Monday, January 28, 2013

Premier League Opta Facts – January 29-30th


Aston Villa v Newcastle United
Aston Villa have enjoyed just one win in their last five Premier League meetings with Newcastle (D2 L2), netting a total of four goals in this period while shipping 10.
At Villa Park, the Villans are unbeaten in their last five top tier clashes with the Magpies, winning four, drawing one and keeping three clean sheets in the process.
The one and only time that a Paul Lambert side hosted Alan Pardew's team in the Premier League came last season, when Norwich won 4-2 at Carrow Road.
Villa Park has witnessed fewer goals than any other Premier League stadium this season (24).
On average, Mike Dean has handed out a card for every 5.9 fouls in the Premier League this season; the most frequent of any referee.
Newcastle have won just three of their 18 Premier League matches since Alan Pardew signed a new 8-year contract (W3 D4 L11).
Villa have scored just five goals in their last seven meetings with Newcastle in the Premier League, with each of these arriving in the first half.
Aston Villa have won fewer points after 23 Premier League games in a season than ever before (20). They have also scored fewer goals (19) and conceded more often (44) than in any previous PL campaign at this stage.
This is also Newcastle's worst ever points tally after 23 games of a Premier League season (21).
Only two players (Gomis (25) and Aubameyang (24)) have scored more goals in Ligue 1 since the start of last season than Yoan Gouffran (22).

Queens Park Rangers v Manchester City
QPR have lost each of their last four Premier League clashes with Man City, shipping three goals in each of the last three defeats and two in the loss before that.
In the two sides' five Premier League meetings at Loftus Road, the Hoops have only managed one win, 1-0 in August 1995, losing two and drawing two.
No side has scored more goals than Man City in the final 15 minutes of Premier League games this season (11) and these goals have contributed towards a league-high 12 points.
Phil Dowd has awarded a league-high eight penalties in the Premier League this season.
Only Chelsea (8) have won more penalties in the Premier League this term than Man City (6).
QPR have scored the highest proportion of goals from outside the area in the Premier League this season (39%; 7 of 18).
Man City have conceded the highest proportion of goals from outside the area in the Premier League this season (26%; 5 of 19).
Adel Taarabt has either scored (2) or assisted (2) four of QPR's last five Premier League goals.
Eden Dzeko has scored one goal in each of his three Premier League matches against QPR.
QPR are the 13th side in Premier League history to have won 15 points or fewer after 23 games of a season. Of those 13, only three have avoided relegation (West Brom in 2004-05, Fulham in 2007-08 and Wigan in 2011/12).
Should QPR suffer defeat in this match, it'll be their 100th loss in the Premier League.

Stoke City v Wigan Athletic
Stoke have now gone seven Premier League games against Wigan without winning (5D 2L), with that run coinciding with Roberto Martinez taking charge at the DW Stadium.
The Latics are unbeaten on their last three league visits to the Britannia Stadium (W1 D2), only losing (with Steve Bruce in charge) back in May 2009, 2-0.
The last three clahses between these two sides have produced four penalty goals, with Irish striker Jonathan Walters bagging two of those spot-kicks.
No side has conceded the first goal of the game on more occasions than Wigan Athletic this season in the Premier League (15).
No referee has a higher cards per game average in the Premier League this season than Mark Jones (4.1 a game).
No side has committed more fouls in the Premier League this season than Stoke City (301).
Ali Al-Habsi has made more errors leading to opposition goals than any other Premier League player this season (5).
Stoke have lost three successive games in the Premier League. The last time that they lost four in a row was in February 2012.
Wigan have won fewer points from their last 10 Premier League games than any other side (5).
Stoke have conceded 13 goals in their last four Premier League games. They had conceded the exact same amount in their previous 18 games.

