Thursday, April 5, 2012

Premier League Opta Facts 6th & 8th April


Swansea City v Newcastle United
Newcastle have won four and lost none of the last six meetings with Swansea in all competitions.
Swansea didn't manage a single shot on target in their 0-0 draw with Newcastle at the Sports Direct Arena.
Newcastle have kept just two clean sheets in their last 13 Premier League away games.
Swansea have only won two of their last seven home games and kept just one clean sheet in that run (W2 D3 L2).
Only Manchester United and Manchester City have picked up more points in 2012 than Newcastle.
The Magpies have cleared more shots off their own goal line than any other Premier League team this season, 10.
Swansea have completed 85% of their passes this season, only Man City (86%) have a better rate.
Newcastle haven't won four Premier League games in a row since April 2006.
None of Gylfi Sigurdsson's six Premier League goals have been scored at the Liberty Stadium.
Newcastle have won eight of their last 10 league games against Welsh sides

Sunderland v Tottenham Hotspur
Sunderland have won just one of their last six Premier League games against Tottenham (W1 D2 L3).
Craig Gardner has scored in two of his last three Premier League appearances against Spurs.
Spurs have only won one of their last six Premier League visits to the Stadium of Light (W1 D2 L3).
Sunderland have won six and lost just one of their eight league games at the Stadium of Light under Martin O'Neill.
Tottenham have won none of their last six Premier League away games (W0 D3 L3) and failed to score in three of the last four on the road.
Gareth Bale is the only player to be booked twice for simulation in the Premier League this season.
Sunderland have scored three goals in each of their last two games. They have never scored 3+ goals for three successive Premier League games before.
The last time that Sunderland scored 3+ goals in three successive top flight games was February-March 1977.
If the Premier League had started on the day Fabio Capello resigned as England manager, Tottenham would be 13th, three points above the relegation zone.
Sunderland have won only 73 corners at home this season, only Norwich have a lower total.

Bolton Wanderers v Fulham
Bolton have failed to score in their last four Premier League games against Fulham.
Clint Dempsey has netted three goals in the last two games against Bolton.
Bolton have won none of the last nine Premier League matches against Fulham (W0 D 4 L5).
Fulham have won 11 matches against Bolton in the Premier League, more than against any other opponent.
In the last six meetings between Bolton and Fulham in all competitions, Bolton have only scored two goals, both netted by Ivan Klasnic.
Martin Petrov has scored three goals against Fulham, the only opponents in the Premier League he has more than one goal against.
Fulham have won just one of their last 10 Premier League away games and lost four of the last five.
Bolton have lost just one of their last six Premier League home games (W3 D2 L1).
Owen Coyle's side have kept just two clean sheets in their last 18 games at the Reebok Stadium.
Fulham have 498 points in Premier League history.

Chelsea v Wigan Athletic
Chelsea have won 10 and lost just one of the 13 Premier League meetings with Wigan.
The Blues enjoyed their record Premier League win over Wigan when they won 8-0 versus the Latics in May 2010.
Wigan have never kept a Premier League clean sheet against Chelsea and have lost five and won none of their six trips to Stamford Bridge.
Chelsea have lost just one of their last nine Premier League home games (W5 D3 L1) and kept three clean sheets in a row at Stamford Bridge.
Wigan have picked up seven points in their last three Premier League away games.
Fernando Torres needs one more assist to record a new personal best in a single season (currently he has four).
Wigan have lost 14 of their last 15 Premier League trips to London, conceding 46 goals in that period (3.1 per game).
The only two occasions in Wigan's history in the top four divisions where they've conceded eight or more goals have come away in London (1-9 v Spurs in 2009 and 0-8 v Chelsea in 2010).
Wigan are aiming to record an unbeaten run of five games for only the sixth time in the Premier League.
It is almost 10 years since Chelsea lost a Premier League home game in April (0-3 v Man Utd, 20 April 2002). Since then their record is W15 D8.

Liverpool v Aston Villa
Aston Villa have won just two of their last 20 Premier League games against Liverpool (W2 D6 L12.
Stewart Downing's last Premier League goal came in the Liverpool v Aston Villa match at Villa Park last May, while playing for the Midlanders.
Steven Gerrard has scored more goals against Aston Villa (9) than versus any other Premier League opponent.
Liverpool have won 21 Premier League games against Aston Villa, their joint-highest number of wins over any opponent in the competition (along with 21 wins over Newcastle).
Aston Villa have only lost two of their last nine Premier League away games but they have won none of the last four.
Liverpool have won just three of their last 12 Premier League matches at Anfield (W3 D7 L2).
Liverpool have had 30 shots more than Manchester United but have scored 40 goals fewer.
Liverpool have been involved in only five games with over 3.5 goals this season, only Everton have been involved in fewer (four).
Stewart Downing has hit more shots without scoring than any other player in the Premier League this season, 62 (including blocked shots).
Villa have conceded more goals from corners than any other side this season (13), while Liverpool have taken more corners than any other side (255).

