Premier League stats and facts, week 21

Mark Holmes

Wayne Rooney, Olivier Giroud, Jermain Defoe were among the strikers to interest the statisticians with midweek goals in the Premier League. 

Aston Villa 1 Crystal Palace 0

Aston Villa recorded their first Premier League win in 20 attempts, having lost 14 of the previous 19 (D5).

The last eight league meetings between Aston Villa and Crystal Palace have produced just 11 goals.

Crystal Palace have failed to score in four successive top-flight matches for the first time since February 1998 (five games).

This was Villa’s first home Premier League win over Crystal Palace since March 1998.

Crystal Palace have kept just two clean sheets in their last 16 Premier League away matches.

Aston Villa have only scored a first half goal in two of their last 16 Premier League games and in none of their last six.

All four of Jordan Veretout’s Premier League assists this season have come from a set-piece situation.

Bournemouth 1 West Ham 3

Harry Arter scored his first Premier League goal in his 11th appearance in the top flight.

His goal was Bournemouth’s first shot of the game.

A league-high 26% of the Cherries’ Premier League goals have come from outside the box (6 of 23).

Eddie Howe’s side scored for the first time in their last four top-flight games, thus ending their longest PL drought of the campaign (3 games).

Dimitri Payet has scored or assisted more goals for West Ham this season (all competitions) than any other player (six goals, five assists).

Enner Valencia’s goals were his first in his last 16 Premier League appearances.

The Hammers have won eight points in the top flight from losing positions this season – a haul only Leicester City (10) can better.

Bournemouth have thrown away a joint-league-high 12 points from leading positions this season in the Premier League (along with Newcastle United). 

Newcastle United 3 Manchester United 3

After his brace, Wayne Rooney has now scored 14 goals against Newcastle United in the Premier League, making them his most favoured opponents in the Premier League.

Rooney has also assisted eight Premier League goals against Newcastle, his most against a single opponent.

Rooney’s penalty goal was his 19th in the Premier League for Manchester United, putting him ahead of Ruud van Nistelrooy (18).

All of Georgino Wijnaldum’s eight goals for Newcastle have come at St James’ Park this season.

This was only the second time this season that Manchester United have scored twice in the first half of a Premier League game (also v Everton in October).

Paul Dummett netted his first Premier League goal since October 2013 against Liverpool.

Newcastle recovered from a two-goal deficit to avoid defeat for the first time in a Premier League game since September 2014 against Hull (a 2-2 draw).

The Magpies scored more than twice in a Premier League game this season for only the second time (also 6-2 against Norwich).

Wayne Rooney

Chelsea 2 West Bromwich Albion 2

Chelsea still haven’t won back-to-back league games this season, last doing so in May 2015.

The Blues have conceded two or more goals in 12 fixtures this season, twice as many as last season (6).

West Brom avoided defeat at Stamford Bridge for only the second time in the Premier League (D2 L8).

Both of Cesar Azpiliceuta’s Premier League goals have been scored against West Brom, netting in both meetings with the Baggies this season.

Branislav Ivanovic has now provided an assist in all eight of his seasons at Chelsea in the Premier League.

The Blues scored with their only shot on target in the first half and had just two in the whole game.

Gareth McAuley scored his fourth Premier League own goal.

Chelsea v WBA is the first Premier League game to see both goalkeepers booked since Portsmouth v Hull in March 2010 (both featuring Boaz Myhill).

Chelsea have lost just one of their last seven Premier League meetings with WBA (W3 D3 L1). 

Liverpool 3 Arsenal 3

Olivier Giroud has scored in four times in his last four Premier League games against Liverpool

The Frenchman has scored 11 goals in his last 11 appearances away from home in all competitions.

Roberto Firmino ended a seven Premier League game run without a goal, last scoring against Man City in November.

He last netted twice in the same game in November 2014, scoring twice for Hoffenheim v Koln.

Two of Joe Allen’s last three Premier League goals have come in 3-3 draws (also versus Palace in May 2014).

