Premier League Team Stat Sheet: Man City are getting away with blue murder

• Manchester City are testing referees' leniency

• Crystal Palace are beginning to lose their cutting edge

• Delap needs to step up at corners for Ipswich

Man City - Fouls committed

Two Manchester bands - James and Electronic - have had songs entitled Getting Away With It, and either could apply to the Blues right now, as their foul-count rises but their card-count slightly decreases.

All season long, Pep Guardiola's men have averaged 1.6 cautions per 90. In their last six outings that has reduced to 1.5.

That in itself is hardly newsworthy, except when it's pointed out that City have committed 10 fouls per 90 in their last six league contests, compared to 5.3 fouls in their six prior.

It feels inevitable that at some point these contradictory figures will sync up. A potentially frenetic and physical encounter with Everton at Goodison Park on Saturday feels like a likely contender.

The highest number of yellows dished out to the reigning champions this term is four. That could be matched on Merseyside.

Player example - Nico Gonzales

With the January recruitment of Gonzales, City finally possess a steadying influence in the middle, one they have desperately lacked since Rodri succumbed to an ACL.

Naturally, the benefits far outweigh the negatives when it comes to having a disciplined holder protecting their back-four but the 23-year-old's arrival does explain the sharp increase in fouls conceded.

He has averaged two fouls per 90 since late February.

Newcastle - First half shots

There is plenty of solid evidence to prove that the Magpies are a far better proposition now to when they kicked off their campaign. Perhaps first-half shots is the most dramatic of them.

Despite opening 2024/25 with three wins and a draw, Eddie Howe's men took on just 14 shots in the first halves of those contests. Compare that to the 33 first-half shots they have executed in their four most recent outings and we're really talking about two different teams, even if featuring the same players.

It's a spike that has partly contributed to four consecutive wins, with five first half goals scored in that period.

Player example - Alexander Isak

The prolific Swede has let fly on nine occasions in his last four first-half outings, scoring from one of them at home to Brentford.

Only three players in the top-flight - Cole Palmer, Erling Haaland and Antoine Semenyo - have taken on more first-half shots this season.

The Newcastle forward is 4/51.80 to have two or more shots before the break against Crystal Palace on Wednesday evening.

Crystal Palace - Drop-off in shots

Staying with the Eagles, and with their midweek trip to St James Park in mind, we have seen a notable drop-off in their shot-count of late.

In beating Fulham, Aston Villa and Ipswich between late-February and early March, Oliver Glasner's men fired 48 attempts on goal, 25 of them courtesy of their formidable front three of Eze, Mateta and Sarr.

In their more recent three showings, however, that has dwindled to 25 total.

Granted, one of those games was at the Etihad - where Palace commendably scored twice - but still, a 48% decrease cannot be ignored across a six-game sequence. Don't be surprised therefore if results soon start to reflect this significant decline.

The Magpies are 7/101.70 to win out on Wednesday.

Player example - Ismaila Sarr

There is an awful lot to like about the Senegalese winger but a propensity to go missing is certainly not one of them.

Against Villa and Ipswich, the 27-year-old racked up seven attempts on goal, scoring from three.

In his last three league appearances that has dwindled to just one shot, a close range effort spooned wide at the weekend.

Ipswich - Corners

Only two teams - Leicester and Wolves - have won fewer corners this term than the Tractor Boys but as they rage against the dying of their Premier League light, their corner-count has risen.

An average of 4.5 across their last six games is in stark contrast to 2.5 averaged in their six prior and this increase has resulted in a greater number of chances, even if Ipswich haven't taken them.

Kieran McKenna's side have managed nine headers from corners in these recent six showings, three of them on target.

Player example - Liam Delap

A reported summer target for Manchester United, Delap has been a stand-out in what has elsewhere been an immensely difficult campaign for Ipswich. Yet of his 12 goals none have been headers.

Considering his height and strength this is a surprise and he must do better in this regard, especially if his team are now relying more on set-pieces.

Chelsea - Yellow cards

The Blues are on course to be the Premier League's bad boys for the second season running, so far accruing 89 cautions at a rate of 2.8 per game.

'Do Chelsea have a yellow card problem?' the BBC asked way back in October. Unquestionably, they do.

Their volume of bookings is only going up, with 13 yellows received in their last four league games. In only two other four-game sequences this season has that tally been matched or 'bettered' by Maresca's miscreants.

Player example - Nicolas Jackson

Cleverly or accidentally, Chelsea do tend to spread their bookings around, but the recent return from injury of one of their worst offenders is worth noting.

The Blues striker has immediately picked up where he left off, seeing yellow twice in his last three.

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