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Chelsea keeper looks unhappy as Palace celebrate a famous away win.

Podcast 16

Podcast 16

Premier League badge.

In this week's podcast, Jack and Rich talk about the amazing number of away wins there have been in the Premier League this season. West Ham have won away to Liverpool and Arsenal, Crystal Palace have won away at Chelsea and Manchester City have won both their away games, scoring five goals and conceding none! They also talk about the language of trends and statistics and offer some help with this vocabulary if you need to use it in an exam.

How much did you understand?

Activity 1: Were there any words in the podcast that you didn't understand? Try this activity and learn more vocabulary.
Put the words in the correct category.

Manchester City have won both their away matches this season, 2-0 away at Everton and 3-0 away to to West Bromwich Albion.

We can talk about numbers increasing and decreasing in different ways. Take a look at the examples below and think about how you can change the words in blue with vocabulary mentioned in the podcast.

"...the number of away wins in the Premier League has increased this season."

" ....the number of home wins has decreased this season."

"..there has been a big increase in the number of away wins this season."

Activity 2: Now, think about what you heard in the podcast and try to put the correct words in each sentence. The sentences are similar which makes it difficult, but there is only one right answer for each question!
Language of statistics

West Ham have had two amazing away wins, at Liverpool (3-0) and Arsenal (2-0), but have lost both their home matches so far this season.

West Ham

 

If the listening was a bit difficult, you can listen again and read the transcript at the same time.

Jack: Hello my name’s Jack and welcome to this week’s Premier Skills English podcast.

Rich: Hi everyone. I’m Rich and every week we talk about football and help you with your English.

Jack: This week, we’re going to talk about something strange that is happening in the Premier League and take a look at some Premier League statistics and the type of vocabulary we use to talk about them.

Rich: But, before we start: we recently had a comment from Anh Quan Chu from Vietnam on our Facebook page. He wanted to know what a box-to-box midfielder was.   

Jack: A box-to-box midfielder is a midfielder who runs a lot and is good at both defending and attacking.

Rich: Here the word box means the penalty box or penalty area so you could easily see a box-to-box midfielder scoring a goal in one penalty area and later making an important tackle in the other penalty area.

Jack: Bastian Schweinsteiger at Manchester Utd is a great example of a box-to-box midfielder.

Rich: Remember if you need to know more football vocabulary check out our vocabulary pages. I’ve put a link on the side of this page.

Jack: And if you don’t find the word you’re looking for, leave a comment below and we’ll get back to you with an answer straight away.

Rich: What’s next Jack?

Jack: You said that something strange has been happening in the Premier League. What are you on about?

Rich: Ahh yes. What’s happened to home advantage? When playing at home, teams usually win but this season teams have been doing much better when playing away from home.

Jack: That’s true. Last weekend, Crystal Palace won away at Chelsea and West Ham beat Liverpool 3-0 at Anfield.

Rich: Thanks for reminding me. But it’s not just Liverpool that are losing at home. I’ve been looking into the statistics and of 40 Premier League matches this season, only 9 have been won by the home team.

Jack: Statistics is a tricky word and it means a collection of information shown in numbers. You can say stats if you prefer, it’s a bit more informal. Have you got any more stats Rich?

Rich: Yes, I do. Actually, the other day, I was talking to a student who is going to take the IELTS exam in a few weeks and he said that in one of the writing papers he has to look at some statistics and write about the trends that they show.

Jack: A trend is the general direction something is going. In football, you might say a general trend is that there are more red cards than in the past or there are more fouls than a few years ago.

Rich: Have you got any stats to show that this is happening?

Jack: No, so I can’t be sure. But I know that in the IELTS exam students have to use stats and identify main trends which means using vocabulary to describe numbers that are increasing, decreasing or staying the same over a period of time.

Rich: And I think it would be really useful for any student taking this exam or a similar one to take a look at some words that we can use in this situation.

