Friday, December 2, 2011

Premier League Opta Facts – December 3rd - 5th


Newcastle United v Chelsea

Newcastle have won none of the last eight Premier League meetings with Chelsea (D4 L4).
The Magpies have scored just three goals in their last six home games against Chelsea and failed to score in three of the last four.
Newcastle are unbeaten in their last 10 Premier League home games (W6 D4).
Chelsea have won three and lost four of their last eight Premier League away games.
Only Robin van Persie (31) and Wayne Rooney (19) have netted more league goals in 2011 than Demba Ba (16).
Newcastle defenders have made six clearances off the line this season, more than any other team.
This is Newcastle's best start to a season since 1996-97 when they had 28 points after 13 matches.
The Magpies have kept just one clean sheet in their last nine Premier League matches.
Alan Pardew's side have suffered just one defeat in their last 16 Premier League games (W8 D7 L1).
Chelsea are the only team of the top seven to take no points from head to head games against the other teams in that group this season.


Blackburn Rovers v Swansea City

Blackburn haven't met Swansea since march 1984 when they beat the Swans 4-1 at Ewood Park.
After four defeats in a row, Swansea have drawn their last two away matches in the Premier League.
Rovers have lost five and won one of their last six Premier League games at Ewood Park and their victory was against Arsenal where they benefitted from two own goals.
Just six percent of goals Swansea have conceded have come from headers (the lowest proportion in the top flight), while Blackburn have conceded the most in total (8).
Michel Vorm has kept the most clean sheets in the PL this season (six).
Blackburn have not kept a clean sheet in any of their last 16 Premier League games, a new record for the club (they went 15 games between March-September 1996).
Swansea have conceded just 103 fouls this season, fewer than any other team.
Only Wigan (180) have conceded more fouls than Blackburn.
Seven points after 13 games is Blackburn's worst ever start to a Premier League season.
No team with seven points or fewer after 13 games in the last 10 seasons has gone on to avoid the drop. The last team to do so were Derby County in 2000-01.


Manchester City v Norwich City

Manchester City have taken 46 from a possible 48 points in their last 16 games at the Etihad Stadium and won the last 11 in a row.
Norwich have won just one of their last 36 top flight away games (W1 D11 L24).
Norwich and Man City haven't met since September 2007 (the Citizens won 1-0 in the Carling Cup) and not since February 2005 in the league when the Canaries lost 2-3 at home.
Manchester City have been the most clinical side in the Premier League scoring with 22% of attempts.
Manchester City have scored the highest percentage of goals in the second half of games (72%).
A league-high 47% of the goals Norwich have scored have come from crosses.
Man City have scored four headed goals from just six headers on target.
Man City have made the best ever start to a Premier League season with 35 points from their opening 13 matches.
Man City have only caught 15 opponents offside this season, fewer than any other team.
Roberto Mancini's side are unbeaten in their last 16 Premier League matches.


Queens Park Rangers v West Bromwich Albion

West Brom have kept just one clean sheet in their last 25 Premier League away games.
Chris Brunt has scored in his last three games against QPR at Loftus Road (two for WBA, one for Sheffield Wednesday.
West Brom have scored the highest percentage of goals in the first half (75%) and 50% of all their goals have been netted in the opening 15 minutes.
The Baggies are the only team not to score a Premier League goal in the final 15 minutes of a match this season.
QPR have conceded fewer goals in the final 15 minutes of Premier League games than any other team (1).
West Brom have only had more points at this stage in one of their previous five Premier League campaigns, that was last season (16).
Heidar Helguson has scored five goals in six Premier League starts this season.
West Brom have won only three out of 30 Premier League away games in London.
Roy Hodgson's side have been caught offside 51 times, more than any other Premier League club.
QPR have only kept one clean sheet in their last eight Premier League matches.


Tottenham Hotspur v Bolton Wanderers

Kevin Davies has scored six goals in his last six appearances against Tottenham in all competitions.
Spurs have won six and lost none of their last seven home games against Bolton in all competitions.
None of the last 15 matches between Bolton and Spurs in all competitions have ended as an away win.
Tottenham have lost just one of their last 22 Premier League home games (W13 D8 L1).
Bolton have lost 15 and won just two of their last 18 Premier League away games.
Bolton have hit the target with 57% of their shots, the best shooting accuracy in the top flight.
31% of the goals Tottenham have conceded have come from headers, the highest percentage in the top flight.
56% of the goals Spurs have conceded have come from crosses, the highest proportion in the top flight.
Spurs have missed six of 15 penalties they have taken since the start of last season - giving them a 60% conversion from the spot.
Spurs have won five consecutive games for the fifth time in their Premier League history, they have never won six in a row.
Bolton have been forced into more last man tackles than any other Premier League team this season (six).


