Thursday, January 12, 2012

Premier League Opta Facts – January 14th-16th


Aston Villa v Everton

Aston Villa have failed to score in six of their last nine Premier League games.
Five of the last six meetings between Aston Villa and Everton have ended as draws.
Aston Villa have lost none of the last 11 matches against Everton (W4 D7 L0).
The last two meetings have ended as 2-2 draws with Everton's first goals being scored by Leon Osman and second goals being scored by Leighton Baines form the penalty spot.
Gabriel Agbonlahor has scored six goals against Everton, more than versus any other opponent in the Premier League.
Tim Cahill has scored six goals against Aston Villa, more than versus any other opponent in the Premier League.
Aston Villa have lost five of their last six Premier League home games and the last four in a row.
Villa have only once lost five games in a row in the top flight on home soil, a run ending in May 1963.
Villa scored two goals from just three shots on target in the reverse meeting at Goodison Park, while the Toffees had eight efforts on target for their two goals.
Aston Villa are the only team in the Premier League who have not scored from a corner this season and they have conceded the highest percentage from corners in the division (35%).

Blackburn Rovers v Fulham

In this match, Blackburn could become the first Premier League side to go 21 games from the start of the season without keeping a clean sheet and have gone 23 without a shut out overall in the top flight.
Clint Dempsey has scored four goals in his last six Premier League games against Blackburn.
Fulham have only kept one clean sheet in their last 16 Premier League games against Blackburn.
Chris Samba has scored for Blackburn in the last two games against Fulham at Ewood Park.
Martin Jol is unbeaten against Blackburn as a Premier League manager (two wins, five draws).
Blackburn have lost six of their last seven league matches at Ewood Park (W1 L6).
Rovers have won just three of their 20 Premier League games this season and had to score three or more in each match.
Fulham have drawn four and lost one of their last five Premier League away games, but they have won just four of the last 47 away games in the top flight.
Blackburn have dropped more points from winning positions than any other team in the top flight (14).
Yakubu has scored 12 goals in 14 Premier League starts this season.

Chelsea v Sunderland

Chelsea have won 13 of the last 14 Premier League meetings against Sunderland (W13 L1).
There have been five 90th minute or later goals in the last six Premier League meetings between Chelsea and Sunderland.
Chelsea are the only team who have not conceded a goal from a corner situation this season.
Chelsea have lost just one of their last eight Premier League games (W4 D3 L1).
However, Chelsea have won two of their last six Premier League games at Stamford Bridge W2 D1 L3).
Chelsea have kept just one clean sheet in their last 12 Premier League home games.
Sunderland have earned more points (13) since Martin O'Neill took over in six Premier League games than they managed in the 14 games before he took over this campaign (11).
Martin O'Neill has won just three Premier League games as a manager against Chelsea (W3 D6 L7).
There have been 35 goals netted across the last seven meetings between Chelsea and Sunderland, with at least three goals in each of those games.
Referee Phil Dowd has awarded more penalties than any other referee this season (7).

Liverpool v Stoke City

Stoke scored from their only shot on target (a penalty) in their 1-0 win over the Reds who failed to score with any other seven shots on target.
Stoke have lost just one of their last eight Premier League games (W5 D2 L1).
There have been just 11 goals scored in the seven Premier League games between Liverpool and Stoke.
The Potters have failed to score in their three Premier League trips to Anfield and have netted just once in their last 10 away games against Liverpool.
Stoke have never won away in the top flight against Liverpool in 48 attempts (W0 D9 L39), the most winless games by one team at the home of another in top flight history.
Liverpool have lost just two of their last 15 Premier League games (W7 D6 L2).
The Reds are unbeaten in their last 10 Premier League matches at Anfield (W4 D6), but have drawn five of their last seven.
Craig Bellamy has scored four goals in five Premier League starts for Liverpool this season.
Peter Crouch has scored three goals in his last three Premier League games.
Stoke have fired in the fewest shots on target in the Premier League (54), but Liverpool have the worst chance conversion rate in the top flight (9%).

Manchester United v Bolton Wanderers

Man Utd scored five goals from just eight shots on target in their win over Bolton at the Reebok this season.
The Trotters have won only one of their last 18 league meetings with Manchester United (W1 D3 L14).
Bolton have failed to score in six of their last eight Premier League games against Man Utd.
Wayne Rooney has scored nine goals in 10 Premier League games for United against Bolton.
Ashley Young has scored in five of his last seven Premier League appearances against Bolton.
Manchester United failed to score in a Premier League match for the first time this season when they lost 0-3 to Newcastle last week.
Manchester United haven't lost three league games in a row since December 2001.
After a run of 24 wins and no defeats in 25 games at Old Trafford in the Premier League, United have won only three of the last six (W3 D1 L2).
After a run of 18 defeats in 21 games, Bolton have lost just one of the last four Premier League games (W2 D1 L1).
Referee Peter Walton is the only official not to award a penalty in the Premier League this season.