Jack: So you can say the amount of away wins in the Premier League is increasing or going up.

Rich: Yes. 43% of matches this season have been won by the home team which is a huge increase.

Jack: So here we can talk about this in two different ways. We can use a verb or a noun to describe the change.  We can say the number of away wins has increased or there has been an increase in the number of away wins.

Rich: And there are lots of verbs we can use to describe something that has increased. We can also say the number of wins has gone up, grown, climbed, or has risen. If we use a noun we probably just say there has been an increase or a rise.

Jack: But if we want to highlight that the numbers have increased very quickly or suddenly we can use verbs like jump or rocket.

Rich: Yes, I like this last one. You can even say the numbers have skyrocketed!

Jack: So if the number of away wins in the Premier League have skyrocketed or jumped then I suppose the number of home wins have decreased or gone down.

Rich: Yes, only 22% of matches so far have been won by the home team, which is a big decrease.

Jack: And again there are lots of words that you can use to describe numbers that are decreasing or going down.

Rich: Yes, you can say the number of home wins is falling or declining or that there has been a fall or a drop in the number of home wins.

Jack: And if you wanted to be more dramatic you could say numbers have plummeted which means numbers have decreased a lot.

Rich: Yeah that’s quite a difficult one. To make it easier you could use an adverb instead. For example you could say numbers have fallen rapidly or quickly.

Jack: Yes you can also say this when numbers go up. For example: the number of away wins has increased sharply in the Premier League.

Rich: Well that’s quite a lot of vocabulary for our listeners to think about.

Jack: We’ve put a couple of exercises and a quiz under the podcast if you want to practise.

Rich: Well, there are no Premier League matches this weekend but good luck to your country if they are in international action and we’ll be back next week with another podcast.

Jack: That’s all for now. Thanks for listening.

Rich: If you’re listening to this on itunes or elsewhere, come back to Premier Skills English for some language activities, a quiz and lots more. You can find us at www.britishcouncil.org/premierskillsenglish     

Jack: Don’t forget if you sign in, you can score points to see if you can get your club, your country and your name to the top of our leaderboard.

Rich: Bye for now and enjoy your football.

Quiz

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What do you think?

Are you surprised that there have been so many away wins this season?
Is it easier to win away from home now than in the past?
Can you think of anything that has increased or decreased in the world of football? Can you use any of the vocabulary we used in the podcast?
Let us know your answers in the comments section below.

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Comentários

gil_foot
19/08/2022
FR
566
points

great episode :)


gil_foot
19/08/2022 08:55
France
Arsenal
566

great episode :)

Najib
07/01/2021
ID
124
points

It's not a surprise that there are many upsets in the Premier League. For example, many away wins in a season or a big team loses to a less famous one. Compared to other leagues, the Premier League is more unpredictable. However, I think it makes many people in the world are interested to watch this league. You even don't know who will be a champion until the last match of the season.

"There has been an increase of foreign footballers playing in the Premier League" or "The number of foreign footballers playing in the Premier League has gone up"


Najib
07/01/2021 10:27
Indonesia
Arsenal
124

It's not a surprise that there are many upsets in the Premier League. For example, many away wins in a season or a big team loses to a less famous one. Compared to other leagues, the Premier League is more unpredictable. However, I think it makes many people in the world are interested to watch this league. You even don't know who will be a champion until the last match of the season.

