PL stats: Henderson making huge impact for Reds, Costa on fire

Ian Watson

Costa and Henderson: Crucial to their sides' title hopes

Jordan Henderson has made himself indispensable for Liverpool ahead of their Bournemouth trip, while Diego Costa is writing new records for Chelsea…

Manchester City v Chelsea

Saturday 03 December 2016 (12:30)
Etihad Stadium, Manchester

diego-costa

  • Manchester City have won their last two Premier League meetings with Chelsea, while they haven’t won three in succession against the Blues since the 2010/11 season.
  • Chelsea have collected just two points from their last four league games against City (D2 L2), which is their current longest winless streak against them in the competition’s history (four games).
  • Pep Guardiola could become just the second Manchester City manager in the Premier League era to win his first meeting with Chelsea, following Roberto Mancini in 2009/10 (the Italian is the only one among Man City’s previous 10 managers in the competition to have done so).
  • Chelsea have won 11 games away at Manchester City in the Premier League; their most against a team away from home in the competition’s history.
  • Sergio Aguero has scored four times in his last two Premier League games against Chelsea, including a hat-trick in his last league meeting against the Blues.
  • Antonio Conte is the first Chelsea manager to win seven consecutive Premier League games within a single season since Jose Mourinho (nine wins in 2006/07).
  • Premier League players wearing the number 10 shirt have been responsible for the most goals this season (58); with Sergio Aguero (10 goals) and Eden Hazard (7) contributing 29% of that total.
  • Chelsea are the only Premier League side yet to score or concede a headed goal this season.
  • Manchester City have kept just two clean sheets in their 13 Premier League games under Pep Guardiola; only three sides have kept fewer shutouts so far this term.
  • Diego Costa has the best minutes per goal ratio of any Chelsea player in Premier League history (min. 10 scored), averaging one every 134 minutes.
  • Costa has only failed to score or assist a goal in two of his 13 Premier League appearances this season – vs Man Utd at home and Arsenal away. He’s been involved in a goal in each of his other 11 PL apps in 2016-17.
  • Chelsea; who have named an unchanged line-up for six matches in a row, have made fewer changes to their starting XI than any other top-flight side this season (7), while Man City have made a league-high 40 changes overall.

 

Crystal Palace v Southampton

Saturday 03 December 2016 (15:00)
Selhurst Park, London

Charlie Austin: Striker celebrates goal

  • Crystal Palace’s only Premier League win over Southampton came in last season’s meeting at Selhurst Park (D4 L9 otherwise).
  • Saints have conceded just three times in their last six Premier League meetings against Crystal Palace, keeping three clean sheets.
  • Alan Pardew has lost four of his last five Premier League contests against Southampton (W1).
  • Alan Pardew has lost his last six Premier League matches; he’s never lost seven in a row before as a manager in the top-flight (also six with Newcastle in April 2014).
  • Crystal Palace have conceded a league-high 13 goals from set-pieces this season (inc. pens); two more than they let in last term (11).
  • If only goals scored by English players counted, Southampton would be top of the Premier League this season on 25 points, with Crystal Palace in second (24 points).
  • Charlie Austin’s six Premier League goals in 2016/17 have won Saints six points; only Sergio Aguero (8) and Diego Costa (7) have earned their side more points in the top-flight.
  • Crystal Palace have averaged 0.69 points per game in league football during 2016 so far (W5 D7 L20) – lower than any other team to play in the Football League or Premier League this year.
  • The Eagles’ total of 20 defeats in 2016 is the most they’ve lost in a calendar year in the Premier League.
  • Saints have won just once on the road in the Premier League under Claude Puel (D2 L3).

 

Stoke City v Burnley

Saturday 03 December 2016 (15:00), Stoke

burnley-george-boyd

  • Since beating Burnley 2-0 in their first ever Premier League meeting in 2009, Stoke are winless in the last three (D2 L1).
  • The Clarets have won just one of their last seven league games against Stoke City, though this was away at Stoke in November 2014.
  • Before losing against Burnley in their most recent Premier League meeting in 2014/15, Stoke had gone six unbeaten against them on home soil in top-flight league competition (W5 D1).
  • No Premier League side has outrun their opponents in more matches this season than Burnley (12 of 13) – level with Liverpool.
  • Only Liverpool (5) and this week’s opponents Burnley (5) have netted more Premier League goals from outside the box this campaign than the Potters (4).
  • Only Chelsea (21), Liverpool (20) and Arsenal (18) have won more points across their last eight games than Stoke City (15).
  • Burnley have scored just five goals in their last 14 Premier League matches on the road and never more than once in a game in this run.
  • Last weekend, George Boyd (101) became the second player to sprint more than 100 times in a single Premier League game this season, after Duncan Watmore (105) versus Hull.
  • The Clarets have afforded their opponents more shots on target than any other side in the Premier League this term (87); 54 more than they have attempted themselves.
  • Stoke are the only Premier League side to have benefited from two own goals this season; surpassing their total in the whole of 2015/16 (1).

