Gerrard, Scholes & Lampard’s Premier League Statistics Compared

Some things in football are set-in-stone: there are two teams, and, most importantly, there can only be one winner. One thing that is not quite as certain is the old age debate between English triumvirate Steven Gerrard, Paul Scholes and Frank Lampard.

Fans of Liverpool, Manchester United and Chelsea, respectively, of course, have club bias that sways their decision – but for the Premier League viewers that have no allegiances to any of the teams or players that ties them down to a single answer, it’s a tricky task.

Picking a range of statistics – from attacking, defending and team play-based metrics – from both the Premier League’s official website and FBRef’s broad database of numbers, we’ve taken a look at which central midfielder comes out on top overall in a bid to finally settle the debate.

Attacking Statistics

Lampard dominates from a shooting perspective

As central midfielders by trade, all three Englishmen deployed different roles in their respective sides and Lampard’s game was all about crashing into the box and making a difference in the final third, often alongside the talismanic Didier Drogba.

The Englishman notched 177 goals in his 611-game top tier career, showcasing his potency in front of goal, as he ended his career as in the top 10 Premier League goalscorers of all time – and, seven years on, remains on the list.

In comparison, Scholes’ 107-goal haul and Gerrard’s tally of 120 – both of which are records not to be sniffed at – are unfavourable, as are their respective goals per match rates. Scholes (0.21) and Gerrard (0.24) both fall behind Lampard (0.29), who is one of the best English players of all time.

Scholes does, however, reign victorious in terms of shots on target throughout their careers, according to the FBRef’s database. Having let off 361 shots across his illustrious career in the Premier League, often an audacious effort from 20 to 30 yards, both of his competitors were unable to match his tally.

In regard to shooting accuracy, Lampard is the winner, pipping Gerrard by a narrow 2% (36% vs 34%). As alluded to, the Chelsea icon was used to popping up in the box to join and, subsequently, finish attacks, whereas the other two endured more conservative roles.

Defending Statistics

Liverpool legend easily comes out on top

Some midfielders are allergic to defending and would rather remain anonymous further afield to avoid having to do what is called the ‘dirty work’. Gerrard is among those, however, who thrive in the chaos of defending – as evidenced by his tally of 598 tackles in his 504-game career in the top division.

As a comparison, neither Scholes – one of football’s greatest-ever one-club men, nor Lampard were able to hit similar heights, having recorded 373 and 491, respectively. The midfielder’s tough-tackling nature shone through on a weekly basis but, more often than not, he would emerge from the situation with the ball at his feet.

Gerrard’s success rate (73%) when tackling bettered that of both Lampard (71%) and Scholes (70%), proving that there was always a method to his madness, and he was adept at timing his tackles to perfection.

What helped the now-44-year-old’s ability to do so was his abnormal vascular capacity and something you could never doubt about the Whiston-born ace was his tireless work rate and his 356 interceptions prove just that, especially when compared to Scholes’ 197 and Lampard’s 248.

In simple terms, Gerrard was a duel monster throughout his career and, despite losing 1,097 of them in the Premier League, won more of his battles (1,271). Lampard and Scholes also won more than they lost in terms of contested duels, but fell behind the Liverpool deity.

Team Play Statistics

A mixed bag between the trident of central midfielders

So, how about all-round team play? Lampard’s tally of 102 assists, thanks to his advanced role, betters that of Scholes (55) and Gerrard (92), but that doesn’t necessarily make him the best chance creator of the three.

In fact, per the Premier League’s data, Gerrard – regarded as one of the greatest players in Premier League history – created the most number of chances for his club teammates (34), while Scholes’ tally of five is strangely low and Lampard’s haul of 15 is also, uncharacteristically, below the expectation of such a brilliant midfielder.

During Gerrard’s long-term stay at Anfield, it was often a one-man team and everything, from a defensive to an offensive standpoint, went through the ex-LA Galaxy man. As such, the fact that he boasts the highest number of both passes per match and the overall number of passes comes as a little surprise.

What the Ginger Prince was best known for was his passing precision. Whether it to his midfield teammate or a cross-pitch switch to a marauding winger, Scholes had it in his locker and that’s proven by his 90.72% completion rate – compared to Gerrard’s 81.75% and Lampard’s 82.74%.

Lampard does, however, boast the best cross accuracy rate – 30% – but had a long list of brilliant Chelsea forwards to thank for making those runs. Gerrard, however, did not have the same level of quality in front of him, reducing his ability to rack up such a percentage.

Verdict

Gerrard marginally comes out on top

While all three players are, in their own right, Premier League royalty, there is a clear winner over all categories: Liverpool’s Gerrard. A typical box-to-boxer, which is currently a dying art in modern football, the Melwood graduate had everything from tackling to passing (long and short range) to busting a gut to score goals.

Gerrard’s strikes were often crucial, too, and the clutch nature of his game also plays a part. Statistically, though, he came out the strongest of the triumvirate by dominating the defending category, showing glimpses in the attacking department and enjoying his fair share of success.