Sunderland v Swansea City
Sunderland remain unbeaten in their three Premier League meetings with Swansea, winning one (2-0) and drawing two (0-0 and 2-2).
On their 12 visits to Sunderland in all competitions, the Swans have only ever enjoyed one victory, 1-0 in February 1982 in the old Division One.
Ki Sung-Yueng (22) has attempted the most shots (excl. blocked) without scoring a goal in the Premier League this season.
If matches ended at half-time this season, Sunderland would be 4th in the Premier League table, while if only the second half of PL games counted, Swansea would be 5th.
Steven Fletcher has scored the first goal of the game more often than any other Premier League player this season (6).
Only seven of Steven Fletcher's 22 Premier League goals since the start of last season have been scored in home matches (32%).
Fletcher has scored three goals in his previous two Premier League appearances against Swansea, but both of these games have been away. He netted two of these in his Sunderland debut back in September.
Sunderland have won five of their last eight Premier League games (W5 L3), this after winning just four of their previous 29 (W4 D13 L12).
The Swans have suffered only two defeats in their last 14 Premier League matches (W5 D7 L2).
Michu has scored just one goal in his last eight hours and 31 minutes of Premier League football (511 mins). Before this run, he had averaged a goal every 115 mins.

Arsenal v Liverpool
Arsenal have lost only one of their last 11 Premier League meetings with Liverpool, but six of these games have also ended in a draw (W4 D6 L1).
The Reds have won just eight points in their last 12 Premier League away games at Arsenal (W1 D5 L6).
No side has won more Premier League away games at Arsenal than Liverpool (6, alongside Manchester United).
Liverpool have averaged the highest possession in the Premier League so far this season (59.4%).
Of players to have attempted at least 30 shots (excl. blocked) in the Premier League this season, Theo Walcott (31.3%) has the best shot conversion rate.
Lukas Podolski tops the Premier League assist charts with nine this season following three in his last appearance against West Ham; the first player to assist three in a single PL game since Steven Pienaar in April 2012.
The Emirates has witnessed more goals than any other Premier League stadium this season (46).
Luis Suárez has created more goalscoring chances from open play than any other player in the top five European leagues this season (61).
Santi Cazorla has made 15 through balls in the Premier League this season, no other player has made more than eight.
There have been seven goals scored in the 90th minute or later in the last eight Premier League meetings between Arsenal and Liverpool.

Everton v West Bromwich Albion
Just one of their previous 13 Premier League meetings between these two sides have ended as a draw, with Everton winning seven and West Brom securing five wins.
Victor Anichebe has scored in two of his last three Premier League games against West Brom, despite playing a combined 69 minutes over those three matches.
Everton have lost only 9% of games that they have conceded the first goal of the game in this season (one of 11); the best such record in the Premier League.
West Brom have attempted 61% of their shots in the second half of Premier League games this season; a higher proportion than any other side.
Romelu Lukaku has scored seven goals and assisted one in his nine Premier League starts for West Brom.
Despite picking up just one point from their last four Premier League games, this is still West Brom's highest points tally after 23 games in a PL season (34).
Everton have drawn a joint-league high 11 games in the Premier League this season. Only three sides (Everton in 2010-11, Birmingham in 2010-11 and Ipswich in 1992-93 - all 12) have drawn more of their first 23 games in a PL season.
Only Manchester City (2) have lost fewer games than Everton (3) this season.
West Brom have lost four of their last five (W1) away games in the Premier League.
Everton have used fewer players than any other Premier League side this season (22).

Norwich City v Tottenham Hotspur
Norwich have won four points (W1 D1) in their last two Premier League games against Tottenham, this after winning just five in their nine previous PL meetings with them (W1 D2 L6).
However, at Carrow Road, Norwich have lost four and drawn one of their five Premier League games against Tottenham Hotspur, netting just one goal in the process.
Only once in PL history have Tottenham had more points than their 41 after 23 games this season (49 points last season).
Tottenham Hotspur have used a league-high 27 players already this season in the Premier League.
Norwich have collected just one point from their last six Premier League games (L5 D1), fewer than any other side over this period.
Spurs have won seven and lost just one of their last 11 Premier League matches (W7 D3 L1).
Gareth Bale has already netted nine Premier League goals this season, equalling his highest tally in a single season (9 in 2011-12). Seven of these nine have come in away games.
No English player has scored more goals in the Premier League this season than Jermain Defoe (10), although the striker has scored just one goal in his last 11 hours and 49 minutes of PL football.
Only Norwich (14) have used more English players in the Premier League this season than Spurs (13).
Andre Villas-Boas has won 52.2% of his Premier League games for Tottenham (12 of 23); a higher win percentage than any other Spurs manager in the Premier League.