 

Sunderland v Leicester City

Saturday 03 December 2016 (15:00)
Stadium of Light, Sunderland

defoe-anichebe

  • Sunderland’s last win over Leicester City in the Premier League came back in the 2001/02 season, drawing two and losing two since then.
  • Leicester City have lost just one of their last nine Premier League games against Sunderland (W5 D3), keeping six clean sheets in that time.
  • Jamie Vardy scored three times against Sunderland last season in the Premier League – against no Premier League side has he scored more goals.
  • Leicester haven’t been leading away from home at any point this season in the Premier League.
  • Leicester’s return of 13 points is the second worst record after 13 games of any defending champion in top-flight history (assuming 3pts/win); after Ipswich in 1962/63 (11 points).
  • Jermain Defoe (75%) has had a hand in a higher share of his team’s league goals this term than any other player in the Premier League.
  • The Black Cats have won two of their last three league matches, as many as they’d won in their previous 15 combined.
  • Leicester City (417) have already been trailing for more minutes in the Premier League this season than in the entire 2015/16 campaign (391).
  • Riyad Mahrez has found Jamie Vardy with only two passes in the last eight Premier League matches that they have played together (421 mins) and has only created one goalscoring chance for the England forward all season in the competition.
  • The Foxes have scored a league-high 17 penalties since their return to the top-flight in 2014; the same total they netted from the spot in their previous eight Premier League seasons combined.

 

Tottenham Hotspur v Swansea City

Saturday 03 December 2016 (15:00)
White Hart Lane, London

Fernando Llorente: Struggling at Swansea

  • Tottenham Hotspur have not lost against Swansea in any competition since September 1991 – a 1-0 defeat in the League Cup (W9 D2 since).
  • Despite never beating Spurs in the league following their promotion in 2011, the Swans have scored at least once in eight of their 10 meetings.
  • Swansea are the only Premier League team that Spurs have faced at least 10 times, without being on the end of a defeat (W8 D2).
  • The Swans are yet to keep a clean sheet against Spurs in the Premier League (10 games); only against Manchester United have they played more games without one (11).
  • Former Spurs midfielder Gylfi Sigurdsson has scored in two of his three Premier League games at White Hart Lane for Swansea.
  • 31% of Swansea’s Premier League goals this season were netted last time out against Crystal Palace as they ran out 5-4 winners.
  • Fernando Llorente had netted just two goals in his previous 24 league games for Swansea and Sevilla before bagging two in stoppage time versus Palace, with just 143 seconds between his goals.
  • The average age of Tottenham’s starting line-up this season is the youngest in the Premier League (25 years, 235 days).
  • Mauricio Pochettino has never lost a Premier League game against Swansea, winning five and drawing two.
  • No player has scored more Premier League goals from outside the box than Christian Eriksen (12) since the Dane’s debut for Spurs in 2013.

 

West Bromwich Albion v Watford

Saturday 03 December 2016 (15:00)
The Hawthorns, West Bromwich

Matty Phillips

  • West Brom failed to score in either Premier League game against Watford last season, their only Premier League meetings to date.
  • Watford have won just one of their last eight league visits to the Hawthorns (D3 L4), though this win came last season.
  • West Brom had gone 15 league games without defeat against Watford (W8 D7) before losing to them in April.
  • No Premier League team has scored more goals from corners in 2016/17 than West Brom (6).
  • Watford are one of two sides yet to score from a corner (also Sunderland), and they’ve also conceded the joint-most alongside Crystal Palace (7).
  • Watford have used players from 19 different countries this season; the biggest spread of nationalities in the top-flight.
  • Matt Phillips has had a hand in five goals in his last three Premier League appearances (two goals, three assists).
  • Troy Deeney (99 goals) could become the fifth player to score 100 goals (all comps) for Watford after Luther Blissett (186), Tommy Barnett (163), Ross Jenkins (142) and Cliff Holton (105).
  • Since the start of 2015/16, Salomón Rondón has been involved in 17 Premier League goals (13 goals, 4 assists); more than any other WBA player.
  • Heurelho Gomes saved two penalties in this fixture last season, the second time he’d done this in his Premier League career (also v Sunderland in April 2010). He is the only goalkeeper to have done this more than once in the competition.

 

West Ham United v Arsenal

Saturday 03 December 2016 (17:30)
London Stadium, London

Alexis Sanchez: Forward celebrates with Olivier Giroud

  • West Ham were unbeaten against Arsenal last season (W1 D1), something they hadn’t done since 2006/07.
  • The Gunners didn’t lose any of their final eight league trips to Upton Park (W6 D2).
  • West Ham have let in two or more goals in each of their last seven home Premier League games against Arsenal.
  • Arsenal have conceded five goals across their last two league meetings with West Ham; as many as they had in their previous nine beforehand.
  • Theo Walcott has scored five goals against West Ham in the Premier League; the most against any opponent he has faced.
  • West Ham have lost 25 Premier League games against Arsenal; their joint-most against a single opponent in the competition along with Man Utd.
  • Dimitri Payet has created 46 chances in the Premier League this season, at least 11 more than any player.
  • Arsenal’s last nine Premier League goals against West Ham have all been scored by different players (Koscielny, Sánchez, Özil, Flamini, Ramsey, Giroud, Welbeck, Cazorla and Podolski).
  • West Ham have dropped more points from winning positions this season than any other Premier League side (10).
  • Olivier Giroud has been involved in more Premier League goals from the bench than any other player this season (three goals, one assist).
  • Arsenal have been trailing for just 73 minutes in Premier League matches this season; fewer than any other team.