Aaron Ramsey has been involved in five goals in last four Premier League games versus Liverpool (two goals, three assists)

This was the first Premier League fixture at Anfield to see both sides score twice in the first 25 minutes.

The last ten Premier League meetings between these clubs at Anfieldhave seen 41 goals scored (4.1 per game on average).

James Milner made his 300th Premier League start in this fixture. He provided his first PL assist versus Arsenal in his 23rd game against them.

Olivier Giroud

Manchester City 0 Everton o

Manchester City failed to score in a Premier League home game for the first time since January 2015.

Everton have lost just one of their 10 Premier League away games this season (W3 D6 L1).

This was only Everton’s second Premier League clean sheet in their last eight games.

Man City had 22 shots on target, but only five of them were on target.

Everton had two shots on target, with the second of them coming in the 18th minute.

This was Man City’s first Premier League 0-0 at home since doing so versus Birmingham in November 2010.

Sergio Aguero has scored in just four of his 14 Premier League appearances this season and just once in his last five PL games.

Joe Hart made his 250th Premier League appearance for Man City in this game. 

Southampton 2 Watford 0

Southampton are unbeaten in their last five league meetings with Watford (W3 D2).

Watford have failed to score in their last four league games against the Saints.

Shane Long has scored five goals in 13 Premier League appearances this season, the same tally as he netted in 32 PL apps for the club in 2014-15.

Eight of Shane Long’s 10 Premier League goals for Southampton have come at St Mary’s.

Watford were losing at half-time for only the second time in the Premier League this season.

Dusan Tadic scored just 1:54 after coming on for Southampton – the joint-fourth quickest goal by a substitute in the Premier League this season.

Watford managed just one shot on target in 180 minutes of Premier League football against Southampton this season.

The Hornets failed to score in a Premier League match for the first time since October 17th, after 11 successive PL games with a goal.

After winning four games in a row in the Premier League, Watford have now picked up just one in their four games following this streak (W0 D1 L3).

Stoke City 3 Norwich City 1

Jonathan Walters has scored in three of his last four appearances for Stoke in all competitions; this after going nine games in a row without scoring for the Potters.

Walters has scored in consecutive Premier League appearances against Norwich City, but these two goals have come 22 months apart.

Norwich are the only side to not keep a clean sheet away from home in the Premier League this season.

Jonny Howson has scored in successive Premier League away games at the Britannia Stadium versus Stoke for Norwich.

Norwich have been given the most red cards away from home in the Premier League this season (3).

Gary O’Neil was given his first red card in the Premier League in what was his 201st appearance in the competition. 

Jonathan Walters

Swansea City 2 Sunderland 4

Sunderland’s last league win at Swansea City before Wednesday night was back in November 1963.

Jermain Defoe has scored in back-to-back Premier League games for the first time since February 2015, when he did so also against Swansea.

Defoe has scored five of Sunderland’s last six Premier League goals versus Swansea.

Jermain Defoe’s second was his 50th Premier League goal away from home (his tally is now 51 away goals).

Defoe scored his fourth Premier League hat-trick. Only 11 players have more.

Swansea conceded the opening goal for the 14th time; only Villa (15) have done so more often this season (Sunderland/Norwich also on 14).

Swansea scored two goals before half-time for only the third time this season in the Premier League.

Sunderland scored more than twice in a Premier League away game for the first time in 25 attempts.

Sunderland have scored seven goals in their last two Premier League games, more than their previous eight matches combined (6). 

Tottenham Hotspur 0 Leicester City 1

Robert Huth’s goal ended Leicester’s run of 374 minutes without a goal in the Premier League.

The Foxes earned their first league win at White Hart Lane since October 1999.

Spurs have won just one of their last four Premier League home games (D1 L2).

Claudio Ranieri has never lost a Premier League match as a manager against Tottenham (W7 D3).

Since breaking the Premier League record for goals in consecutive games, Jamie Vardy has scored just one goal from six shots on target in seven games.

The Foxes have kept three consecutive Premier League clean sheets for the first time since May 2015.

Leicester have now secured more points this season (43) than they did in the whole of the 2014-15 Premier League campaign (41).