Thursday, March 1, 2012

Premier League Opta Facts - 3rd & 4th March


Liverpool v Arsenal
Six of the last nine Premier League games between Liverpool and Arsenal have ended as draws.
There have been six 90th minute or later goals scored in the last six league matches between Liverpool and Arsenal.
There have been three own goals and two penalties scored in the last five league meetings between the Reds and the Gunners.
There have been three red cards in the last three Premier League games between Arsenal and Liverpool.
If Arsenal avoid defeat, it will be the first time they have gone five consecutive league games without a loss away at Anfield.
Liverpool's victory at the Emirates back in August ended a run of eight Premier League games without a win for Liverpool against Arsenal.
This is Liverpool' joint-worst tally of points after 12 home matches of a season in the Premier League era (20).
The Reds are one of two teams who haven't lost a home league game this season, but they have drawn eight and won only four of their 12 matches at Anfield.
Arsenal have kept just three clean sheets in their last 20 Premier League away matches.
The Reds have the worst chance conversion rate of any team in the Premier League, scoring with just 8.6% of shots.

Blackburn Rovers v Aston Villa
This will be the 11th meeting in all competitions between Blackburn and Aston Villa in the last two and a half seasons.
Morten Gamst Pedersen has scored three goals in the last three Premier League games between Rovers and Villa.
Gabriel Agbonlahor has scored four goals in his last six Premier League games against Blackburn.
Darren Bent has scored four goals in his last five Premier League games against Rovers.
Blackburn haven't drawn a Premier League game at Ewood Park this season (W4 L9).
Aston Villa have conceded the joint-most goals from corners (11) along with Bolton.
Emile Heskey has scored more Premier League goals against Blackburn than any other side (8).
Blackburn have gone 29 Premier League games without a clean sheet, just five games shy of the record of 34 set by West Brom.
Blackburn are one of six Premier League teams who have yet to win back to back Premier League home matches this season (along with Aston Villa)..
Villa have won just one of their last seven Premier League games, but have lost just one of their last seven away from home.

Manchester City v Bolton Wanderers
Manchester City have lost just one of the last 10 Premier League games against Bolton (W6 D3 L1) and won the last four in a row.
Ivan Klasnic has scored three goals in his last four appearances against Man City.
Carlos Tevez has scored four goals in five Premier League games for man City against Bolton.
Edin Dzeko has scored in each of his two Premier League games against Bolton.
Bolton have dropped just two points from winning positions this season, fewer than any other side.
City have conceded 79% of their goals in the second half of games this season, a higher percentage than any other side,
Bolton scored with two of their three shots on target when they met Manchester City at the Reebok Stadium.
Manchester City have won their last 18 Premier League home games and could equal the competition's longest ever run of home victories set by Manchester United.
If they win this match, City will also become the first top flight side to win their first 14 home games of the season since Newcastle United in 1906-07 who won their opening 18 matches on home soil.
Bolton have failed to score in three of their last four Premier League matches and each of the last three on the road.

Queens Park Rangers v Everton
Everton have won just one of their last six Premier League away games (W1 D3 L2).
QPR have scored the highest percentage of first half goals in the Premier League this season (56%).
Everton have scored the highest percentage of goals in the second half of games this season (73%).
QPR have dropped more points from winning positions than any other Premier League side (15) and 13 of those have come at Loftus Road.
QPR scored from their only shot on target when they won the reverse fixture against Everton back in August.
Rangers have won just one of their last 14 Premier League matches.
QPR have gone 17 Premier League games without a clean sheet,
Rangers have won one and lost five of their last six Premier League matches at Loftus Road.
Everton have scored just 11 goals in their last 12 league games and only more than once on one occasion in that run.
The Toffees have netted just four goals in their last six Premier League away games.

Stoke City v Norwich City
Stoke have scored just four goals since January 2nd, all of them headers and all from set pieces.
Tony Pulis' side have netted the highest proportion of goals from set pieces of any team in the top flight.
Stoke have conceded the highest proportion of first half goals of any team in the top flight (55%).
Only one of the last 14 league matches between Stoke and Norwich has ended as an away win.
There has been a red card in four of the last seven league meetings between Stoke and Norwich.
Stoke are unbeaten in their last six home games against Norwich, winning the last three in a row.
Norwich have scored more headed goals than any other Premier League club (14).
Stoke have scored with the highest percentage of headed goals this term, however (38%).
The Potters have posted the worst shooting accuracy in the Premier League, hitting the target with just 36% of attempts.
Norwich have lost just two of their last eight Premier League games (W4 D2 L2).

