AJ Auxerre remain bottom of Ligue 1 after conceding 11 goals in three matches this season, a defensive collapse underlined by Friday's 3-1 defeat at Lyon.
The numbers laid out by L'Équipe are damning. Eleven goals conceded in three games is the club's worst defensive start since 1985. Auxerre have also been punished more than anyone else from set pieces, conceding five goals from dead-ball situations, two penalties and three corners.
The statistics tell the story
Auxerre have already given up 17 big chances, the most in the league, and faced 22 shots on target, representing 46 percent of all shots they have conceded. Their expected goals conceded stands at 8.78, giving a difference of -2.22 against actual goals let in, the second-worst such ratio in Ligue 1 behind Paris Saint-Germain's -3.35. The opening goal of the season, a penalty scored by Florian Thauvin after a handball called against Arthur Piedfort, set an early tone; the refereeing body later acknowledged the penalty should not have been given.
Diop and Sy exposed
Mamadou Diop, the 26-year-old goalkeeper signed from Grenoble in Ligue 2 for 2 million euros this summer, has the worst individual output in the squad, with a gap of -3.1 between the expected goals from shots on target he has faced and the goals he has actually conceded. "He is discovering Ligue 1 and needs time to adapt. But he is not reassuring at all," said François Clerc. Right-back Lamine Sy, 24, offers counter-attacking quality but wins only 33.3 percent of his duels among Ligue 1 defenders with at least 20 appearances. Arthur Piedfort, the 21-year-old Belgian youth international signed from Westerlo for 5.5 million euros, has been involved in five of the goals conceded.
Owusu's absence, Ekwah as a fix
Elisha Owusu's departure for Erzurumspor in Turkey has left a defensive void, after a summer that saw 11 arrivals and 10 departures under head coach Will Still, 33. "Collectively, the attitudes are not right. The fragility on set pieces symbolises it well. There is a lack of discipline, aggression and concentration," Clerc said. Pierre Ekwah, 24, on loan from Saint-Étienne, is being considered for the number six role to shore up a 4-3-3 system now under scrutiny.
Auxerre sit 18th in Ligue 1 with zero points after three games, having lost their last three matches in a row, ahead of hosting Stade Brestois 29, seventh in the table, on Saturday 19 September. The club's standings and defensive stats reflect the scale of the problem, while the injuries list remains long before that game.
