Friday, December 9, 2011

Premier League Opta Facts - December 10th-12th


Arsenal v Everton

Arsenal have scored more goals against Everton than any team versus any opponent in Premier League history (79).
Robin van Persie has scored or assisted seven goals in seven games against Everton (four goals three assists).
Tim Cahill has scored in four of his last six Premier League appearances against the Gunners.
Arsenal have won six and lost none of the last eight Premier League games against the Toffees.
Everton have scored 11 goals in the last 11 meetings against Arsenal, failing to score once, but only netting more than one goal on one occasion.
Everton have scored first in four of their five Premier League visits to the Emirates, but lost two and drawn two of those games.
Mikel Arteta has made more successful passes in the opposition half (531 for Arsenal) than any other player this season (even excluding his games at Everton).
Arsenal have taken 19 points from their last seven Premier League matches - the same number of points as they took from the previous 18 games.
Arteta has scored four goals from just seven shots on target this season.
Arsenal have drawn 199 games in Premier League history.

Bolton Wanderers v Aston Villa

Bolton's win at the reebok last season ended a run of eight matches without a victory over Villa in the league (W0 D4 L4).
The Trotters have won just two (W2 D9 L6) of their last 17 Premier League games against Villa.
The two sides have already met once this season, with Bolton beating Aston Villa 2-0 at Villa Park in the Carling Cup.
Aston Villa are one of Kevin Davies' favourite Premier League opponents, having scored a personal joint-high eight goals against the Villa.
Bolton have lost eight of their last nine Premier League games at home, winning the other match.
Aston Villa have won none of their last seven Premier League away games (W0 D5 L2).
Emile Heskey became the sixth different player to make 500 Premier League appearances in his last match against Manchester United.
Aston Villa are the only team in the Premier League without a goal from a corner this season, while Bolton have conceded eight from corner kicks (the most in the division).
Bolton have hit the target with 56% of their attempts this season, the highest percentage in the top division.
Aston Villa have dropped the joint-most points from winning positions this season (9).

Liverpool v Queens Park Rangers

QPR have won just one of their 20 league visits to Anfield (W1 D2 L17).
QPR have only won one of the eight Premier League meetings with Liverpool (W D1 L6), but the last of these games came in February 1996.
Liverpool are unbeaten in their last seven Premier League games at Anfield, but have drawn the last four in a row.
QPR have hit the target with just 35% of their attempts this season, a lower percentage than any other team.
Liverpool have hit the woodwork 12 times in the Premier League, more often than any other team.
QPR have used 24 different players in their starting line-up this season, more than any other team.
Of all players to have scored three or more PL goals this season, Luis Suárez has the lowest shot conversion rate (7.6%).
Only Wigan (8%) have converted a lower percentage of shots into goals than Liverpool this season (9%).
The Reds have the joint-best defensive record this season, conceding just 13 goals so far.
QPR have suffered more fouls than any other team in the Premier League this season (199).

Manchester United v Wolverhampton Wanderers

Manchester United have won the last five home league games against Wolves and are unbeaten in the last six. Wolves have scored just one goal in those last six visits.
Wolves have won two of the six Premier League meetings with Man Utd, including the last match 2-1 at Molineux last February.
Man Utd have lost just one of their last 28 Premier League games at Old Trafford (W25 D2 L1).
Wolves have lost their last five away games in a row in the league.
Steven Fletcher has scored more headed goals than any other Premier League player since the start of 2010-11 (eight).
Wolves have recovered the joint-most points (7 along with Arsenal) from losing positions in the Premier League this season.
Wolves have conceded a league-high 63% of their goals in the first half, while Man Utd have conceded a joint-high 77% in the second half.
Manchester United have only ever had more points after 14 games of a Premier league campaign in two of the previous 19 seasons.
14 points after 14 games is Wolves' best performance in their four Premier League campaigns.
United have kept more clean sheets than any other team in the top division.

Norwich City v Newcastle United

All three Premier League meetings between Norwich and Newcastle at Carrow Road have ended 2-1, with the Magpies winning the first and the Canaries the last two.
Norwich have failed to keep a clean sheet against the Magpies at Carrow Road in the Premier League.
Newcastle have lost just one of their last eight Premier League games away from home (W3 D4 L1).
Newcastle have conceded a divisional-high 53% of goals from set pieces this season.
26 points after 14 matches is Newcastle's best league performance since 1996-97.
Newcastle have only kept one clean sheet in their last 10 Premier League matches.
Norwich are one of two teams (along with Blackburn) yet to keep a clean sheet this season in the league.
Norwich have scored the joint-most headed goals in the top division (7, along with Chelsea).
Grant Holt has committed a foul every 21.5 minutes, more regularly than any other player this season.
Newcastle have made more tackles than any other team in the Premier League this season (302).

