PL Opta stats: Rooney revels against Arsenal, Firmino flying

Ian Watson

Rooney, Firmino and De Bruyne: Creativity to continue?

Wayne Rooney has a fantastic record against Arsenal, while the Opta stats highlight Kevin De Bruyne and Roberto Firmino’s fine creative form…

Manchester United v Arsenal

Saturday, 12:30pm, Old Trafford

Wayne Rooney: Afforded a rest against Feyenoord

  • Manchester United have lost just one of their last 10 Premier League matches against Arsenal, a 3-0 loss at the Emirates in October 2015 (W6 D3).
  • Arsenal have gone over 10 years without a league victory at Old Trafford, last beating the Red Devils in September 2006 thanks to an Emmanuel Adebayor winner (D2 L7).
  • Manchester United have drawn their last two league games at Old Trafford – the last drew three successively at home in April 1992.
  • Arsenal have lost 22 times against Manchester United in the Premier League – more than they have against any other team, with 15 of those losses coming at Old Trafford.
  • Jose Mourinho has never lost a Premier League game against Arsenal, winning five and drawing six of his 11 previous meetings with the Gunners.
  • Arsene Wenger’s only win in 15 previous encounters as a manager in any competition against Jose Mourinho came in the 2015 Community Shield (W1 D6 L8).
  • Wenger has lost on each previous occasion that he has faced a Manchester United manager for the first time in the Premier League (Ferguson in November 1996, Moyes in November 2013 and Van Gaal in November 2014).
  • Arsene Wenger has collected 1.58 points per Premier League game in November, his lowest rate in a month as a manager.
  • Wayne Rooney has scored 14 times in all competitions versus Arsenal during his career; only against Aston Villa (15) has he scored more often (also 14 vs Newcastle United).
  • Rooney scored his first ever Premier League goal (Oct 2002), his first Premier League goal for Man United (Oct 2004) and his 100th Premier League goal (Jan 2010) against the Gunners. He needs two goals to go level with Sir Bobby Charlton (249) as Manchester United’s all-time top scorer (all comps).
  • Arsenal are one of two Premier League sides yet to concede in the opening 15 minutes this season, along with West Bromwich Albion.
  • There have been six penalties missed (from 10 taken) in this fixture at Old Trafford in the Premier League; more than any other game at a single venue in the competition.

 

Crystal Palace v Manchester City

Saturday, 3pm, Selhurst Park

Kevin De Bruyne: Midfielder has shone at City

  • Crystal Palace have lost seven of their last eight Premier League games against Manchester City, winning the other in April 2015.
  • Manchester City have kept a clean sheet in five of their last six Premier League fixtures against the Eagles.
  • Against no side has Connor Wickham scored more often against in the Premier League than Manchester City (three goals, level with Stoke City).
  • David Silva has found the net three times in his last three Premier League games against Crystal Palace, but each of these goals has been at the Etihad Stadium.
  • Alan Pardew has lost each of his last four games as Palace manager in the Premier League, the third time this has happened as boss of the Eagles.
  • Sergio Aguero has scored the opening goal of a game on more occasions than any other Premier League player this season (5).
  • The Eagles have gone 16 league games without keeping a clean sheet in the Premier League, last doing so against Everton in April.
  • If games ended at half-time this season in the Premier League, Crystal Palace would be bottom of the league with six points.
  • Kevin De Bruyne has provided six assists this season, more than any other Premier League player.
  • Only Mesut Özil (19) has assisted more goals than De Bruyne since the Belgian’s debut for Manchester City – against Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park in September 2015 (15).
  • Crystal Palace have conceded a league-high six goals from outside the box in the Premier League this season.

 

Everton v Swansea City

Saturday, 3pm, Goodison Park

Gylfi Sigurdsson Swansea

  • Everton haven’t won any of their last four Premier League games against Swansea (D3 L1), after winning five of the previous six contests.
  • Swansea’s win at Goodison Park in January ended a run of 21 successive league games in which they were winless against the Toffees (D8 L13).
  • Ashley Williams made 181 Premier League appearances for Swansea between 2011 and 2016, more than any other Swans player has in the competition for the club.
  • Bob Bradley hasn’t won any of his first four league games as Swansea boss (D1 L3). No Swansea manager in the Premier League has failed to win any of his first five games in charge.
  • The Swans have gone 10 league games without a victory, the longest wait in the division. This is their longest winless run in the league since March 2001.
  • The Toffees have outrun their opponents just once this season in the Premier League, a joint-league low with Manchester United.
  • Gylfi Sigurdsson has been directly involved in half of Swansea’s goals this season (5), scoring twice and assisting another three.
  • Ronald Koeman’s side have won just one of their last six league games, after winning four of the first five this season (D2 L3).
  • However, Everton are unbeaten in their last eight matches at Goodison Park in the Premier League (W5 D3).
  • The Swans have lost their last four away league games, something they last did in their first away games in the Premier League in 2011/12.

