Players in the squad are Nigel’s top priority in window
ARSENAL’S thrilling North London derby victory over Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday lifted them into the Premier League’s top four - and it continued a remarkable trend for their season.
The Gunners trailed their closest rivals 2-1 at half-time, meaning they have still not led a League game at half-time after 14 matches in 2018-19.
It has led to a statistic doing the rounds on social media showing that Unai Emery’s side would be in the relegation zone if games ended after 45 minutes.
Their second-half displays, though, have them well in the battle for Champions League football.
So what about Burton Albion? How would they be faring if matches were shortened?
The Brewers - currently 16th in the League One table - have tended to play in fits and starts this season. Unlike the Gunners, there has not been one specific half they have shone in.
In games against Sunderland, Walsall and Southend United, among others, they were more dominant in the first 45, while defeats to Wycombe Wanderers, Rochdale and Peterborough United are among the occasions where they were punished for slow starts but nearly salvaged something after the break.
According to the stats of Ben Mayhew, the head of data analysis at the Press Association, Burton would only be slightly better off if games ended at half-time.
The graph shows they would be 15th in the division if that was the case.
It suggests they have been slow starters and would be inside the relegation zone if games lasted only 10 minutes - but they have clearly enjoyed strong spells around the halfhour mark.
Their highest position on the graph is after around 25 minutes, which would have them in third place. BURTON Albion’s business in the January transfer market will revolve around the situations of their current players.
The second transfer window of the season opens on January 1, when teams can bolster their squad with permanent and loan signings.
Albion currently have Bradley Collins, Jake Hesketh and Jake Flannigan on loan until January 2, while Devante Cole is on a season-long deal.
The contracts of Stephen Quinn, Dimitar Evtimov and Elliot Hodge expire next month, while Kieran Wallace is at the club on a non-contract agreement.
Nigel Clough is happy with the number of outfield players in the Burton squad at this stage - and he says any further additions in January are unlikely unless there are outgoings from their current set-up. “Once the August window closes, you probably get about two or three weeks, maybe the month of September and then your mind automatically starts turning to January,” said the Brewers manager. “What can we do with the loans? Do we extend them? Things like that. “Discussions have already started, there’s a couple of contracts we need to look at.
“So it’s not just games but, with other situations, it’s going to be a busy few weeks. “It all depends on what happens with some of the players we’ve got, with the loans and everything.
“Yes we’ve got targets Nigel Clough in mind but if nobody goes and everybody stays with us, there won’t be any scope to bring anybody in.
“We’ve got numbers at the moment, we’ve got 20 or 21 outfield players, something like that.
“The goalkeeper situation needs resolving, certainly that’s one area, because we are carrying too many goalkeepers at the moment.
“Then it depends what we do with the loans, with Devante Cole and Jake Hesketh.
“Stephen Quinn, we’re still trying to get him to commit to a longer deal, so it’ll all depend on things like that and if we lose anybody, if we get interest in anybody.”
If nobody goes and everybody stays with us, there won’t be any scope to bring anybody in