Fulham v West Ham United
Fulham have won just two of their previous 17 Premier League matches against West Ham (W2 D5 L10), with one of those victories being in their first ever PL meeting.
Only Arsenal (7) have won more often away at Fulham in the Premier League than West Ham United (6).
The Whites have failed to find the net in four of their previous eight Premier League home games against West Ham, netting only six goals in total.
Fulham have a lower win percentage than any other club in Premier League London derbies (19.4%) and have won just two points from a possible 15 in PL London derbies this season.
Only Arsenal (50.8%) and Chelsea (49.2%) have a better win percentage in Premier League London derbies than West Ham United (31.6%).
Carlton Cole has scored in each of his last five Premier League starts against Fulham, netting six goals in total, however, he also scored an own goal in this run. These six goals mean that he's scored more often against Fulham than any other side in the Premier League.
West Ham have conceded fewer headed goals than any other Premier League side this season (1).
The Hammers have played a higher proportion of their passes in the attacking third of the pitch than any other side in the Premier League this season (39.2%).
No goalkeeper has been forced into making more saves than Jussi Jääskeläinen (91).
Dimitar Berbatov netted five goals in his first seven Premier League appearances for Fulham (goal every 117 mins), but has scored only two in his subsequent 12 PL games (goal every 540 mins).
Mark Noble has created more goalscoring chances without having assisted a goal (32) than any other player in the Premier League this season.

Manchester United v Southampton
The Red Devils have dropped just two points in 13 Premier League home games against Southampton (W12 D1).
Manchester United have scored in 25 of their 27 previous Premier League games against Southampton and have scored at least twice in eight of their last nine PL games versus them.
Robin van Persie has scored four goals in three Premier League appearances against Southampton, including a hat-trick in Manchester United's 3-2 win at St Marys earlier this season.
Morgan Schneiderlin has made more tackles than any other player in the Premier League this season (90) and only Sandro (80) has made more interceptions than the Frenchman (72).
Paul Scholes has been given six cautions in the Premier League this season, despite playing only 682 minutes; meaning he has been given a yellow card every 114 mins on average.
Wayne Rooney has scored five goals in his last five Premier League appearances and has three goals in his last three PL games against Southampton.
Manchester United have currently won 299 home games in the Premier League; more than any other side.
Manchester United have seen 16 different players score a Premier League goal for them this season; more than any other side.
The Red Devils have won 29 of a possible 33 points from their last 11 Premier League games (W9 D2).
Southampton have lost none of their last six Premier League matches, but five of these have ended in a draw (W1 D5).

Reading v Chelsea
Reading have won just one point in their previous five Premier League meetings with Chelsea (D1 L4).
Reading have lost a league-high 20 points from leading positions this season, with three of these points coming in the reverse fixture, as Reading led 2-1 until the 69th minute and eventually lost 4-2 at Stamford Bridge.
Chelsea have scored the first goal of the game on more occasions than any other Premier League side this season (15).
Reading have won only one of their eight Premier League games (13%) that they have scored the first goal of the game in this season.
Despite refereeing only 11 matches in the Premier League this season, Mark Halsey has awarded six penalties. Only Phil Dowd (8) has given more.
Chelsea have won a league-high eight penalty kicks this season in the Premier League.
Five different players have taken these eight penalties for Chelsea, Frank Lampard (4), Eden Hazard, Oscar and Fernando Torres score theirs, while Lucas Piazon was the only one to miss.
Adam Le Fondre has scored with four of his last five shots (excl. blocked) in the Premier League.
This will be Rafael Benitez's 12th Premier League game in charge of Chelsea and he's won 21 points so far. Roberto Di Matteo won 24 points in his 12 PL games in charge of the Blues this term.
Reading have won nine points from their last four Premier League games (W3 L1). They had collected just 10 in their previous 19 PL matches this term.