Barclays Premier League Opta Facts – Sept 14-16

Manchester United v Crystal Palace
Manchester United have failed to score in two successive Barclays Premier League games for the first time since August 2007.
Crystal Palace have collected just 25 points from their last 24 league games away from home (excl. playoffs).
In picking up those 25 points away from home in the Championship, Palace had the 15th best away record in the second tier.
The Eagles won on their last competitive trip to Old Trafford to face the Red Devils; 2-1 in a League Cup tie in November 2011.
Marouane Fellaini (151) won more aerial challenges in the Premier League last season than the 11 midfielders that played for Manchester United combined (94).
David Moyes' side are yet to score in the opening 30 minutes of their matches this season (or in the first-half at all). In 2012/13, Man Utd scored a league-high 33 goals during the first half hour.
Ryan Giggs has never scored against Crystal Palace in the Premier League (seven appearances). Leicester City (12) are the only team he has appeared against more and not scored against.
When manager of Blackpool, Ian Holloway saw his side score twice in both Premier League matches against Manchester United yet still lose both games.
At Old Trafford, Manchester United last failed to score in consecutive home games back in August 2007.
Middlesbrough (3-2 in 1998/99) were the last newly-promoted side to win at Old Trafford in the Premier League.

Aston Villa v Newcastle United
Aston Villa have gone 25 Barclays Premier League games without a clean sheet; a longer run than any other side currently in the division.
Newcastle have failed to score in five of their last seven Barclays Premier League games, netting just three goals overall in this run.
Aston Villa have picked up more yellow cards (12) than any other team in the Premier League so far this season.
Papiss Demba Cisse has failed to score in his last nine Premier League appearances.
Newcastle have won just two of their last 21 Premier League games on the road (D7 L12).
The Magpies are unbeaten in the last four league meetings with Aston Villa (W2 D2). That said, Villa have scored in each of those games.
The Villains have won one and lost three of their last five home league matches.
Alan Pardew has only lost once in four Premier League visits to Villa Park (W2 D1).
Since the beginning of last season, Christian Benteke (53) has been caught offside on more occasions than any other Premier League player.
Aston Villa's new signing Libor Kozak was the top scorer in the Europa League last season; scoring eight times for Lazio.

Fulham v West Bromwich Albion
Fulham have lost eight of their last 11 Barclays Premier League games, winning just seven points overall (W2 D1) in this period.
West Bromwich Albion are the only side yet to score a goal in the Barclays Premier League this season.
Swansea City (in 2011/12) were the last team to fail to score in their opening four games of a Premier League season.
This will be WBA's 40th Premier League away game in London - they have only won four of the previous 39 (W4 D9 L26)
The Baggies have avoided defeat just once in six Premier League visits to Craven Cottage (D1 L5).
Martin Jol's side are the most accurate shooters in the Premier League so far this season; hitting the target with 59% of their shots.
West Brom have been the most wayward team in front of goal; getting just 20% of their efforts on target.
No goalkeeper has made more saves than David Stockdale (14) so far this season.
The Whites have lost each of their last five home league matches; their longest such run in the Premier League.
Having got off to their best-ever start to a Premier League season last term (seven points from first four games), failure to win against Fulham will mean West Brom's worst return from their opening four games (currently three points from first four games in 02/03, 04/05 and 11/12).

Hull City v Cardiff City
Hull City have attempted fewer shots than any other side in the Barclays Premier League so far this season (16; excl. blocked).
No side have played a higher proportion of their passes long in the Barclays Premier League in 2013-14 than Cardiff City (16.3%).
Only Fulham (17) and Hull (16) have attempted fewer shots than Cardiff City so far this season in the Premier League (20).
Hull City have lost just one of their last four league clashes with Cardiff City (W2 D1).
Three of the seven goals scored between the two teams last season were scored inside the final 10 minutes.
The Tigers' last four Premier League fixtures have produced just five goals.
Only Watford (39) picked more up points on the road than Cardiff City (36) last season in the Championship.
Both of Hull's goals in all competitions this season have been scored by Robbie Brady.
Last season, Maynor Figueroa was the only player to concede as many as three penalties in the Premier League.
Both teams were promoted last season from the Championship despite not boasting a single player to reach double figures for goals scored.

Stoke City v Manchester City
Stoke City have not won back to back Barclays Premier League games at home since the end of November 2012.
Since the start of 2012-13, no side have kept more clean sheets in the Barclays Premier League than Manchester City (20).
Stephen Ireland's best Premier League season (nine goals and nine assists for Man City in 2008-09) came in Mark Hughes' full season in charge of the club.
Mark Hughes has lost three of four Premier League clashes with Manchester City since he was fired by the club (D1).
When Hughes was Blackburn manager, he won four and lost none of eight meetings with City.
Sergio Agüero has had 29 touches inside the opposition's area so far this season; more than any other Premier League player.
Manchester City have already scored three headed goals in the Premier League this season. Last season, they only managed six headers in total.
In fact, the 2011/12 Premier League Champions have had more headed shots (18) than any other team.
Stoke's passing accuracy so far this season is 78.7%. Last season it was 70.2%, the worst in the Premier League.
Pablo Zabaleta has had one successful cross so far this season (from nine crosses or corners) and it results in Man City's opener against Hull City.

