nd-most outside of those 4 (Villa has 6, but I don't think they are getting any more anytime soon). In fact, only 40 teams have done it in 24 years outside of those 4. (31 in the 20-team years).

Does it mean a whole lot? No, not really but it means something. It gives us a bigger picture of how good this team is and could be. It suggests that we are going to continue to pick up a lot of points as the season goes on, barring any major injuries.

 

[spursfan77]

Unfortunately, we've only picked up 20 points out of it, and our form has picked up only recently. It means very little in the grand scheme of things if we dont continue to do well and pick up points. One thing we have going for us is that we have done this while we've had injuries to some key first teamers like Bentaleb, Chadli, Son, Mason and some young players who would have played a role like Carroll and Pritchard. When we return to full fitness, we should have players who will be able to step in when signs of fatigue for the guys getting the bulk of the minutes right now start to kick in.

The next 3 games are absolutely massive to our season. These london derby's will tell us alot. Have to pick up 5 points at the very least from them.

Agree with your first paragraph without doubt but not your second that the games are massive for the season. I'd say the game that is a must win out of the 3 is the Chelsea game. Like it or not Arsenal will finish above us, West Ham will fall away but Chelsea could well be battling us for that fourth spot. If I had a choice of winning any of the 3 it would be that, as much as I want us to beat Arsenal obviously.

 

[Gb160]

Villa has 6, but I don't think they are getting any more anytime soon.

Villa are currently 8 games 'beaten'

 

[worcestersauce]

We actually have. Four times before. 5 times now.

94-95: We finished 7th on 62 points.
95-96: We finished 8th on 61 points.
2011-2012: We finished 4th on 69 points.
2012-2013: We finished 5th on 72 points.

Lets male it 37 then, that'll do me.

 

[Good Doctor M]

Why does "it mean very little if we can't get a result at Arsenal".

So if we had lost four games this season it would mean more?

We don't absolutely have to get a result against any if the top four to qualify for a CL place. We do however need to beat the percieved cannon fodder of this league in order to do so.

Too much claptrap written on here about what the outcome of one result will mean to the previous nine or so.

I think because so many of those games were draws that should have been wins. The real baraometer will be how we cope with an inform team at their ground. I would say that a win against Arsenal at the Emirates tells us more about what this team is capable this year than a run of games that although, yes, we went unbeaten, we're still only 5th. Surely, if someone said to you at the start of the season, "Look, we're going to lose to Utd, but after that we're going to go on an unbeaten run of ten games right up until the middle of November," I'd probably assume that we would be in the top two or three in the table if I'd been told that.

But we're not. We're fifth. The unbeaten run has been great, but we haven't exactly torn the league apart. A win at the Emirates, for me anyway, would be a huge marker for the rest of the league that we're a team that is a real legitimate threat at the top end of the Premiership.

 

[THFCSPURS19]

Posted this yesterday. I actually think it is out of date because we went on a 12-match unbeaten run in 12-13:

 

[jezz]

Breeds confidence and is great for morale and team spirit.

 

[Lufti]

depends if we manage another 10 games undefeated straight after.



out of the 5 draws I'd of chose Everton more so than Leicester

We played better against Everton, but against Leicester we were 1-0 up with 7 or so minutes to go and we let it slip

 

[Sevens]

It is a good achievement. I thought it would be historically better than it is, but still very good. to be one of only 95 teams in this the 24th season of the PL, and one of 21 seasons (80 teams) in which there were 20 teams v 22 is still something to be proud of..

Ultimately though it's all about the accruing of points comparative to your rivals. The game is about glory. Winning games tends to be more important than going on unbeaten runs. For an extreme example, 4 wins and 6 defeats is better than 10 draws.

My mind always wanders back to the 92/93 season when we lost 15 games that year and finished 8th & Crystal Palace were 20th and relegated also with 15 defeats. We won 5 compared to Palace's 5 draws. That was all the difference between 8th and relegation was. It's only at the end of a season does it become clear just want fine margins there are between success and failure!!