Friday, March 11, 2011

FA Cup quarter-final Opta Facts

Birmingham City v Bolton Wanderers

* Birmingham and Bolton have met three times in the FA Cup, with the Blues winning two, the last 2-1 in Round 4 in 1955.
* Bolton have won three and lost none of the last four matches against Birmingham.
* The last meeting between Bolton and Birmingham saw the Trotters come back from 0-2 down to draw 2-2 despite being down to 10 men.
* Birmingham have won six of their last seven FA cup matches.
* Bolton Wanderers have not conceded a goal in this season's FA Cup.
* The Trotters have only scored a total of five goals in their last six FA Cup matches.
* Bolton haven't scored more than one goal in a game in any FA Cup match against a top flight side since they scored three against Arsenal in 1994.
* In the 21 games against top flight opponents since that win at Highbury, Bolton have scored just 11 goals in total.
* Bolton have won four and lost none of their last five matches in all competitions.
* Ivan Klasnic has scored the winning goal in each of Bolton's last three wins, two of them away from home in FA Cup matches.

Manchester United v Arsenal

* The last nine times Man Utd and Arsenal have met in the FA Cup, the teams have alternated between victories.
* Overall the two sides have met 11 times in the FA Cup, with the Gunners winning five times and Man Utd six times.
* Arsenal have failed to score in their last three FA Cup matches against Man Utd.
* Man Utd have won five and lost none of the last six meetings with Arsenal in all competitions.
* Arsenal have only scored 15 goals in their last 30 trips to Old Trafford in all competitions and only netted more than one in a game on one occasion, a 2-0 win the 2003 FA Cup.
* Park Ji-Sung has scored in his last three starts v Arsenal.
* Arsenal have given away a penalty in five of their last eight Premier League trips to Old Trafford.
* Wayne Rooney missed a penalty in the league game at Old Trafford in December after scoring in his previous two appearances against the Gunners.
* Rooney scored his first and his 100th Premier League goal against Arsenal and scored goals which ended Arsenal's two longest unbeaten runs in the Premier League.
* Man Utd have only conceded a total of eight goals in their last 15 FA Cup matches at Old Trafford and not more than once in that run.

Stoke City v West Ham United

* Stoke and West Ham have met three times before in the FA Cup, with the Potters progressing twice and the Hammers once.
* This will be the fourth meeting between Stoke and West Ham this season after two Premier league matches and a League Cup victory for the Hammers.
* Jonathan Walters has scored three goals in his last three FA Cup appearances.
* John Carew has scored eight goals in his last nine FA Cup matches.
* Only one of the last 18 teams to visit the Britannia Stadium in the FA Cup has scored more than once against Stoke.
* West Ham have failed to score in four of their last five FA Cup matches away from home at top-flight opposition.
* Demba Ba has now scored four goals in his three Premier League starts for West Ham United including one against Stoke.
* West Ham have won five and lost only one of their last seven matches in all competitions.
* The Hammers have scored at least three goals in six of their last seven matches.
* Stoke are unbeaten in six home matches in all competitions in 2011.

Manchester City v Reading

* Manchester City and Reading have been drawn together twice and the Citizens have progressed on each occasion after drawing at home and winning the replay handsomely (4-0 in 1993 and 7-0 in 1968) away from home.
* City also played reading once in the League Cup and drew at home and won away on that occasion too.
* Reading have won three of the last four meetings with Man City.
* Man City have needed replays in three of their last four FA Cup ties.
* Only one team has prevented City from scoring in their last 14 FA Cup matches on home soil.
* There has been a goal scored in the 88th minute or later in each of the last three meetings between Man City and Reading.
* Edin Dzeko has scored in each of his two FA Cup appearances.
* Carlos Tevez has scored five goals in his last seven FA Cup appearances and netted four in his last four starts.
* Shane Long has scored four goals his last four FA Cup appearances for Reading.
* In Reading's last four FA Cup ties, five of the six goals they have scored have been netted in the first half, while all five they have conceded have been shipped after half-time.