 

Southampton v Liverpool

Saturday, 3pm, St. Mary’s Stadium

Roberto Firmino & Philippe Coutinho: Liverpool's star men

  • Southampton ended a run of four Premier League games without beating Liverpool with their 3-2 victory over the Reds in March (D1 L3).
  • However, Liverpool did beat the Saints at St Mary’s last season in the League Cup 6-1. Divock Origi scored a hat-trick in that match, with Daniel Sturridge also scoring twice.
  • Southampton have dropped more points from leading positions than any other team this season (8), while no side has collected more from behind than Liverpool (6).
  • Philippe Coutinho has scored in three of his previous four visits to St Mary’s Stadium in the Premier League (three goals).
  • Coutinho has already equalled the number of assists he got in 2015/16 (5) and is three goals shy of his tally from last season (eight in 2015-16, five this season).
  • This is Liverpool’s best start to a Premier League season since 2008/09 after 11 games (also 26 points). Only in 2002/03 (27) did they collect more points from their opening 11 fixtures.
  • Jürgen Klopp’s side have won 16 games in 2016; no Premier League side has won more (Manchester United also on 16).
  • No English Premier League player has scored more goals across all competitions this season than Southampton’s Charlie Austin (8, level with Theo Walcott).
  • Only Roberto Firmino (28) has created more chances from open play in the Premier League this season than Dusan Tadic (25, level with David Silva).
  • Southampton’s last Premier League win against a side top of the table going into that day was against Liverpool in September 2013 (W0 D3 L3 since then).
  • Liverpool have scored 40 goals in their 14 competitive games so far this season – their best tally after 14 games since 1895-96 (48 goals).

 

Stoke City v Bournemouth

Saturday, 3pm

Jack Wilshere: Explains reasons behind move to Bournemouth

  • Stoke City won both Premier League meetings with Bournemouth last season, with their five goals in those matches coming from different scorers.
  • Bournemouth’s last win at Stoke in any competition came in February 1991. They’ve lost each of their last seven matches away to Stoke.
  • The Potters have kept five clean sheets in their last seven home matches in all competitions against the Cherries.
  • Bournemouth are yet to win a Premier League game in November (D2 L3).
  • Stoke have picked up 11 points since the start of October, with only Chelsea (15) and Liverpool (13) collecting more than them in that time.
  • Jack Wilshere has completed the full 90 minutes in his last three league games, something he last did in February 2014 (a run of eight in total for Arsenal).
  • Stoke have won their last two home Premier League games – they haven’t won three in a row since April 2014, when they won four consecutively.
  • The Cherries haven’t kept a clean sheet away from home since February in the Premier League, a run of 10 fixtures.
  • Eddie Howe’s side are also winless in their last seven away Premier League games (D2 L5), since beating Aston Villa in April.
  • Benik Afobe’s first 11 Premier League appearances for the Cherries were in the starting XI; his subsequent 11 have seen him start once and be substituted on 10 times, including in all seven of his games this season.
  • Joe Allen has had a hand in six goals in 11 Premier League appearances for Stoke City (four goals, two assists) – this is more than he managed in 91 league apps for Liverpool (four goals, one assist).

 

Sunderland v Hull City

Saturday, 3pm, Stadium of Light

Jermain Defoe: Club have 'gone backwards'

  • After four successive Premier League wins over Hull between 2008 and 2010, the Black Cats haven’t won any of their last four against the Tigers (D1 L3).
  • Hull City haven’t won three successive away games against Sunderland since April 1972, while in the second tier.
  • Jermain Defoe scored a hat-trick against Hull City in August 2009 for Spurs in a 5-1 win, but hasn’t scored in his last three league appearances against them.
  • Defoe’s next goal will be his 150th in the Premier League and he would become the eighth player to reach this landmark in Premier League history.
  • Sunderland need one more point to surpass 600 points in the Premier League.
  • Both of these sides have scored just two first-half goals all season in the Premier League.
  • The Black Cats are looking to win back-to-back league games for only the third time in 2016, and the first time since May.
  • 60% of Hull’s goals this season in the Premier League have come from set-pieces, a league-high share. However, they’ve conceded the most set-piece goals too (10).
  • Victor Anichebe has scored in back-to-back Premier League games just once in his career, in September 2012.
  • Mike Phelan’s Hull City side are looking to win successive league games for the first time since August, while David Moyes is searching for consecutive wins for the first time since April 2014.
  • Hull have played a league-high 55% of their passes in their own half this season, while only Arsenal (66%) have played a higher proportion in the opposition half than Sunderland (64%).
  • Hull City have only caught their opponents offside four times in 11 Premier League games this season; a league-low tally.