Tottenham Hotspur v Wolverhampton Wanderers

Wolves have won just two of their last 18 Premier League games (W2 D5 L11).
Wolves have won just two out of 17 Premier League away games in London, but one of those came in December 2009 in a 1-0 win over Tottenham.
Jermain Defoe has scored four goals in five Premier League appearances against Wolves.
Kevin Doyle has scored four Premier League goals against Tottenham, his joint best tally against any opponent (along with Fulham).
Steven Fletcher has scored five goals in his last six Premier League starts.
Fletcher has scored more headed goals than any other player since the start of last season in the top flight (11).
Mick McCarthy's side have gone 17 games without a Premier League clean sheet, while no side has stopped Spurs from scoring in their last 19 Premier League outings.
Wolves have won none of their last nine away games (W0 D3 L6), though they have drawn the last two.
Wolves are the only team in the Premier League without a goal in the opening 15 minutes of a match this season, while Spurs have netted the joint-most in the same period (seven).
In contrast, no side has conceded as many goals in the opening 15 minutes this season as the Wanderers.

West Bromwich Albion v Norwich City

Norwich are yet to keep a clean sheet in the Premier League in 2011/12, previously no side has gone 21 games from the start of a season without managing a shut-out.
West Brom have won their last four league matches against Norwich City.
The Baggies have scored the highest proportion of first half goals in the Premier League (63%).
Norwich have scored the most headed goals in the Premier League (12).
West Brom have conceded the lowest percentage of headed goals in the Premier League (11%).
The Canaries have scored six goals from free kick situations, more than any other team in the top flight.
West Brom have opened the scoring inside three minutes in each of their last two matches against Norwich.
The Baggies have failed to score in their last three Premier League games; if they fail to score in this match it will equal their worst run in the Premier League of four games without scoring set in April 2003.
West Brom have lost more games from winning positions than any other team so far this season (3).
Norwich have lost just one of their last six Premier League games (W2 D3 L1).

Newcastle United v Queens Park Rangers

Demba Ba has scored 15 goals in his last 15 Premier League appearances but is away on international duty at the Africa Cup of Nations.
QPR have won none of the last five meetings with Newcastle (D2 L3).
Rangers have scored just 11% of their goals in the final 15 minutes of games, the lowest percentage of any team in the top flight.
QPR have also conceded the lowest proportion of goals in the final 15 minutes this season (11%).
Newcastle have made their best start in terms of points to a top flight season since 2002-03 when they had 35 points after 20 matches.
The Londoners have won none of their last eight Premier League matches (D2 L6).
QPR have gone 11 Premier League games without a clean sheet.
QPR and Newcastle defenders have cleared the joint-most shots off the line this season (7).
QPR have suffered more fouls than any other team in the top flight (261).
Rangers have fired in fewer shots on target from inside the box than any other team (38).

Swansea City v Arsenal

Thierry Henry has scored against all 34 different teams he has faced in the Premier League.
There have been fewer goals scored at the Liberty Stadium than any other Premier League ground this season (16).
Just 14% of the goals Arsenal have scored have been from set pieces, the lowest percentage in the top flight.
Swansea have kept six clean sheets at home this term and the four teams who have netted against them have only managed one goal.
The Gunners have kept just two clean sheets in their last 17 Premier League away games.
Arsenal have fired in more shots on target from inside the penalty area than any other team (97).
Arsenal have had more shots cleared off the line by defenders than any other Premier League side (9).
Robin van Persie has scored 19 goals in his last 19 Premier League away appearances.
The Swans have recouped just one point from a game where they have been trailing this season, the joint-fewest in the Premier League.
Arsenal have created the most goal attempts from counter attacks (21) and also scored the joint-most goals on the break (5).

Wigan Athletic v Manchester City

39% of the goals Wigan have scored have come from outside the penalty area, a Premier League high.
The Latics have committed more fouls than any other Premier League side (256).
Manchester City have the best chance conversion rate in the Premier league scoring with 20% of their attempts.
City have conceded a joint-high 75% of their goals in the second half of games this season.
Wigan have failed to score in six of their last eight Premier League games against City and the last four in a row.
Two City players have scored hat-tricks in the last four meetings with Wigan, Carlos Tevez and Sergio Aguero.
Only five teams have picked up more points than Man City at this stage in the previous 19 Premier League seasons.
Man City have won none of their last four Premier League away games, picking up just two points from a possible 12.
The league leaders have kept four clean sheets in their last five Premier League matches.
Referee Martin Atkinson has sent off more players than any other Premier League official this season (6).