West Bromwich Albion v Chelsea
Chelsea have won 18 and lost none of the last 20 matches in all competitions against West Brom.
The Londoners have won all 11 Premier League meetings with the Baggies.
Didier Drogba has scored eight goals in eight Premier League games against West Brom, his joint-highest tally along with Arsenal against any opponent.
Drogba has scored 99 Premier League goals.
West Brom have only scored four goals in 11 Premier League meetings with Chelsea.
Chelsea have only won three of their last 11 Premier League games (W3 D6 L2).
West Brom have only ever once won three Premier League games in a row, back in September 2002.
Frank Lampard has scored 149 Premier League goals and could become only the sixth player to reach the 150 milestone.
West Brom have conceded the lowest percentage of goals from set pieces in the Premier League this season (23%).
West Brom have scored a league-high proportion of 21% of their goals in the opening 15 minutes of matches this season.

Wigan Athletic v Swansea City
Wigan have scored the highest percentage of goals from outside the box in the Premier League (35%).
Wigan have won just one of their last 11 Premier League matches (W1 D5 L5).
Roberto Martinez's side have won none of their last 11 Premier League home games (W0 D5 L6).
Gary Caldwell has conceded more penalties than any other player in the Premier League this season (4).
Ali Al-Habsi has saved 50% of the last 10 penalties he has faced in the Premier League (5/10).
Swansea have failed to score in their last four matches against Wigan in all competitions.
Since netting his first Premier League goal of the season at the start of October, only three players have scored more goals than Danny Graham in the Premier League (10).
Swansea have failed to score in seven of their Premier League away games, more than any other team.
Wigan have failed to score in five home matches, the joint-most in the top flight this season.
The Latics are at their most dangerous just before half-time, scoring a league high percentage of 39% of their goals in the 15 minutes leading up to half time and only Man City and Tottenham (10 each) have netted more than the nine Wigan have scored in this period.

Newcastle United v Sunderland
Sunderland have conceded the highest percentage of goals from headers (33%) of any team in the Premier League.
Sunderland have failed to keep a clean sheet in their last 23 league matches against Newcastle.
Sunderland have had a player sent off in two of their last three Premier League games against Newcastle.
Shola Ameobi has scored six Premier League goals against Sunderland, at least twice as many as against any other opponent.
Newcastle have won eight, drawn five and lost just one of the last 14 Premier League games against Sunderland.
The Magpies have conceded the joint-most penalties this season (8), but the Black Cats are the only side not to score from the spot this season.
The Magpies have conceded a joint-high six goals from free kicks in the Premier League this season.
Danny Simpson has cleared more opposition shots off the goal-line than any other player in the top flight.
Sunderland haven't had three league defeats on the spin since April 2011.
Demba Ba has not gone three league starts without a goal since joining Newcastle.

Fulham v Wolverhampton Wanderers
Just 10% of the goals Wolves have shipped have come from headers, the lowest proportion in the top flight.
Wolves have recovered more points from losing positions than any other team in the Premier League (14).
Wolves netted their first goal from outside the box this season when Matt Jarvis scored last week against Newcastle, but have still netted the lowest proportion from long range of any team (3%).
In contrast, wolves have conceded the highest percentage of goals from outside the box (27%).
Wolves are the only team in the Premier League yet to score in the opening 15 minutes of a Premier League games this season.
Matt Jarvis and Kevin Doyle have both scored in that order in Wolves' last two away matches.
Jarvis and Doyle were also the scorers as Wolves beat Fulham 2-0 in the reverse fixture back in August.
Kevin Doyle has scored four goals in the Premier League against Fulham, his joint-highest tally versus any opponent (along with Spurs).
Fulham haven't won three Premier League games in a row since May 2008.
The Whites have won five and lost just one of their last seven Premier League games at Craven Cottage.

Tottenham Hotspur v Manchester United
Tottenham have drawn 99 games at White Hart Lane in Premier League history.
Spurs have scored the lowest percentage of goals from headers in the Premier League (4%).
Only Norwich (14) have scored more headed goals than Manchester United (12).
Tottenham have scored more goals in the opening 15 minutes than any other team (10).
Man Utd are one of two teams yet to concede any goals in the opening 15 minutes of a game.
Manchester United have recovered just two points from losing positions this season, a divisional low.
The Red Devils have posted the best conversion rate (20%) and shooting accuracy (53%) in the Premier League this season.
There were 23 shots on target in the reverse fixture between these two sides, more than in any other Premier League game this season.
Spurs have won none of their last 21 Premier League games against Man Utd (W0 D5 L16).
Tottenham have failed to score in 13 of their last 20 Premier League games against the Red Devils.
Wayne Rooney (who made his Premier League debut against Spurs) has netted six goals in his last seven league outings against Tottenham.
Ryan Giggs has scored more Premier League goals against Spurs than he has versus any other opponent (10).