Wigan Athletic v Arsenal

Ben Watson has scored in his last two appearances for Wigan against Arsenal at the DW Stadium.
Arsenal have dropped five points from winning positions in the last 10 minutes of the last two matches against Wigan at the DW Stadium.
In the last four meetings between the Latics and the Gunners where both sides have scored, the team that netted the opening goal has won none (D1 L3).
There have been 13 goals scored in the 80th minute or later in the last 10 Premier League meetings between Wigan and Arsenal.
The Gunners have kept just one clean sheet in their last 13 Premier League away games, but have scored in 15 of their last 16 on the road.
Apart from the 0-0 against Newcastle, Arsenal have trailed at some point in each of the other eight of their last nine away matches.
Wigan have only won one of the 12 Premier League meetings with Arsenal (W1 D2 L9) and also lost three and won one of the four cup meetings.
Arsenal have recouped the most points from losing positions in the Premier League this season (7) and all of those have been won in the space of their last four league games.
Wigan have the worst conversion rate in the top flight scoring with just 9% of shots.
Half of the goals Wigan have scored have been netted from outside the box, the highest proportion in the top division, while only Blackburn (27%) have conceded a higher proportion from outside the area than Arsenal (26%).


Aston Villa v Manchester United

Aston Villa have lost just one of their last 10 Premier League home games (W5 D4 L1).
Villa have won none of their last 15 Premier League home games against Man Utd (D6 L9).
Overall, Aston Villa have only won one of their last 31 Premier League games against Man Utd. (W1 D9 L21).
Man Utd have won 11 times at Villa Park in the Premier League, only at Everton (14 wins) have they come away with three points more often from an opponent's ground.
Nemanja Vidic scored in both matches against Aston Villa last season.
United are unbeaten in their last seven Premier League away games (W4 D3).
In three of the last four games against Aston Villa at Villa Park, Man Utd have conceded first but have come back to win one and draw two. (The other match finished 0-0).
Man Utd have conceded 77% of the goals they have shipped in the second half, the highest proportion in the top division.
This is Aston Villa's worst start to a season since 2005-06 when they had 12 points after 13 matches and finished 16th.
Manchester United have only ever had more points at this stage in three of the 19 Premier League campaigns (2003-04 (34), 1993-94 (31) and 2006-07 (34)).


Everton v Stoke City

Stoke have won just one of the six Premier League games with Everton (W1 D2 L3).
Stoke have won just one of their last 16 Premier League away matches (W1 D3 L12) and lost the last four in a row.
Everton have failed to keep a clean sheet in their last six matches at Goodison Park.
Stoke have mustered fewer shots on target than any other team in the top flight (36).
Stoke have scored the highest percentage of headed goals in the top flight (38%).
53% of Everton's goals have been netted in the last 15 minutes of games, the highest percentage in the top flight.
Stoke have scored the highest percentage of goals from set plays in the top flight (69%).
In six visits in the Premier League to Merseyside to play Liverpool and Everton, Stoke have never won, only scored two goals and failed to score on four occasions.
Ryan Shawcross has made more defensive clearances than any other player in the Premier League (145).
Jermaine Pennnant has averaged 11.5 crosses per 90 minutes played, more than any other player.


Wolverhampton Wanderers v Sunderland

Neither side has kept a clean sheet in the last 10 meetings between Wolves and Sunderland.
Wolves have won the last three Premier League games against Sunderland.
Wolves have come from behind to win in their last two home games against Sunderland.
Wolves have kept just one clean sheet in their last 11 Premier League home games.
65% of the goals Wolves have conceded have been netted in the first half, the highest proportion in the Premier League.
Sunderland have conceded a joint-Premier League low of just six goals in the second-half this term.
Wolves have posted the best crossing accuracy in the Premier League, finding team-mates with 25% of centres.
This is Wolves best start to a Premier League campaign (11 points after 13 matches), but only two points more than the worst of the other three (9 in 2010-11).
Jamie O'Hara has been booked in three of his last four Premier League appearances.
Sunderland have yet to record back to back wins, draws or losses this season, meaning if the pattern follows, they should win or draw this game.


Fulham v Liverpool

Fulham have failed to score in six of their last eight Premier League games against Liverpool.
Liverpool have won their last three Premier League away games; they haven't won four in a row on the road since May 2009.
Fulham have won just one of their last eight Premier League games at Craven Cottage (W1 D4 L3), a run which started with a 2-5 defeat by Liverpool on a Monday night in May.
Headed goals account for just 7% of Fulham's goals, the lowest percentage in the Premier League.
In terms of points accrued, this is Fulham's joint-worst record of points after 13 games (12 along with 2005-06 and 2007-08).
Liverpool have allowed their opponents fewer shots on target against them than any other team (44).
The Reds have won three of their last four Premier League games in London, the exception being a defeat to Spurs when Liverpool had two players sent off.
Andy Carroll has mustered more headers at goal than any other player (19) and the most on target (8).
Luis Suarez averages 8.2 touches per game inside the opposition penalty area, more than any other player.
Liverpool have won 104 corners, more than any other team in the top division.