The Return of Luis Suárez

Ahead of the Liverpool v Tottenham Hotspur match on Monday night, we look at the return of Luis Suárez and how Liverpool have fared in the Premier League in his absence.

Luis Suárez returns to the Liverpool squad for Monday night’s game at home to Tottenham Hotspur following a much publicised eight-game suspension.

Castrol EDGE Performance data shows that the Uruguayan is vital to Liverpool’s chances of finishing in the top four of the Premier League. Most significantly, Liverpool score a goal in the Premier League every 70 minutes when Suárez plays, compared with a goal every 86 minutes when he does not. As a result, Liverpool with Suárez have a win ratio of 44% and an average 1.72 points per game, whereas Liverpool without Suárez have a win ratio of 40% and an average 1.4 points per game.

Liverpool with & without Suarez – 2011/12

Suarez’s attacking threat is confirmed by the fact that he averages 4.5 shots per game, which is second only to Robin van Persie in the Premier League. He has also won the third highest number of free kicks (41), demonstrating that his quick feet are a constant problem for opposition defenders. The Uruguayan can also count himself as the unluckiest player in the league, hitting the woodwork more than any other (5).

Premier League Most Shots – 2011/12

Player	Team	Total shots	Games	Shots per game
van Persie, Robin	Arsenal	104	23	4.52
Suárez, Luis	Liverpool	81	18	4.50
Rooney, Wayne	Manchester Utd	90	20	4.50

Premier League Free Kicks Won – 2011/12

Player	Team	Free-kicks won	Games	Free-kicks won/game
Gutiérrez, Jonás	Newcastle Utd	58	22	2.64
Moses, Victor	Wigan Athletic	55	23	2.39
Suárez, Luis	Liverpool	41	18	2.28

Premier League Woodwork Hit – 2011/12

Suarez in the Premier League – 2011/12