Tottenham Hotspurs manager, Jose Mourinho, has taken yet another swipe at Manchester United’s penalty record this season – and statistics show he may well have a point.
Mourinho has repeatedly suggested United have benefitted from favourable refereeing decisions, leading to the awarding of a considerable number of penalties.
The Special One says Bruno Fernandes has proven himself to be a good penalty taker, but only because he ‘has about 20 to take’ rather than his calmness and technique from 12 yards.
United have won a staggering 14 penalties this term – that’s more than any other club in a Premier League season and three more than Manchester City’s total of 11.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side have also made the most of their good fortune, having converted 10 of their 14 pens, giving them a conversion rate of 71 percent.
All 10 of those spot-kicks have been scored by Marcus Rashford (6) and Fernandes (4), with Rashford top of the penalty scoring charts this term and the Portuguese playmaker two places behind.
In comparison, Mourinho’s Spurs are well down the Premier League penalty table, with the club having been awarded just four all season – though that tally is still the eighth best in the division.
Spurs have missed just one penalty, while Kane is the 11th deadliest player in the top flight from 12 yards this term having converted two penalties.
Mourinho, of course, spent just over two years in charge of United and managed many of the players who have benefited from the club’s penalty glut this term – but how did their fortune compare from 12 yards under their former boss?
In his first season at Old Trafford, back in 2016-17, United won just four penalties, scoring three and missing one, leaving them in 13th place in the Premier League penalty table.
That same season, Bournemouth (10), Spurs (9), City (9), Liverpool (8) and Palace (7) were the five teams to win the most penalties in the top flight.
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In Mourinho’s second season at United, his side were similarly unfortunate. They were awarded just three penalties all season and missed two of them, leaving them with a terrible conversion rate of just 33 percent.
Crystal Palace (10), Everton, (8), Manchester City (8), Brighton (7) and Watford (6), were the five teams to win the most penalties in the top flight. Only City went on to win silverware, though those penalties did help Watford and Brighton to secure their Premier League status.