Thursday, April 12, 2012
Premier League Opta Facts - April 14th - 16th
Norwich City v Manchester City
Manchester City came from 2-0 down to win 3-2 in their last visit to Carrow Road, the game made famous by Delia Smith's half-time on-pitch speech. This was the last time the Citizens came from two down to win a PL match.
Man City have scored a total of 12 goals in their last four league encounters with the Canaries.
The Citizens are unbeaten in their last five meetings with Norwich in all competitions, winning four.
The Canaries have kept just two clean sheets so far this season: only one team (West Brom last season) has ever had fewer after 33 PL games.
Norwich have only lost one of their last seven at home in the PL (W2 D4).
Man City have won just two of their last 10 league matches on the road (D3 L5).
Roberto Mancini's men's last eight Premier League games away from home have produced just eight goals in total, with neither side scoring more than once in a match in this run.
Only four of Sergio Aguero's 19 league goals this season have come away from home.
Carlos Tevez has not scored in consecutive Premier League appearances since February 2011.
City are the top scoring team in the Premier League this season with 79 goals and only three sides in Premier League history have scored more after 33 games.
Sunderland v Wolverhampton Wanderers
Wolves have won their last four meetings with Sunderland; three of which have been by a one goal margin.
Sunderland are the only team that Wolves have beaten more than twice (four times) since their return to the Premier League in 2009.
Both sides have scored in each of the last 11 meetings between Wanderers and the Black Cats.
Steven Fletcher has scored three goals in his last two meetings with Sunderland and hasn't scored more than three against any opponent in the Premier League.
Sunderland have won six of their nine PL games at home under Martin O'Neill, losing just one (1-2 vs Arsenal).
Terry Connor is one of just four managers to take one point or fewer in his first eight PL games at a club, after P Jewell (Derby), A Ball (Man City), M McCarthy (Sunderland).
Wolves have won only one of their last 16 league games on the road (D5 L10).
Five of Wolves' last six league goals on the road have been scored (two) or assisted (three) by Kevin Doyle.
Just one of Sunderland's last 18 league goals has come from a set piece: Bendtner's penalty vs Newcastle.
Wolves have conceded at least two goals in their last nine league games.
Swansea City v Blackburn Rovers
Blackburn have won their last three meetings with Swansea.
Yakubu became the first Blackburn player to hit four goals in a Premier League match when his side won 4-2 at home to the Swans earlier this season.
This is Blackburn's lowest-ever points total after 33 Premier League games (28): they had 32 in 1998/99.
After losing just one of their first 12, Swansea have lost three of their last four at the Liberty Stadium in the Premier League.
Blackburn have lost four Premier League games in a row for the first time since December 2008 under Paul Ince.
Rovers have only won four of 26 PL matches on the road under Steve Kean (D8 L14).
Gylfi Sigurddson is yet to score at the Liberty Stadium for Swansea, though has scored six on the road.
Eight of Blackburn's last 10 league goals on the road have come from set pieces.
Swansea have lost four games in a row in a single season for the first time since they were in the fourth tier (2003/04).
Only WBA (4) and Wolves (0) have taken fewer points over the past six games than Swansea (6).
West Bromwich Albion v Queens Park Rangers
The last three meetings between West Brom and QPR at the Hawthorns have produced 16 goals in total.
The Hoops have scored on seven of their last eight visits to the Hawthorns, but have won only one (D3 L4).
Mark Hughes has won none of his four Premier League meetings with Roy Hodgson as a manager (D3 L1).
The Baggies have won three of their last four PL games at home, having won just two of their previous 12 at the Hawthorns this season.
QPR have taken just two points from the last 30 available on the road in the league.
Djbril Cisse, Jamie Mackie and Luke Young are the only three QPR players to score in more than one away match in the PL this season (two each).
The Baggies have lost four of their last six league games, winning just once in this period.
QPR have alternated a defeat and a win in their last six games. If this run continues they'd lose this match.
QPR are the most fouled team in the Premier League, 396 times.
No team has taken fewer points away from home than QPR this season (11).
Manchester United v Aston Villa
United have failed to win four times against Villa in the last four seasons in the PL: only against Chelsea and Liverpool (five each) have they been less successful.
Villa have only won on one of their last 26 league visits to Old Trafford (1-0 in December 2009).
The Red Devils have scored three or more in six of their last eight PL games at home to the Villans.
Defeat in this match would mean that Villa have their lowest-ever points total after 33 games in the Premier League (35).
Sir Alex Ferguson's men have won their last six Premier League games at home, conceding just one goal in this run.
Villa have taken maximum points in just one of their last 10 league matches (D5 L4).
Aston Villa have already picked up more points on the road this season (18) than last season (17).
Manchester United have not failed to score in consecutive Premier League games since May-Aug 2007.
Man Utd have won all nine Premier League games that Paul Scholes has started this season.
Despite defeat at Wigan, United have the fifth best points total after 33 games of a Premier League season.
Arsenal v Wigan Athletic
Arsenal have scored 19 goals in their last six league meetings with Wigan (3.16 per game).
The Gunners have won 10 of their 13 PL meetings with the Latics (D2 L1).
Arsenal have won all nine matches at home to Wigan in all competitions, keeping a clean sheet in each of the last six.
The Latics are the only Premier League side to have played at least five times at Arsenal but never taken a point there (W0 D0 L6).
Arsene Wenger's men have won their last five league games at home, and have lost only one of their last 15 (W12 D2).
Arsenal have not won six in a row at home in the league since the start of October 2009.
Wigan have only lost one of their last four league matches on the road (W2 D1): 1-2 at Chelsea.
To date, Manchester United are the only side against whom Robin van Persie has scored in two different league matches this season.
All but three of Arsenal's 35 league goals at home this season have come from open play (two direct free kicks and one goal from a corner).
Robin van Persie has scored or assisted 59 goals in his last 50 Premier League appearances.