"There has been an increase of foreign footballers playing in the Premier League" or "The number of foreign footballers playing in the Premier League has gone up"

mobeckham's picture
mobeckham
04/05/2020
TR
6536
points

Number of goals has increased rapidly
Number of decent defenders has been plummeted


mobeckham's picture
mobeckham
04/05/2020 20:41
Turkey
Manchester United
6536

Number of goals has increased rapidly
Number of decent defenders has been plummeted

mobeckham's picture
mobeckham
04/05/2020
TR
6536
points

It's much easier because the players are braver and fans can travel easily behind their teams


mobeckham's picture
mobeckham
04/05/2020 20:40
Turkey
Manchester United
6536

It's much easier because the players are braver and fans can travel easily behind their teams

mobeckham's picture
mobeckham
04/05/2020
TR
6536
points

I am not very surprised because there's no home and away in English football
All fans travel everywhere :)


mobeckham's picture
mobeckham
04/05/2020 20:40
Turkey
Manchester United
6536

I am not very surprised because there's no home and away in English football
All fans travel everywhere :)

hsn's picture
hsn
10/04/2020
TR
5557
points

Unfortunately! Air pollution and environment pollution has increased.


hsn's picture
hsn
10/04/2020 18:52
Turkey
Tottenham Hotspur
5557

Unfortunately! Air pollution and environment pollution has increased.

MES's picture
MES
29/01/2017
AM
684
points

6 of 6


MES's picture
MES
29/01/2017 16:43
Armenia
Manchester United
684

6 of 6

kwesimanifest's picture
kwesimanifest
08/08/2016
GH
4779
points

There has been an increase in the number of goals scored by single players per season due to competition


kwesimanifest's picture
kwesimanifest
08/08/2016 03:48
Ghana
Manchester United
4779

There has been an increase in the number of goals scored by single players per season due to competition

kwesimanifest's picture
kwesimanifest
08/08/2016
GH
4779
points

A good example of a box to box midfielder is Kante


kwesimanifest's picture
kwesimanifest
08/08/2016 03:41
Ghana
Manchester United
4779

A good example of a box to box midfielder is Kante

kwesimanifest's picture
kwesimanifest
08/08/2016
GH
4779
points

Offsides have decreased in world football


kwesimanifest's picture
kwesimanifest
08/08/2016 03:39
Ghana
Manchester United
4779

Offsides have decreased in world football

kwesimanifest's picture
kwesimanifest
08/08/2016
GH
4779
points

Y3s its easier. Football fans can travel to other towns to watch matches and cheer their teams on so its home away from home


kwesimanifest's picture
kwesimanifest
08/08/2016 03:35
Ghana
Manchester United
4779

Y3s its easier. Football fans can travel to other towns to watch matches and cheer their teams on so its home away from home

kwesimanifest's picture
kwesimanifest
08/08/2016
GH
4779
points

Not really surprised
It means one of two things. Either the strikers are very good at scoring or the defenders are poor at defending or both


kwesimanifest's picture
kwesimanifest
08/08/2016 03:32
Ghana
Manchester United
4779

Not really surprised
It means one of two things. Either the strikers are very good at scoring or the defenders are poor at defending or both

englishman
22/06/2016
DZ
1734
points

thank you


englishman
22/06/2016 10:36
Algeria
Manchester City
1734

thank you

englishman
22/06/2016
DZ
1734
points

yes;
the prices are skyrocket for bringing players to other clubs .


englishman
22/06/2016 10:35
Algeria
Manchester City
1734

yes;
the prices are skyrocket for bringing players to other clubs .

haydi's picture
haydi
11/05/2016
TN
3189
points

Yes I think that’s easier to win away from home now than in the past, thank to technology and speedy transport which increase the number of fans coming from away.


haydi's picture
haydi
11/05/2016 00:07
Tunisia
Newcastle United
3189

Yes I think that’s easier to win away from home now than in the past, thank to technology and speedy transport which increase the number of fans coming from away.

haydi's picture
haydi
11/05/2016
TN
3189
points

After Leicester City win, I’m not so surprised that there have been so many away wins this season. Leicester City prove that there is no impossible.


haydi's picture
haydi
11/05/2016 00:07
Tunisia
Newcastle United
3189

After Leicester City win, I’m not so surprised that there have been so many away wins this season. Leicester City prove that there is no impossible.

