The 2023/24 season has already been an eventful one for Salford City, with slow starts, cup shocks and great goals across the 27 games played so far.
The Ammies have had a tough start to their fifth season in EFL League Two, currently sat in 17th place and six points above the relegation zone. There is plenty of football left to play for Neil Wood’s side to match their best-ever finish to a campaign when they finished in the playoffs in seventh place.
Let’s take a look at the stats behind the season so far for both individuals and for the club as a whole.
Players
Matt Smith leads the way in terms of goal scoring for the club, netting 15 times. Smudge broke his record for most goals in a league season against Gillingham, also claiming the League Two Player of the Month Award for his eight conversions in October.
Smith is also second placed in the national scoring charts, being overtaken by Jake Young of Swindon Town last weekend, and is ahead of Manchester City’s Erling Haaland and Blackburn Rovers’ Sam Szmodics.
Behind him, Matty Lund is in second place with four following his hat-trick against Manchester United U21’s. Callum Hendry, Ryan Watson and Curtis Tilt are tied for third with three goals each.
Luke Bolton is top on the assist charts, with four. Three players are one behind the winger, including Watson, Elliot Watt and Luke Garbutt.
Goalkeeper and Captain Alex Cairns has played the most minutes, playing a full 90 minutes in 24 games. Curtis Tilt is the only other player with over 2000 minutes played this season.
Smith similarly leads the way in expected goals, with a combined xG of 9.3, nearly triple of next placed Ryan Watson.
Cairns has not been so lucky between the sticks, conceding the joint most goals of any keeper in League Two, tied with Swindon Town’s Murphy Mahoney. He however has kept four clean sheets, the joint 8th most in the league.
Team
Salford City’s League Two campaign has not been their finest so far, but in a few metrics they are firmly at the top end of the table.
Accuracy is the Ammies’ specialty, in the top five in accurate passes, long balls and crosses per match this season.
Across the season, Salford has had the sixth most possession, with an average of 54.5 per cent control of the ball.
Discipline has also been an issue in the league, with the joint most red cards on four. Ossama Ashley, Matty Lund, Kevin Berkoe and Curtis Tilt have all been given their marching orders. Similarly, 38 yellow cards have been handed out to Neil Wood’s side, the eighth highest team. They average 11 fouls per match.
Creatively, Salford have also been strong, creating 35 big chances, and has created an average of 1.6 goals a match, with a combined 25.9 xG. They missed 27 of their big chances.
The Moor Lane club have conceded 30.1 xG, and are 22nd out of 24 in terms of successful tackles in a match.
Recent Comments