 

Bournemouth v Liverpool

Sunday 04 December 2016 (13:30)
Vitality Stadium, Bournemouth

Jordan Henderson: A divisive yet under-appreciated figure

  • Bournemouth have never beaten Liverpool in any competition, dating back to 1927 (D2 L7).
  • Liverpool won both meetings against the Cherries last season by a single goal margin.
  • The Cherries have yet to score more than one goal in a game against Liverpool, netting just two in the most recent five (five goals in nine games overall).
  • Goals from Roberto Firmino and Daniel Sturridge gave Liverpool a 2-1 in this fixture last season, while it remains the only Premier League game that both players have scored in together.
  • Liverpool have covered more distance (1514.2 km) and attempted more sprints (7706) than any other Premier League team this season.
  • The Cherries have lost all eight Premier League games they’ve played on a Sunday, including this exact fixture last season (1-2).
  • Liverpool have won eight and lost none of their last 11 Premier League matches; their longest unbeaten run under Jurgen Klopp and longest such streak since going 13 without defeat under Brendan Rodgers in March 2015.
  • Junior Stanislas (40%) has been directly involved a higher share of Bournemouth’s PL goals this campaign than any other player (6/15).
  • Jordan Henderson has completed more passes (997) and covered more distance 155.1 km) than any Premier League player this season.
  • James Milner has never been on the losing side in a Premier League match where he has scored (45 games – W37 D8); only Darius Vassell (46 games) has a better record.

 

Everton v Manchester United

Sunday 04 December 2016 (16:00)
Goodison Park, Liverpool

Zlatan Ibrahimovich: Celebrates with Paul Pogba

  • Everton have lost four of their last five meetings with Manchester United in all competitions (W1), with the most recent of those defeats coming in the FA Cup semi-final last season.
  • Manchester United have won at Goodison Park on 15 occasions in the Premier League; at no other away venue have they won more often in competition history.
  • The Toffees have won three of their last four Premier League games against the Red Devils at Goodison Park (L1); this after winning just three of their previous 20 in the competition beforehand.
  • Romelu Lukaku has played for Everton on six occasions in the league against Manchester United without scoring; his most against one team without finding the net for the Toffees.
  • Wayne Rooney has scored just once in his last six league games against his former club, though this was in this fixture last October.
  • No duo has created more chances for each other in the Premier League this season than Paul Pogba and Zlatan Ibrahimovic (16).
  • Everton have outrun their opponents on just one occasion this season (vs Swansea); a league-low.
  • After winning four of his first five Premier League matches with Everton (D1), Ronald Koeman has won just once in his last eight in charge of the Toffees (D3 L4).
  • Zlatan Ibrahmovic now has seven Premier League goals this season for Manchester United; more than twice as many as any other Red Devils player (Mata and Rashford – three goals).
  • Yannick Bolasie has more PL assists for Everton this season (4 in 12 apps) than he managed for Crystal Palace since the start of last season (3 in 27 apps).
  • This is Manchester United’s worst start to a Premier League season after 13 games, collecting just 20 points.

 

Middlesbrough v Hull City

Monday 05 December 2016 (20:00)
Riverside Stadium, Middlesbrough

Michael Dawson: Sets his sights on England

  • These two teams have met just twice in the Premier League, where they shared a victory each in the 2008/09 season.
  • Hull have won two of their last three league meetings with Middlesbrough; as many as they had won in their previous 13 beforehand (D4 L7).
  • Alvaro Negredo scored on his only previous Premier League appearance against Hull City in August 2013 for Manchester City.
  • Negredo has been directly involved in six Premier League goals this season (three goals, three assists); more than any other Middlesbrough player.
  • After winning his first two games in charge against Leicester and Swansea, Mike Phelan has overseen just one win in the last 11 Premier League contests (D2 L8).
  • Hull City have never won a Premier League game played on a Monday (W0 D3 L4), while Middlesbrough have won five of their last seven Monday PL clashes at the Riverside (L2).
  • Michael Dawson has scored two goals in his last three Premier League games, as many as in his previous 108 combined.
  • Hull haven’t scored a goal before the 34th minute in the Premier League this season and are one of two sides yet to net in the opening half hour of a match in 2016-17 (along with Sunderland).
  • Mike Dean has awarded more penalties this season than any other Premier League referee (9).
  • Middlesbrough have fired in fewer shots on target than any other Premier League team this season (32).