Swansea City v Fulham

Fulham have won four and lost none of the last five meetings in all competitions with Swansea.
Swansea have the best defensive record in the top flight on home turf, keeping five clean sheets in seven games and conceding just two goals.
Fulham have kept clean sheets in three of their last five away matches in the Premier League.
The Liberty Stadium has only seen 10 goals scored this season, fewer than any other ground in the Premier League.
Swansea have committed fewer fouls than any other team in the Premier League (116).
The Swans have won just one of their last seven Premier League games.
Clint Dempsey is now the top scoring US player in Premier League history (37).
Swansea have lost just one of their last 15 home games in league competition (W9 D5 L1).
Fulham have won just four of their last 44 Premier League away matches (W4 D19 L21).
Only Chelsea and Manchester City have a better pass completion rate than Swansea (85.6%).

West Bromwich Albion v Wigan Athletic

Each side has won one of the three Premier League meetings between Wigan and West Brom at the Hawthorns, with the other game (last season) ending as a draw.
Wigan ended a run of five successive defeats away from home when they beat Sunderland last time out on the road.
Wigan haven't won back to back away games since November 2006.
Wigan have the worst conversion rate in the top flight scoring with just 8% of shots.
Wigan have scored a league high 50% of their goals from outside the box this season.
46% of the goals West Brom have scored have been netted in the opening 15 minutes of games, a league high.
Half the goals Wigan have netted have been scored in the 15 minutes prior to half-time, a league high.
The Baggies have been caught offside 52 times this season, more than any other team.
Wigan have been debited with nine errors leading directly to goals, more than any other team in the top flight.

Sunderland v Blackburn Rovers

Sunderland have won three and lost none of the last six Premier League games against Blackburn.
Sunderland have won just two of their last 15 Premier League matches at the Stadium of Light.
Rovers have kept just one clean sheet in their last 26 Premier League away games.
Blackburn have won just one of their last 16 Premier league away games (W1 D6 L9).
Blackburn have dropped the joint-most points from winning positions this season (9).
Sunderland have lost their last two games 1-2 after scoring the opening goal in both matches.
The last time Blackburn had fewer points after 14 games was 1998-99 when they ended the season being relegated.
Blackburn have committed more fouls than any other team (190).
Yakubu has been the most clinical striker in the Premier League this season, scoring with 41% of his attempts.
Paul Robinson has conceded every 39.4 minutes this season (the worst record) and has the lowest saves to shots ratio (52%).

Stoke City v Tottenham Hotspur

Peter Crouch faces his former club having netted two goals in the last Premier League meeting between Stoke and Spurs at White Hart Lane in April.
Stoke and Tottenham have already met once this season when a 0-0 draw resulted in the Potters winning a penalty shoot-out 7-6 in the carling Cup back in September.
The three Premier League meetings between Stoke and Spurs at the Britannia have ended 2-1 with Spurs winning the last two visits. On each occasion, the winning team scored first, conceded an equaliser, then netted a winner.
There have been three red cards and three penalties in the three Premier League meetings between Stoke and Tottenham at the Britannia.
Tottenham have won their last three Premier League away games; they have never won four in a row on the road.
Gareth Bale has scored four and assisted four goals in his last five Premier League appearances.
36% of the goals Stoke have scored have been from headers, the highest proportion in the top flight.
31% of the goals Tottenham have conceded have come from headers, the highest proportion in the Premier League.
Tony Pulis's side have conceded a joint-league high 26% of their goals from long range shots.
Stoke have scored 64% of their goals from set pieces, a Premier League high.

Chelsea v Manchester City

In the last 13 Premier League meetings with Chelsea, the Citizens have failed to score in nine and the eight goals scored in the other four games were all scored by strikers who have created controversy at City (Robinho 1, Tevez 4, Bellamy 2, Adebayor 1).
City have failed to score in eight of their last nine league visits to Stamford Bridge.
The Londoners have scored a 90th minute goal in three of their last four home Premier League games against Manchester City.
Chelsea have scored in their last 14 Premier League home games and scored more than once in 10 of the last 11, but the clean sheet against Wolves ended a run of eight without a shut out on home soil.
Manchester City are unbeaten in their last eight Premier league away games, winning six.
Juan Mata has now assisted seven goals in his last nine Premier League appearances for Chelsea - only David Silva (8) has more assists this season.
David Luiz has been booked in four of his five Premier League appearances this season.
Man City have made the best ever start to a Premier League season with 38 points from their opening 14 matches.
Sergio Aguero has scored 11 goals in 13 Premier League appearances this season.
Mario Balotelli has scored seven goals in his last nine Premier League appearances.