Liverpool midfielder Emre Can tops Premier League table of defensive howlers

It's news that probably won't surprise Liverpool fans, but German midfielder Emre Can has been revealed as the Premier League's howler king.

Can is a dynamic presence in the middle of the park, but is prone to costly mistakes in dangerous areas, and through the first 12 games of the season his five defensive errors lead the league. Those closest to the Liverpool man are Everton's Gareth Barry (4) and goalkeepers John Ruddy and Artur Boruc (3). Boruc's gaffes all resulted in goals for the opposition, while Can has had the fortune to be bailed out by his team-mates on all but two occasions. But don't let that kid you into thinking the Reds are a well-oiled machine. The data, from stats site Squawka, shows Liverpool lead the league as a team with 14 mistakes, three more than in-form Arsenal in second.