haydi's picture
haydi
10/05/2016
TN
3189
points

I wanna thank you a lot jack and Rich for mentioning this issue about IELTS. I have watched a video about this part of IELTS exam, but frankly, I couldn’t understand it. After this podcast, I pay more attention to this video, and I know now that there is a graph to analyze, using stats; and of course we need vocabulary to describe decreasing and increasing things. You’re really great teachers.


haydi's picture
haydi
10/05/2016 23:59
Tunisia
Newcastle United
3189

I wanna thank you a lot jack and Rich for mentioning this issue about IELTS. I have watched a video about this part of IELTS exam, but frankly, I couldn’t understand it. After this podcast, I pay more attention to this video, and I know now that there is a graph to analyze, using stats; and of course we need vocabulary to describe decreasing and increasing things. You’re really great teachers.

assemjuve's picture
assemjuve
05/04/2016
PS
3705
points

Not always.


assemjuve's picture
assemjuve
05/04/2016 15:33
Palestinian Territory
Liverpool
3705

Not always.

assemjuve's picture
assemjuve
05/04/2016
PS
3705
points

No not a lot.


assemjuve's picture
assemjuve
05/04/2016 15:33
Palestinian Territory
Liverpool
3705

No not a lot.

HakanUslu1881's picture
HakanUslu1881
06/03/2016
TR
1761
points

Yes.


HakanUslu1881's picture
HakanUslu1881
06/03/2016 23:31
Turkey
Leicester City
1761

Yes.

footballlearner's picture
footballlearner
19/01/2016
ES
130
points

I'm surprised and happy, because that adds to diversity and expectation. It also means that footballers can't take things for granted and must make an effort in all games. In my opinion, something very important has risen in the world of football: fouls in the pitch and corruption out of it, such as FIFA


footballlearner's picture
footballlearner
19/01/2016 23:16
Spain
Aston Villa
130

I'm surprised and happy, because that adds to diversity and expectation. It also means that footballers can't take things for granted and must make an effort in all games. In my opinion, something very important has risen in the world of football: fouls in the pitch and corruption out of it, such as FIFA

haydi's picture
haydi
11/05/2016
TN
3189
points

and politics, here we have a mercato of politicians not players!


haydi's picture
haydi
11/05/2016 00:10
Tunisia
Newcastle United
3189

and politics, here we have a mercato of politicians not players!

MUGEMANYI's picture
MUGEMANYI
16/11/2015
RW
2320
points

More surprised!


MUGEMANYI's picture
MUGEMANYI
16/11/2015 16:08
Rwanda
Arsenal
2320

More surprised!

almirpereira's picture
almirpereira
01/11/2015
BR
1339
points

very surprise


almirpereira's picture
almirpereira
01/11/2015 02:44
Brazil
Chelsea
1339

very surprise

aragorn1986's picture
aragorn1986
21/10/2015
ME
3557
points

Yes, maybe a little bit. Of course it is easier. Now you can get from one place to another within few hours, players are constantly treated well and the fans are more emancipated. Also, number of box to box players had skyrocketed since the Cryff's idea of ideal multitasking player.


aragorn1986's picture
aragorn1986
21/10/2015 18:19
Montenegro
Arsenal
3557

Yes, maybe a little bit. Of course it is easier. Now you can get from one place to another within few hours, players are constantly treated well and the fans are more emancipated. Also, number of box to box players had skyrocketed since the Cryff's idea of ideal multitasking player.

Rema's picture
Rema
22/09/2015
RS
538
points

I think that's better example for box-to-box midfielder is Nemanja Matić (maybe I'm not objective because he is my compatriot). Great lesson and great vocabulary and grammatical section (if you can put here little more exercise for us to practice this grammar).


Rema's picture
Rema
22/09/2015 11:37
Serbia
West Ham United
538

I think that's better example for box-to-box midfielder is Nemanja Matić (maybe I'm not objective because he is my compatriot). Great lesson and great vocabulary and grammatical section (if you can put here little more exercise for us to practice this grammar).

