I tried to prove the AI cheats but I don't think it does now

I collected statistics from every league game (Arsenal season 2016/17 season three) and recorded them in Excel.

Won the League on goal difference from last years winners Chelsea.

I was certain that I was booked more, hit the bar more and converted fewer chances but alas no.

I logged mine and opponents statistics over the 38 game season.

Fouls,yellow cards,red cards,shots shots on target,woodwork hits,clear cut chances goals scored,goals conceded corners, corners scored and conceded and finally free kicks scored and conceded.

It turns out quite even.

Fouls

I made 408 fouls (10.7 per game) and was fouled 544 times (14.3 per game).

I got a yellow card for every 12.75 fouls and the opposition got one every 10.5 fouls.

I had 1 red and the opposition got 2 so hardly worth noting.

Shots

I had 619 with 302 on target (48.7 %) which of course means 51.3% were off target.

They had 394 with only 146 on target ( 37.1%) so 60.9% of target so they don't score with every shot!

I scored 84 goals so so approx 28% of my shots on target. opposition scored 25 of 146 on approx 17%.

I created 90 clear cut chances ( scored 84 goals) they created 41 (scored 25 goals).

As I only compiled the statistics from the game I didn't compile how many CCC's I scored and missed during game play. I do remember however missing many sitters whilst watching the highlight (key only).

last season Man City 673 shots 238 on ( 35.3%) scored 102 (43 % of shots on target)

so as league winner stats could have been shots 619, shots on 218 goals scored 94

From last Season Premiership games

Most shots 693 ( Chelsea) Best on target (Arsenal honest) 40% best goals from shots on target City 43%

So could have been 619 shots, on target 249 and goals 107

Average shots on target 30.33%

Average goals from shots on target 33%

619 shots, 188 SOT and 62 goals

If you take last seasons best possible 107 and if using last seasons average % then 62= 169

divide by 2 you get 84.5.

So either by design or just plain brilliance everything is rosy

Is that down to SI?

Why not

Woodwork

I hit the woodwork 17 times (0.45 per game) and the opposition 11 times (0.29 per game)

Corners

I had 319 ( 8.4 per game) scoring 9 ( 1 every 35.4) and the opposition had 160 (4.2 per game) scoring 4 ( 1 every 40)

so they didn't score from every corner

Southampton scored 14 and conceded only 3 but I don't know how many they had.

I also topped the league with 56.3% possession.

all last seasons statistics I got from here http://www.footstats.co.uk/index.cfm?task=Leagues

Very good post.

I think its human nature to always remember the worst about things, hence why we always think our players get injured too much why we feel we hit the bar too much or pretty much any negative thing you can think about the match engine in FM, but a lot of it is actually running pretty good.

Sure there are problems with the ME but not near what some people believe.

Good on you for taking the time to record all the data

Hopefully you can enjoy the game more now that you've seen the stats in black & white.

Very good post.

I think its human nature to always remember the worst about things, hence why we always think our players get injured too much why we feel we hit the bar too much or pretty much any negative thing you can think about the match engine in FM, but a lot of it is actually running pretty good.

Sure there are problems with the ME but not near what some people believe.

I am a believer now in the "it's your tactics" posts

Good on you for taking the time to record all the data

Hopefully you can enjoy the game more now that you've seen the stats in black & white.

I will now shake my head less

All My statistics in Excel

Kudos to you for making all this effort

Always interesting to see when independent users post stats, because we always hear about SI soak tests (which are performed over far longer periods than this) and it can be touted as Gospel. Great to see some stats from a general FM player which concur with the "official" stats.

Kudos to you for making all this effort

Always interesting to see when independent users post stats, because we always hear about SI soak tests (which are performed over far longer periods than this) and it can be touted as Gospel. Great to see some stats from a general FM player which concur with the "official" stats.

many thanks

I wish we could see those stats in the game.

many thanks

I agree that this is great research which will often turn on its head the perception that many users have about their own game- as was said above though, it is purely human nature to remember only the irritating things in the game and assume that they happen either all the time, or only to them

Woodwork

I hit the woodwork 17 times (0.45 per game) and the opposition 11 times (0.29 per game)

Overall, nice recollection of stats, but there's one comment I'd make about this one - might be best to compare it to shots on goal rather than how many times 'per game' it happened. I mean, if you hit the woodwork three times in a match and they hit it once, it appears that you were more unlucky, but if you had thirty shots on goal and they only had one or two, who's really the unlucky one? Your 17 shots that hit the woodwork represent 2.75% of shots on goal, vs your opponents' 11 shots representing 2.79% of shots on goal hitting the woodwork

Overall, nice recollection of stats, but there's one comment I'd make about this one - might be best to compare it to shots on goal rather than how many times 'per game' it happened. I mean, if you hit the woodwork three times in a match and they hit it once, it appears that you were more unlucky, but if you had thirty shots on goal and they only had one or two, who's really the unlucky one? Your 17 shots that hit the woodwork represent 2.75% of shots on goal, vs your opponents' 11 shots representing 2.79% of shots on goal hitting the woodwork

fair point

how about tackle attempts and made foul ratio, you will find something special

how about tackle attempts and made foul ratio, you will find something special

There's still no bias in the ME toward the AI, as the ME can't tell the difference.