Sunderland v Arsenal
Sunderland have won just eight points from their last 17 Barclays Premier League games against the Gunners.
Olivier Giroud has scored in three successive league appearances, but has not scored any of his 14 Barclays Premier League goals outside of London.
Jose Reyes (in 2004/05) scored in each of Arsenal's opening five Premier League matches.
Arsenal have scored in eight successive games in the competition; the longest-such current run in the Barclays Premier League.
Mesut Özil has registered 72 goal assists in the last five seasons - more than any other player across Europe's top five leagues.
The last six Premier League matches at the Stadium of Light have produced just nine goals.
Sunderland have won just one of their last nine home games against Arsenal in the Premier League (D3 L5).
No-one has created more chances than Santi Cazorla (10) in the Premier League this season.
Only Fulham (21) have allowed their opponents more shots on target this season than Arsenal (17).
Arsenal have already conceded two goals in the final 15 minutes of Premier League games this season; as many as they conceded in this period in the whole of 2012-13.
Nine of Steven Fletcher's 12 Premier League goals for Sunderland have come away from home.

Tottenham Hotspur v Norwich City
Tottenham have won 10 of their last 14 home games in the Barclays Premier League, losing just one (D3).
Norwich City have won only one of their last 11 away games in the Barclays Premier League (D2 L8).
Tottenham have won none of their last three Premier League clashes with Norwich (D2 L1).
Spurs have fired in more shots than any other side this season (42) but are yet to score anything other than penalties.
Andre Villas-Boas' side have fired more shots off target than any other team so far this season (27).
Tottenham have kept three consecutive clean sheets at home in the Premier League. They last kept more in Dec 2009-Feb 2010 when they managed a run of five shut-outs.
Ricky van Wolfswinkel has committed more fouls (10) than any other player this season in the Premier League.
Just 16% of Norwich's efforts this season have been fashion from set-pieces; a joint low in the Premier League.
Only against Manchester United (9) and Liverpool (8) have Norwich lost more games in Premier League history than against Tottenham Hotspur (6).
Departed star Gareth Bale had a hand in 38% of Tottenham's goal last season (25 of 66; scoring 21 and assisting four).

Everton v Chelsea
The Toffees have averaged the highest possession figure in the 2013-14 Barclays Premier League season so far (64.1%).
Chelsea have won just two of their last 10 Barclays Premier League trips to Merseyside (W2 D2 L6).
Should Everton fail to win this match, it'll be only the fourth time in the last 43 seasons that the Toffees have not won any of their first four league games of a season.
Everton have drawn their first three league games of 2013-14 - only three sides in Barclays Premier League history have drawn their opening four.
Romelu Lukaku was the only player in the Premier League last season to score 4+ goals with his left foot, right foot & head. However, he will be ineligible for this game against his parent club.
During his time at City, only Michael Carrick (8125) attempted more passes than Gareth Barry (7561) in the Premier League.
The Toffees have averaged 519 passes per game so far under Roberto Martinez in the Premier League - up from 416 per game last season under David Moyes.
Only West Ham (6) and Everton (5) have allowed fewer opposition shots on target than Chelsea (8) so far this season.
Roberto Martinez has won just one of his last 11 games as a manager in the Barclays Premier League (W1 D6 L4).
All 10 of the scoring opportunities Eden Hazard has created for his team-mates this season have come from open play.

Southampton v West Ham United
Southampton have scored just four goals in their last eight Barclays Premier League matches.
The Hammers have won only one of their last 15 Barclays Premier League away games (D4 L10).
Saints have committed the most fouls in the Premier League so far this season; but only been shown two yellow cards.
West Ham failed to register a shot on target in their last Premier League match; against Stoke on August 31st.
Sam Allardyce is unbeaten in nine Premier League meetings with Southampton (W3 D6).
Not since Mauricio Pochettino's first home game in charge (0-0 v Everton) have Southampton managed a clean sheet at St Mary's in the Premier League (eight games).
West Ham have attempted fewer passes (938) than any other side in the Premier League this season and have the worst passing accuracy (72.3%).
Mark Noble has score three goals in the last three league meetings between West Ham and Southampton; more than any against other league opposition.
Southampton are unbeaten in their last four home matches against West Ham (W2 D2).
No English player has scored more goals in the Premier League since the beginning of last season than Rickie Lambert (16).

Swansea City v Liverpool
Swansea City have won none and lost four of their last six Barclays Premier League home games.
Liverpool have won their first three games of a top-flight season whilst keeping a clean sheet in each game, for the first time in their history.
Liverpool are one victory away from sealing their 400th win in the Premier League.
The Anfield club have never started a Premier League season with four consecutive wins.
Brendan Rodgers avoided defeat in both matches against his previous club last season (W1 D1); including a thumping 5-0 win at Anfield.
Daniel Sturridge has scored 11 goals in his last nine appearances in all competitions for Liverpool.
Sturridge is only the second Liverpool player to score in each of the opening three games of a Premier League season (after Robbie Fowler in 1994/95).
Liverpool have kept a clean sheet in six of their last seven league fixtures and are currently on a five-match winning run.
Only Yaya Toure (267) has attempted more passes so far this season than Swansea's summer signing Jose Canas (235).
Chico has made a joint-division-high 33 clearances so far this season in the Barclays Premier League.