⚽ 1. EPL Player Statistics — Who’s Shining in 2025-26
Top Scorers & Offensive Leaders
Stats from this Premier League season reveal the key attacking performers:
- Erling Haaland (Man City): 20 league goals, leading the scoring charts and again driving City’s title push.
- Igor Thiago (Brentford): 16 goals — huge output from a smaller club’s front line.
- Antoine Semenyo (Bournemouth/Man City): 10 goals — a breakout campaign and eye-catching form.
- Dominic Calvert-Lewin (Leeds): 9 goals, an extremely productive season relative to expectations.
Creativity, Assists & Chance Creation
Creative influence is showing a strong mix between established stars and rising talents:
- Bruno Fernandes (Man Utd): leads assists (8) and key passes (56), proving central to United’s attacking output.
- Rayan Cherki (Man City): 7 assists, showcasing his growing influence.
- Jeremy Doku (Man City): tops expected assists (xAG) — illustrating elite chance creation.
- Bukayo Saka (Arsenal): solid across multiple metrics, blending creativity with attacking threat.
Passing, Possession & Build-Up Play
Defenders and midfielders also dominate the underlying data:
- Virgil van Dijk (Liverpool): most passes completed and touches — anchoring play from the back.
- Elliot Anderson (Nottingham Forest): strong numbers for progressive passing and touches.
- Bruno Guimarães (Newcastle): excellent progressive play serves as midfield fulcrum.
🆘 2. Injury Updates — Who’s Out, Who’s Doubtful
Injuries in football remain high and impactful, affecting squads across the EPL. Here’s the latest fitness news (club-by-club where possible) and what it means on the pitch:
📊 League-Wide Injury List
According to updated Premier League injury listings, notable current absentees include:
Arsenal
- Max Dowman – ankle
- Riccardo Calafiori – muscle
- Bukayo Saka – knock (fit-to-monitor)
(Multiple starter absences impacting squad rotation)
Aston Villa
- Ross Barkley – knee
- Boubacar Kamara – knee
(Affecting midfield depth)
Bournemouth
- Ben Gannon-Doak – hamstring
- Justin Kluivert – knee
- Enes Unal – adductor
(Several backup and rotation options sidelined)
Burnley
- Zeki Amdouni and others – knee/knock issues
(A period of inconsistency linked to fitness woes)
🔴 Major Premier League Absences and Expected Returns
- Mohammed Kudus (Tottenham Hotspur): out with a thigh injury until after the March international break — missing at least 13 games across competitions.
- Richarlison (Tottenham): hamstring issue rules him out for ~7 weeks, a heavy blow to Spurs’ scoring options.
- Rodri (Man City): still sidelined with a thigh problem though progressing toward return in the coming weeks.
- Everton: Michael Keane likely out after aggravating an injury and Seamus Coleman hamstring injured.
- Nottingham Forest: several absentees including Jarrad Branthwaite (hamstring) and long-term absentees.
Club News Impacting Lineups
- Arsenal Injury Cluster: Groin/hamstring issues for Piero Hincapié, muscular injuries for Riccardo Calafiori, ankle setbacks for others — reducing Arteta’s defensive continuity.
📊 3. Casualty Analysis — How Injuries Are Shaping the League
Squad Rotation & Strategic Shifts
Injury absences have forced manager adjustments:
- Man City’s defensive unit is stretched: With Rodri and others out, Guardiola is relying on youth and rotation more often.
- Tottenham attack disrupted: Without Kudus and Richarlison available, Spurs risk goal output declines and tactical reshuffles.
- Arsenal tinkering with defense: Multiple defenders out means Arteta must balance fresh legs and tactical fluidity.
Financial & Strategic Costs
Injuries aren’t just short-term headaches — they carry financial weight: a report shows European clubs incurred €3.45 billion in injury-related costs over 5 years, with Premier League sides disproportionately affected.
🏥 4. Additional Injury News from Other Sports
While the focus is football, important cross-sport injury updates include:
- NHL: William Nylander questionable, Tom Wilson nearing a return, Leo Carlsson out for weeks.
- NHL Jets: Colin Miller week-to-week post knee surgery.
- NBA: Injury reports ahead of key games illustrate the midseason grind’s toll.
📌 5. Taking Stock: Performance vs. Injury Trends
EPL Mid-Season Fiction vs. Reality
- Clubs with high injury incidence often see inconsistent results and dips in expected performance.
- Elite individual stats (e.g., Haaland & Fernandes) can mask deeper squad fitness vulnerabilities.
- Players missing 8-12 games through muscle or thigh injuries (Kudus, Richarlison, others) directly lower team scoring output and tactical flexibility.
Underlying Fitness Patterns
- Muscle, hamstring, and knee injuries dominate — consistent with trends noted in broader analyses of fixture congestion and physical demands.
- Teams with deeper rotation options cope better; those relying heavily on individual stars suffer more when key players are sidelined.
📍 Summary — Key Takeaways
Top Performers This Season (to date):
- Haaland continues to lead goals.
- Bruno Fernandes excels in creativity and chance creation.
- Van Dijk & Anderson anchor build-up play.
Major Injuries Impacting Teams:
- Tottenham’s attack significantly weakened by Kudus and Richarlison’s absences.
- Arsenal coping with multiple defensive injuries.
- Man City facing midfield rotation challenges without Rodri.
League Trends:
- Squad depth matters now more than ever in a tightly contested EPL season with frequent injuries.
- Injuries carry tactical, strategic, and financial impacts that reverberate beyond individual games.