BLUEBIRDS & SWANS: ALL THE LATEST
SWANSEA City may be far closer to the foot of the Premier League table then they would like, but there is one area where they are leading the way in the top-flight.
The Swans are currently 17th in the table following defeat to Bournemouth on the weekend, just three points above the relegation zone.
But there is one aspect of the game in which the Welsh club leave the rest of English football’s elite trailing; converting from the penalty spot.
In the history of the Premier League, it is the Swans who have the highest percentage when it comes to finding the back of the net when awarded a spot-kick.
Of the 20 penalties they have been awarded since securing promotion to the top tier in 2011, they have scored from 19 of them.
Those of you with a good memory will recall that sole miss was by Scott Sinclair, coming early on in the 1-0 win over Manchester City in March 2012 as Joe Hart guessed right to keep out the winger’s effort.
Otherwise, Swansea have been faultless from the spot.
Of course, part of Swansea’s success rate compared to the more established clubs will be down to their having been in the league for shorter period, meaning they have had fewer penalties and therefore fewer chances to miss.
For example, Manchester United have scored 94 of the 124 they have been awarded for a success rate of 75.8 per cent.
Champions-elect Chelsea have scored 107 of 124, giving them a percentage of 86.3.
Regardless, penalties still need scoring and Swansea have been exemplary, with their 19 from 20 meaning they find the net 95 per cent of the time from the penalty spot.
Southampton are second with 93.7 per cent (59 from 63), while Watford are third with 93.3 (14 of 15).
Here we take a look at the breakdown of Swansea’s Premier League spot-kicks: Home or away The logic goes that teams are more likely to be awarded penalties on home turf than at an opponent’s stadium, and that is reflected in Swansea’s figures.
Of the 20 spot-kicks awarded in the club’s favour, just seven of them, 35 per cent of them, have come away from the Liberty. All of that septet ended up in the back of the net. Regular offenders Sunderland and Everton are the two sides who have been responsible for most of Swansea’s Premier League penalties.
The Black Cats and the Toffees have conceded three each.
Stoke have given away two of them, as have Chelsea. The rest are shared out between West Brom, Bolton, Arsenal, Norwich, Liverpool, Newcastle, Manchester City, Aston Villa, Southampton and Bournemouth. Top goalscorers It will not surprise Swansea City fans to know that Gylfi Sigurdsson – the club’s record Premier League goalscorer – is the king of the spot-kick takers at the Liberty.
‘The Iceman’ has lived up to his name by scoring all six of his penalty attempts to top the standings.
He is one ahead of Wilfried Bony, who scored five, with Sinclair one behind him on four courtesy of the that solitary miss against title chasing Manchester City in Swansea’s first Premier League campaign.
Jonjo Shelvey scored two during his spell in South Wales while Danny Graham has one to his name, netting against Norwich in 2012 after Sinclair had been substituted, along with Bafetimbi Gomis. Wins, defeats and draws Swansea have won nine of the games in which they have scored a penalty. Their first, converted by Sinclair, set them on the way to their first Premier League win with a 3-0 win over West Brom.
The most recent came from Sigurdsson in the 3-0 win over Sunderland in December.
Five have come in draws, while five have come in defeats against Norwich, Liverpool, Stoke, Southampton and Sunderland respectively. It gives Swansea 32 points from a possible 57 in those games, a 56.1 per cent return rate.