It appears as if there’s extra soccer than ever.
For the reason that Champions League closing some gamers have had two worldwide video games, performed in as much as seven Fifa Membership World Cup matches and featured in some pre-season friendlies – all all over the world.
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That was after a season with the most important European membership campaigns ever – and will probably be the identical once more this time.
Plus there’s an Africa Cup of Nations in the course of the season and a 48-team World Cup in North America on the finish of it.
So which golf equipment’ gamers have featured in essentially the most matches up to now 12 months – and who ought to be the freshest on paper?
And which particular person gamers may very well be exhausted earlier than this season even begins?
BBC Sport, with the assistance of Opta, appears at how a lot aggressive soccer present Premier League gamers – together with new signings – have performed for the reason that begin of final summer season for membership and nation, throughout an unimaginable 104 competitions.
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Which groups have the freshest squads?
We picked 20 outfield gamers for every membership who performed essentially the most league video games final season – after which changed ones who’ve left (or performed the least final season) with new signings.
We have now checked out their whole minutes performed for membership and nation for the reason that begin of final summer season – 1 June 2024.
And the outcomes are in…
The freshest workforce this season within the Premier League ought to be Everton.
The gamers in Everton’s present squad performed a mean of simply 1,847 minutes of soccer final season – the equal of about 21 full video games.
Just one participant – 35-year-old Senegal midfielder Idrissa Gueye – performed greater than 4,000 minutes (44 full video games).
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Solely West Ham performed fewer video games final season than Everton among the many present Premier League golf equipment, as each groups had been knocked out of each home cups early.
Bournemouth’s squad is the second freshest when it comes to minutes performed.
However given they made essentially the most sprints within the prime flight final season beneath Andoni Iraola’s intense urgent type, they won’t really feel as rested…
And which groups is the least recent?
Manchester Metropolis have the least recent squad within the Premier League in response to our information.
Whereas Metropolis did exit the Champions League early, they reached the FA Cup closing and in addition took half within the Membership World Cup in June and July.
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Most of Metropolis’s gamers are additionally established internationals – and performed a mean of three,780 minutes up to now 14 months, or precisely 42 full video games of soccer. That’s double Everton’s whole.
And a few of Metropolis’s summer season signings truly elevated their common.
Midfielder Tijjani Reijnders, who performed for Guardiola’s facet within the Membership World Cup, has performed an unimaginable 6,032 minutes for AC Milan, the Netherlands and Metropolis since final summer season – the equal of 67 full video games.
Our information discovered Arsenal have the second-least recent squad, with a mean of three,552 minutes performed.
The seven groups who performed in Europe topped the listing for many video games performed, together with Championship play-off winners Sunderland.
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Chelsea truly performed extra video games than anybody else final season – together with on their solution to successful the Membership World Cup.
Nevertheless, they rotated their squad within the Convention League – and went out of each home cups on the fourth-round stage, so their first-teamers are extra rested than Metropolis’s… on paper anyway.
Is age an element?
Youth may work in Chelsea’s favour too.
Enzo Maresca’s facet have by far the youngest squad within the Premier League.
No participant over the age of 27 performed for the Blues within the league final season, and so they had the youngest squad on the Membership World Cup.
Their oldest summer season signing is 23-year-old Joao Pedro. So does youth imply they may really feel the minutes of their legs much less?
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Against this, Chelsea’s west London rivals Fulham have the oldest taking part in squad within the prime flight.
Their common age of 27 is identical as Chelsea’s oldest participant, Tosin Adarabioyo, who by the way joined final summer season from the Cottagers.
Which gamers have performed essentially the most soccer?
New Wolves signing Jhon Arias tops the listing of most minutes performed in 2024-25.
The 27-year-old winger performed a exceptional 6,577 minutes for Brazilian membership Fluminense and nationwide facet Colombia – the equal of 73 full video games.
Brazilian golf equipment play of their nationwide league and state competitions, plus cups and continental competitions.
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Arias, who has joined Wolves for £15m, additionally performed within the Membership World Cup this summer season with Fluminense, reaching the semi-finals.
The one different Premier League gamers to have performed greater than 6,000 minutes of soccer are Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes and new Metropolis signing Reijnders.
Fifteen different gamers performed greater than 5,000 minutes – with Leeds and Wales defender Joe Rodon additionally making the listing.
Extra writing by Emlyn Begley
