Middlesbrough have had a good run in their recent games, as they have been able to break into the top six after winning three consecutive EFL Championship games. They are currently sixth in the standings, with 21 points from their first 14 games. They are currently 13 points behind leaders, AFC Bournemouth, who are unbeaten with 34 points, and eight points behind second-placed Fulham. They are currently equal on points with six other teams, as all teams including 5th placed Luton and 11th placed Blackpool have 21 points each. The Boro are sixth because of their goal difference. In this post, we will have a look at the latest updated stats for Middlesbrough after their recent winning streak of three games.
The Boro have so far registered an overall xG of 13.52, which is the fifth-lowest in the division. They have managed to score a total of 17 goals while conceding only 13. Their goal difference of +4 has taken them into the top six. Middlesbrough have recently gained good momentum and form, winning their last three league games against Peterborough United, Barnsley and Cardiff City. The Boro have kept clean sheets as well in these three games, winning all three matches with a 2-0 scoreline.
The above viz shows the xGA(expected goals against) stat for the various teams in the Championship. Middlesbrough have an xGA of 14.47 till now, which is more than only five of the top teams including Fulham, Bournemouth, West Brom, Birmingham and Huddersfield Town. Middlesbrough had conceded 13 goals in their first eleven games only, and have since kept clean sheets in all of their recent wins.
Neil Warnock has recently decided to change his formation which has led to his team getting this recent run of positive results. From playing a 4-2-3-1 in most of the first ten games of the season, the manager has now shifted to a 3-4-1-2 or 3-5-2 formation, which has helped them in defending and keeping clean sheets and also scoring multiple goals.
Neil Warnock’s men have tried to keep attacking and score goals in all their games this season. They have the third-highest positional attacks in the division and having more attacks simply means that they will get more opportunities to score. Their recent change in form where they got nine points from three games has driven them up the Championship standings into sixth place.
Another big problem that Warnock’s team have been facing is their passing. They have the second-lowest number of passes in the Championship in spite of being sixth in the standings at the moment. They have started to keep more of the ball in recent games and have been more accurate and creative with their passing.
The above viz is The Boro’s shot map in their latest league game against Cardiff City which they won 2-0. They dominated the game and took more than 20 shots on goal, hitting the target five times and scoring twice. They have a similar shot map in their other recent 2-0 wins as well.
Neil Warnock will hope that his team keeps this winning streak going on for the upcoming weeks so that they can solidify their place inside the top six. Currently, there are seven teams on equal points from the fifth pace to the eleventh in the standings. All teams will be hoping to get their chance in playing in the promotion play-offs at the end of the season. Only time will tell which of these teams will stay inside the top six and which others will fall behind.
