By The Numbers: PSL Weekend Review

PSL action continued in between CAF qualification this weekend, where the Cape derby was the headline fixture. Cape Town City returned to winning ways against city rivals Cape Town Spurs, by a 3-1 scoreline. Elsewhere, Steve Komphela’s Moroka Swallows beat AmaZulu, Polokwane City scored the only goal in a 1-0 win against Royal AM, and TS Galaxy drew with Richards Bay. We take a look at some of the stats and numbers in detail.

Cape Derby

In return to winning ways, City came from behind to beat Spurs at the DHL Stadium in Greenpoint. The win allowed The Citizens to climb back into the Top 10 on the log, following weeks of struggles where they could not register a win despite plenty of chances in front of goal.

Four goals on the day was a justified return on a sunny Saturday, particularly for a game where both teams showed attacking instinct.

32 – shots taken by both teams in the Cape derby

1 – matches this season that have seen more shots

32 – shots in the AmaZulu v Cape City game

34 – shots in the Polokwane City v Cape Town Spurs game (most in a game)

Eric Tinkler will obviously be the happier coach. Not only because of the result but the nature in which it came around. For many games, he has bemoaned the lack of clinical edge in front of goal. In this one, his team didn’t even need to be that clinical, as they created a load of chances.

24 – shots by Cape Town City here (the most by a team in a match this season)

110 – total shots taken by Cape Town City this season (most in the league)

2 – teams with 100+ total shots this season (also Sundowns)

As for Spurs, they extended their losing record in the top flight to seven continuous games despite leading their rivals for most of the first half. The graphic below shows how they are the only Premiership side that seems to shoot more as the game progresses. Often chasing games results in more attempts at goal later on in the match.

Taking many shots looks good on paper, but as mentioned, it is because Spurs find themselves trailing so often.

630 – minutes played by Spurs this season
275 – minutes Spurs have been trailing this season
43% – % of time spent trailing (the highest in the division)

There is work to be done defensively for this side if they are to stay in the division.

15 – shots allowed by Spurs inside the box (the most shots City have enjoyed in a game this season)
24 – shots conceded by Spurs in this game (the most shots Spurs have conceded in a game this season)
15 – shots conceded by Spurs inside the box in this game (also their most in a game this season)

Moroka Swallows vs. AmaZulu FC

Steve Komphela continues to work his magic at Soweto side Moroka Swallows who now sit third on the log after 7 games (W4, D2, L1 – goals scored 11 and goals conceded 9) with 13 points on the board. Striker Tshegofatso Mabasa scored twice against Usuthu on Friday evening, and he is proving to be one of the signings of the season.

6 – goals by Tshegofatso Mabasa (leads of the league)

8 – appearances it has taken him to score 6 goals this season

43 – appearances it took him to score 6 goals in the last three seasons

TS Galaxy vs. Richards Bay

The struggles for The Natal Rich Boyz continue, as they have been unable to emulate the results from the previous campaign. They had to settle for a point in this game, even though they outshot TS Galaxy 12-7.

3 – goals by TS Galaxy this season

2 – own goals in favour of TS Galaxy this season

1 – TS Galaxy scored their first league goal through midfielder Sphiwe Mahlangu on Sunday

Midweek Action

The busy schedule continues midweek with fixtures featuring 12 of the 16 sides (except Royal AM, Mamelodi Sundowns, AmaZulu FC, and Orlando Pirates). In addition, the MTN 8 Cup final takes place at Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban on Saturday 7th October as defending champions Orlando Pirates face Mamelodi Sundowns. You can look out for more data-driven stories throughout the week.