Abdallah
21/09/2015
KW
1814
points

I'm really shocked that there have been so many away wins this season because we used to see the home wins see much more in epl.
I think it's easier to win away from home now by providing the team with best players and mangers.


Abdallah
21/09/2015 04:34
Kuwait
Chelsea
1814

I'm really shocked that there have been so many away wins this season because we used to see the home wins see much more in epl.
I think it's easier to win away from home now by providing the team with best players and mangers.

hachani mostapha
18/09/2015
DZ
241
points

no im not surpriser at all because we are in firsts rounds


hachani mostapha
18/09/2015 15:51
Algeria
Tottenham Hotspur
241

no im not surpriser at all because we are in firsts rounds

gilbers51
13/09/2015
BR
44
points

An away win means that the team is ready to face adverse situations. But, come on, some of them were just lucky.


gilbers51
13/09/2015 15:09
Brazil
Chelsea
44

An away win means that the team is ready to face adverse situations. But, come on, some of them were just lucky.

fantaciccio90
06/09/2015
IT
5
points

I'm not totally surprised about this trend. The difference between top and bottom teams has became smaller, so it can happen that apparently weaker teams could beat the title contenders.

This in the past was more difficult for different reasons: the money available to spend for big clubs was higher than those for small clubs. But the most relevant difference to the past it's the club' structure. Nowadays it's unusual to see a mismanaged club, all teams got well prepared staff and manager, this allows smaller teams to reduce the economic gap with the top ones.

Talking about money, recently we had a rise in the budget of all the Premier League teams, thus allowing chairman to buy the best players in the world.
Finally, this phenomenon is affecting all the clubs in EPL, so once again, those team we considered as smaller ones maybe they are not that small anymore, and for this reason i'm still not surprised about the number of away wins this season.


fantaciccio90
06/09/2015 10:31
Italy
Liverpool
5

I'm not totally surprised about this trend. The difference between top and bottom teams has became smaller, so it can happen that apparently weaker teams could beat the title contenders.

This in the past was more difficult for different reasons: the money available to spend for big clubs was higher than those for small clubs. But the most relevant difference to the past it's the club' structure. Nowadays it's unusual to see a mismanaged club, all teams got well prepared staff and manager, this allows smaller teams to reduce the economic gap with the top ones.

Talking about money, recently we had a rise in the budget of all the Premier League teams, thus allowing chairman to buy the best players in the world.
Finally, this phenomenon is affecting all the clubs in EPL, so once again, those team we considered as smaller ones maybe they are not that small anymore, and for this reason i'm still not surprised about the number of away wins this season.

Leaderboard

Top Scorers
RankNameScore
1Alex_from_Ukraine6573
2mobeckham6536
3hsn5557
4wsanta5086
5kwesimanifest4779
6Liubomyr4417
7elghoul3988
8assemjuve3705
9aragorn19863557
10Gergő Nagy3396
Country ranking
RankNameScore
1Colombia74670
2Ukraine33836
3Spain29414
4Serbia27426
5Brazil23401
6Albania20578
7Vietnam20437
8Turkey20095
9Macedonia19074
10Bosnia and Herzegovina16333
Club ranking
RankNameScore
1Manchester United146586
2Liverpool111204
3Chelsea90125
4Arsenal86324
5Manchester City58726
6Tottenham Hotspur19418
7Newcastle United10560
8West Ham United7667
9AFC Bournemouth4915
10Everton4533

Level

3
Average: 3 (1 vote)

Goals

Practise your listening skills.

Learn some new football vocabulary.

Learn some vocabulary to describe changing numbers and statistics.

Extension

Remember! You can check out all our football vocabulary pages here. Each page has a learning page with audio to help you understand and then a quiz to test your understanding. If you want to know what any other football words mean, let us know in the comments section and we'll be happy to help :)