Much has been made of comments from Arsene Wenger and the way he reacts to some tackles on his team and his insistence that football should be played fairly, well the fact is that according to the latest fair play table he is absolutely correct in his observations.
So far this season Arsenal have been the cleanest team playing football and it is no surprise that Tottenham are placed second, both teams are renowned for entertaining clean football.
Wenger was not a happy man after the leg breaking tackle on Aaron Ramsey and the stats back up his claim that Arsenal do not play that sort of football.
Stoke were 14th in the table and that speaks volumes, Birmingham who’s player Martin Taylor broke Eduardo’s leg last season are placed 17th and looking at the table there is a clear pattern there.
You can critisize Wenger and his comments all you want but his demand for fair football is backed up by the stats as the table below shows.
Arsenal have also been critisized for their own players actions most notably the William Gallas tackle against Bolton (16th) but the stats tell you that was an isolated incident.
Overall Wenger can sit comfortably today knowing that he has been vindicated by asking for nothing more than fair football.
His team play fair and that is a cold hard fact
Offical Fair play League March 15th 2010
| Position | Played | R/Y | P/P | R/O | R/R | B/O | Pts | Score | Avge | |
| 1 | Arsenal | 28 | 240 | 234 | 171 | 171 | 153 | 969 | 242.3 | 8.65 |
| 2 | Tottenham Hotspur | 28 | 229 | 233 | 166 | 168 | 150 | 946 | 236.5 | 8.45 |
| 3 | Fulham | 28 | 244 | 208 | 166 | 171 | 155 | 944 | 236 | 8.43 |
| 4 | Manchester United | 28 | 234 | 223 | 163 | 166 | 155 | 941 | 235.3 | 8.4 |
| 5 | Chelsea | 28 | 230 | 231 | 163 | 166 | 149 | 939 | 234.8 | 8.38 |
| 6 | Burnley | 27 | 225 | 207 | 161 | 167 | 143 | 903 | 225.8 | 8.36 |
| 7 | Manchester City | 27 | 231 | 211 | 153 | 160 | 133 | 888 | 222 | 8.22 |
| 8 | Aston Villa | 26 | 212 | 202 | 148 | 151 | 141 | 854 | 213.5 | 8.21 |
| 9 | Wigan Athletic | 27 | 223 | 200 | 153 | 159 | 144 | 879 | 219.8 | 8.14 |
| 10 | West Ham United | 27 | 217 | 204 | 152 | 156 | 146 | 875 | 218.8 | 8.1 |
| 11 | Everton | 27 | 217 | 203 | 156 | 161 | 133 | 870 | 217.5 | 8.06 |
| 12 | Wolves | 27 | 210 | 206 | 152 | 157 | 143 | 868 | 217 | 8.04 |
| 13 | Liverpool | 28 | 220 | 217 | 159 | 161 | 137 | 894 | 223.5 | 7.98 |
| 14 | Blackburn Rovers | 28 | 230 | 193 | 155 | 160 | 149 | 887 | 221.8 | 7.92 |
| 15 | Stoke City | 27 | 208 | 195 | 150 | 159 | 138 | 850 | 212.5 | 7.87 |
| 16 | Bolton Wanderers | 27 | 213 | 191 | 150 | 157 | 137 | 848 | 212 | 7.85 |
| 17 | Birmingham City | 27 | 218 | 199 | 147 | 150 | 130 | 844 | 211 | 7.82 |
| 18 | Portsmouth | 27 | 201 | 184 | 147 | 153 | 144 | 829 | 207.3 | 7.68 |
| 19 | Hull City | 27 | 210 | 184 | 149 | 154 | 128 | 825 | 206.3 | 7.64 |
| 20 | Sunderland | 27 | 198 | 189 | 145 | 154 | 137 | 823 | 205.8 | 7.62 |
Key:
* R/Y = Red & Yellow Cards – Maximum 10 pts per Match
* (Red 3 pts, Yellow 1 pt)
* P/P = Positive Play – Maximum 10 pts per Match
* R/O = Respect Towards Opponent – Maximum 7 pts per Match
* R/R = Respect Towards Referee – Maximum 7 pts per Match
* B/O = Behaviour of Officials – Maximum 6 pts per Match
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What on earth does any of it mean? Apart from r/y cards that make sense what does the rest mean, and how do you finish with the last coloumn.
Key is at bottom
4 London teams in the top 5!
Civilisation hasn’t spread very far.
Not surprised, proves Wenger right. How was all this calculated though ? I know there’s a key but it doesn’t explain how points were awarded.
stoke are 15th…..speakes greater volume!!
understand theirs a key but what constitutes “respect for opponent” and what does “behaivior of officials mean? the key explains the letters but doesnt explain the action? need more explination.