- Man City midfielder Bernardo Silva is the slowest player in the league this term
- Tottenham star Micky van de Ven is the only player to reach a speed of 23.1 mph LISTEN NOW: It’s All Kicking Off! Why it makes more sense for Manchester United to sell Marcus Rashford
Manchester City veteran Bernardo Silva has recorded the slowest speed of any outfield player in the Premier League, a report has shown.
Like many of his team-mates, the 30-year-old has endured a difficult campaign after many years of stellar service and he looks to be coming towards the end of a trophy-laden spell at the Etihad.
The Portuguese maestro has never been known for his blistering pace but the surprising revelation that he is the player with the slowest recorded speed points to a rather alarming physical decline.
Data from Opta shows Silva with a ‘top speed’ of just 18.3 mph, slower than the likes of Tomas Soucek (18.8 mph), Casemiro(18.8 mph), Mikel Merino (18.5 mph) and Craig Dawson (18.4 mph).
On the other end of the scale is Tottenham defender Micky van de Ven who topped the charts for the highest speed in the Premier League this season.
The Netherlands star’s season has been hampered by hamstring injuries and it’s easy to see why, given the mindblowing speeds he has clocked this term. Van de Ven has reached a top speed of 23.1 mph this season – not only more than any other player but the only one to reach the 23 mph mark.
Bernardo Silva has recorded the slowest time of any outfield player in the Premier League this term
Wolves defender Craig Dawson and Arsenal’s Mikel Merino have recorded the second and third lowest speeds this term
When it comes to goalkeepers, Arsenal stopper David Raya leads the way and it’s little surprise given his impressive sprinting display against James Ward-Prowse earlier this year.
The Spaniard has registered a top speed of 20.3 mph which puts him among the fastest players in the division in any position.
Elsewhere, data from the stats company also showed the players that spend the most time sprinting – and those who enjoy a ‘leisurely’ stroll more often than others.
Considering the former, Nottingham Forest winger Anthony Elanga leads the way with an impressive 1.17 per cent of his time spent on the pitch bursting a lung to get on the ball or flying past defenders.
The Swede comes ahead of Anthony Gordon of Newcastle at 1.10 per cent and Liverpool forward Darwin Nunez with 1.07 per cent. However, when the gross number of sprints are analysed, Fulham’s Antonee Robinson reigns supreme.
Opta define a sprint as a player running over 15.5 mph so it favours those able to move rapidly over the slower stars flexing their anaerobic muscles. Robinson has embarked on a staggering 702 sprints this term, more than Gordon on 666 and Daniel Munoz on 658.
For the most sedentary players, look no further than Wolves’ mercurial forward Matheus Cunha, who has done his best Lionel Messi impression this season.
The 25-year-old has spent a frankly ludicrous 77.6 per cent of his time on the pitch walking. That puts him ahead of the likes of Virgil van Dijk and Christian Romero on 76.5 per cent and 75.5 per cent respectively.
Interestingly, speed merchant Adama Traore ranks fourth in this statistic with a measure of 75.1 per cent.
Tottenham defender Micky van de Ven is the only player record a top speed of at least 23.1 mph
David Raya has clocked an impressive top speed of 20.3 mph in the Premier League this term
Wolves talisman Matheus Cunha has spent a staggering 77 per cent of his time on the pitch walking
Of course, this excludes the most idle players on a football pitch, solely tasked with commanding a penalty area. When goalkeepers are added to the list, Forest stopper Matz Sels is unmatched.
The Belgian spends a scarcely believable 95.5 per cent of his time walking.
Another interesting finding is the players who have covered the most ground in the Premier League. West Ham’s Soucek tops the gross rankings in a metric that favours those who play every game, reaching a total of 140.8km.
Broken down per game, it’s Tottenham’s Dejan Kulusevski with the most impressive numbers for stars to have played at least 1,500 minutes. The Swede averages 12.3km per 90, while Soucek and Sandro Tonali reach 12.2km and Bernardo Silva manages 11.9km.