Watford v Leicester City

Saturday, 3pm, Vicarage Road

Troy Deeney: Wanted by champions Leicester

  • Watford have never won in the Premier League against Leicester City, losing three by a single-goal margin and drawing the other meeting.
  • However, Leicester have only won two of their last eight games at Vicarage Road, drawing once and losing five (inc Championship playoffs).
  • The Hornets have kept just one clean sheet in their last 16 home games against Leicester in all competitions.
  • Leicester are 10 points worse off now (12) than they were at this stage last season (22), the biggest points differential between this season and last by any Premier League team.
  • Troy Deeney has been involved in five goals in his last six games against the Foxes in all competitions (three goals and two assists).
  • Deeney has scored 99 goals in all competitions for Watford, but has been stuck on this tally since October 1st having failed to score in his last four appearances for the Hornets.
  • This will be Claudio Ranieri’s 50th Premier League game in charge of Leicester City, he’s won 26 of the  previous 49 (D15 L8).
  • Watford have never beaten a reigning Premier League champion, though did draw with Chelsea twice last season (L4).
  • Robert Huth could make his 300th Premier League appearance in this match, becoming the first German player to reach this milestone in the competition.
  • The Hornets have had eight different goalscorers this season, as many as they had in the entire 2015/16 season.
  • All four of Islam Slimani’s goals for Leicester in all competitions so far have been headed goals
  • Watford have conceded the most headed goals this season in the Premier League (8).

 

Tottenham Hotspur v West Ham United

Saturday, 5:30pm, White Hart Lane

Dimitri Payet: Midfielder hinted at move

  • Although they defeated West Ham 4-1 at home last November, Spurs have won just one of their last four games against the Hammers at White Hart Lane (D1 L2) in all competitions.
  • However, West Ham have won just once in their last 14 Premier League visits to Spurs (L8 D5).
  • This is Spurs’ longest winless run in all competitions (D5 L2) since May 2004, in which they went eight without a victory.
  • Despite this, Tottenham are the only unbeaten Premier League side remaining this season (W5 D6 L0). Only twice before in the top-flight have Spurs managed to avoid defeat in their opening 12 games (1959/60 and 1960/61).
  • Dimitri Payet has created 40 goalscoring chances this season in league competition, more than any other player in the big five European leagues in 2016-17.
  • Christian Eriksen hasn’t scored with any of his last 61 shots in the Premier League since scoring against Bournemouth in March 2016.
  • Harry Kane has scored three times in two previous home league games against the Hammers for Spurs.
  • Kane has 15 goals in his last 15 London league derbies for Tottenham Hotspur.
  • The Hammers have collected nine fewer points from their opening 11 games (11) than they did last season (20), though this was their best PL start.
  • Michael Antonio scored a headed winner for West Ham the last time these two sides met. He has 10 headed PL goals in 2016, twice more than any other player and six more than Spurs have.
  • Slaven Bilic has lost five of his last six away league games at West Ham manager, though their one win in that time was in London against Crystal Palace.

 

Middlesbrough v Chelsea

Sunday, 4pm. Riverside Stadium

Diego Costa: Striker wanted by former club

  • Middlesbrough have lost their last five Premier League games against Chelsea, failing to score in each match.
  • The Blues have been beaten just twice in their last 17 Premier League games against Boro, with both losses in 2006 (W12 D3).
  • Middlesbrough are looking to win successive home Premier League games for the first time since August 2008.
  • Eden Hazard is set to make 150th Premier League appearance in this game – he has 48 goals and 31 assists in his 149 league games for Chelsea. He would be the sixth Chelsea player to score 50 Premier League goals if he scores twice more.
  • However, six of Eden Hazard’s seven goals this season have been scored at Stamford Bridge.
  • If Chelsea win this game without conceding, it will be the 10th time a Premier League club has won 6+ consecutive games without shipping a goal – Chelsea will have been responsible for half of those.
  • Chelsea are 14 points better off this season after 11 games (25) than they were last season at this point (11).
  • Only two teams have collected fewer home points in the Premier League this season than Middlesbrough (4) – Swansea (2) and Sunderland (1).
  • Diego Costa has been involved in more Premier League goals than any other player this season (12, nine goals and three assists).
  • Costa has found the net in nine of his last 12 Premier League appearances for Chelsea.
  • Five of Middlesbrough’s last seven Premier League goals have come from crosses.

 

West Bromwich Albion v Burnley

Monday, 8pm, The Hawthorns

Sam Vokes Burnley

  • West Brom beat Burnley 4-0 in the only previous time they’ve hosted the Clarets in the Premier League – Saido Berahino scored twice in this game.
  • Burnley haven’t won away in the league at the Hawthorns since December 1969, losing on eight of their nine visits since.
  • The aforementioned game was the last time West Brom failed to score against Burnley home or away in a league contest, scoring in each of the last 19 meetings.
  • The Clarets have taken one point from 12 available away from home, compared to 13 from 21 at Turf Moor.
  • West Brom are yet to score from outside the area this season, while 36% of Burnley’s goals have come in this manner.
  • The Baggies have won just one of their last 11 games against promoted sides in the Premier League (D4 L6), and their last home win against a newly promoted side was against Burnley in September 2014.
  • Sam Vokes has scored in three of Burnley’s last four league games. The Wales striker has scored their only away goal this season.
  • West Brom have lost only two of their last nine home Premier League matches contested on a Monday (W3 D4).
  • Sean Dyche’s side are the only Premier League team to outrun their opponents in all 11 games this season, while West Brom have done this in nine of 11 matches.
  • Tony Pulis has seen his side keep just one home clean sheet in their last nine games.
  • These two sides have played the highest proportion of passes long in the Premier League this season: WBA (24.5%) and Burnley (23.3%).