Norwich City v Everton
Everton have won 99 Premier League games away from home.
Norwich scored from their only shot on target in the match against Everton at Goodison Park back in December.
Everton have won five and lost none of their last seven matches in all competitions against Norwich.
Norwich have lost just one of their last six Premier League games at Carrow Road (W2 D3 L1).
Everton have only scored seven goals in their last nine Premier League away games.
Norwich have had fewer corners at home than any other Premier League side this season, 59.
41% of Everton goals this season have been scored or assisted by a substitute, a higher proportion than any other Premier League team.
Six of Norwich's goals have been assisted by substitutes, only Man City (7) have a higher total.
Grant Holt's scoring rate of 0.41 goals per game puts him in the top 30 for scoring in the division's history (players with 10+ goals).
Everton are aiming to win three Premier League games in a row for the first time since January 2010.

West Bromwich Albion v Blackburn Rovers
There have been three red cards in the last two Premier League meetings between West Brom and Blackburn at the Hawthorns, one in each game for Rovers.
The Baggies have only won two of the 11 Premier League games against Blackburn (W2 D5 L4).
Blackburn have won just two of their last 15 Premier League away games (W2 D6 L7).
West Brom have lost six of their last nine Premier League games at the Hawthorns (W2 D1 L6), but have won two of the last three.
Blackburn haven't lost three games in a row since December, the third of which was a home reverse to Bolton which sparked the biggest fans revolt against manager Steve Kean.
If only home games counted, WBA would be 17th and clear of the drop zone on goal difference alone.
Almost a fifth (19%) of West Brom's goals this season have come in the opening 15 minutes.
Rovers have conceded more goals from crosses than any other side this season, 21.
Blackburn are one of only three teams not to draw a game 0-0 in the Premier League this season (along with Everton and Man Utd).
Blackburn's Paul Robinson has the lowest saves-to-shots ratio of any regular goalkeeper in the Premier League this season (56%) and the lowest pass completion of any player in Europe's top five leagues (25%).


Stoke City v Wolverhampton Wanderers
Stoke have only lost one of the last nine matches in all competitions against Wolves (W4 D4 L1).
Kenwyne Jones has scored four goals in four Premier League games against Wolves.
Stoke's recent home results have seen a pattern of pairs of results LLWWDDLLWWD meaning if the pattern continues this game will end as a draw.
Wolves have won just one of the last 14 Premier League away games (W1 D5 L8).
Stoke have had fewer shots on target than any other Premier League side this season (76), and only 11 more than the leading player (Robin van Persie).
Since arriving in the Premier League in August 2008, Stoke have averaged 38.4% possession in their games.
At home, the Potters have averaged 39.8% possession since joining the Premier League in 2008.
Stoke have scored only 11 goals in their last 15 Premier League games.
Wolves have conceded at least two goals in each of their last seven games. The last time they did this in eight successive top-flight games was October 1964.
Wolves have taken seven points from their last seven away games, as opposed to no points from their last seven at Molineux.

Manchester United v Queens Park Rangers
Anton Ferdinand (now QPR) has scored own goals in his last two Premier League games at Old Trafford
Man Utd have won nine and lost none of their last 12 matches against QPR in all competitions.
QPR have picked up just two points form the last 27 available in Premier League away games.
Rangers have gone 12 away games without a clean sheet in the top flight.
Manchester United have won 32 and lost just two of their last 36 Premier League games at Old Trafford.
United have conceded just one goal in their last five Premier League home matches.
Antonio Valencia has 12 assists and four goals in 16 Premier League starts this season.
Manchester United have the best pass completion rate in the division since Paul Scholes returned in January, they were only sixth best before that.
United's total of 76 goals is the second-most of any team after 31 games in Premier League history (they had scored 78 at this stage in 2001/02).
Only three sides (Chelsea 04-05, Chelsea 05-06 & Man Utd 06-07 - all 25) have won more of their opening 31 games than Man Utd this term (24).


Arsenal v Manchester City
Manchester City are one of only three teams against whom Robin van Persie has not scored in the Premier League this season (along with Fulham and Wolves).
If he scores in this match, van Persie will become only the fourth player to score against 17 different teams in a Premier League season (after Cole 1993/94, Shearer 1994/95 and Wright 1996/97).
Arsenal have failed to score in five of their last six matches against Manchester City in all competitions, including the last three at the Emirates Stadium.
Manchester City have failed to score in three of their last four Premier League games against the Gunners and each of their last four visits to the Emirates Stadium.
There have been three red cards in the last three Premier League meetings between Arsenal and City.
After winning 18 and losing just one of the first 22 Premier League meetings, Arsenal have won just two and lost three of the last seven against City.
Arsenal have won 11 and lost one of their last 14 Premier League games at the Emirates.
Manchester City have won none of their last 26 away league games against Arsenal (W0 D8 L18), but did win there in the Carling Cup this season.
Since their last league win in October 1975, Man City have scored just nine goals in 26 visits to play Arsenal in north London.
Manchester City have scored just five goals in their last nine Premier League away games and won just two (W2 D3 L4).
Before Christmas David Silva scored five goals and provided eight assists. Since Christmas he has failed to score and provided only four assists.