Looking for that brilliant match statistic that wins you a pub quiz, a family debate or shows you know more about football than Sky pundit Paul Merson? This is to become a regular feature for the remainder of the Premier League season.
Here, Total Football’s Simon Wright brings you the background to each of the 10 Premier League games this weekend and a flashback to one previous match between the two sides.
Saturday, 15 September
Norwich City v West Ham United (12.45pm), LIVE ON SKY SPORTS
• Five of the last six league meetings between these two sides have ended as draws.
• West Ham might have won their last two games with Norwich but haven’t triumphed in the league at Carrow Road since February 1973.
• The Canaries only Premier League win against the Hammers came on 27 August 1994. Mark Robins scored the only goal in a 1-0 victory in East Anglia.
• Chris Hughton’s side are the only Premier League side in the first three games to have not picked up a booking so far.
• West Ham have been in good form, having only lost two of their last 25 competitive matches. They were a 2-4 home defeat to Reading in the Championship back in March and a 3-0 loss at Swansea in the Premier League a fortnight ago.
FLASHBACK: Norwich 1-0 West Ham – 27 August 1994
Norwich made a great start to the 1994-95 campaign, with one goal from Mark Robins after 64 minutes sealing victory over the slow-starting Hammers. Just over 19,000 people saw this dull match.
There was no joy for the Canaries at the end of the season, as they were relegated to Division One, while Harry Redknapp’s side only secured survival on the penultimate weekend.
Arsenal v Southampton
• Arsenal have struggled for goals this season, having only scored two in their first three matches. That is the same tally they had after three games last season too but this season, they are unbeaten whereas 12 months ago, they had just lost 8-2 at Old Trafford.
• Despite having led in two of their opening three games, Southampton are the only team so far to have failed to register a point in the Premier League this season.
• A certain Robin van Persie scored a stoppage time equaliser to rescue a point for the Gunners against the Saints in October 2004, which was the last time the teams played in North London in the Premier League.
• Arsenal have drawn their last three Premier League matches at the Emirates. They were 0-0 stalemates with Chelsea in April and Sunderland on the opening day this season and a thrilling 3-3 draw with Norwich in May.
• Southampton have not won on any of their last seven trips to Arsenal.
FLASHBACK: Arsenal 6-1 Southampton – 8 May 2003
In preparation for the FA Cup final in Cardiff, this dress rehearsal went completely in favour of the Gunners.
Robert Pires and Jermaine Pennant both helped themselves to hat-tricks in this 6-1 victory, which was the first match in Arsenal’s incredible 49 game unbeaten run between May 2003 and October 2004.
The Saints were humiliated at Highbury but put a better show up in the FA Cup final, narrowly losing 1-0 to another goal from Pires.
Aston Villa v Swansea City
• Aston Villa have failed to win any home league match at Villa Park in 2012. It is currently an unwanted club record.
• Swansea’s first away win in the Premier League came at this ground back in January, winning 2-0.
• If the Swans win again, it will be their best start to any league season since the 1981-82 campaign.
• In their last 11 outings in the Premier League, Villa have never scored more than once in a game.
• If he starts, Darren Bent will feature in his 350th club career game.
FLASHBACK: Aston Villa 0-2 Swansea City – 2 January 2012
The only Premier League meeting between these sides at Villa Park came last season and it was a brilliant day for Swansea, as they achieved their first Premier League victory on the road.
Nathan Dyer and Wayne Routledge scored the goals in a comfortable 2-0 victory, as the Welsh side went onto finish mid-table in their debut Premier League season.
Fulham v West Brom
• Fulham have lost only one of their last 11 games at Craven Cottage and had the best home record outside the top six last season.
• West Brom have blocked more opposition shots than any other team in the top flight with 18.
• This is the Albion’s best start to a league campaign since 1978-79, when they won their first three matches.
• All six goals that the Cottagers have conceded so far this season have come in the first 45 minutes.
• West Brom have kept just two clean sheets in their last 39 away Premier League meetings.
FLASHBACK: Fulham 1-0 West Brom – 16 January 2005
Bryan Robson was still searching for his first victory as Albion boss and that continued in heartbreaking fashion at Craven Cottage in January 2005.
His side had the best chances but were robbed of at least a point, when the powerful midfielder Papa Bouba Diop scored the only goal in injury time.
West Brom miraculously stayed up on the last day of the season, becoming the only side ever in the Premier League to survive having been bottom on Christmas Day.
Manchester United v Wigan Athletic
• Since joining the Premier League elite in 2005, Wigan have never taken a point away from Old Trafford.
• This game will be Sir Alex Ferguson’s 500th home match in charge at the Theatre of Dreams.
• Roberto Martinez’s men have lost just two of their last nine Premier League games, both against West London sides Fulham and Chelsea.
• The Red Devils have had more shots on goal than any other team so far this season, with 54 in total. That’s an average of 18 shots per game.
• In seven league appearances at Old Trafford in the Premier League, Wigan have leaked 24 goals and only scored once.
FLASHBACK: Manchester United 4-0 Wigan Athletic – 14 December 2005
Wigan’s miserable run at Old Trafford started in December 2005 when they lost 4-0.
Rio Ferdinand scored his first ever goal for United and Wayne Rooney helped himself to a double before Ruud van Nistlerooy completed the rout on 73 minutes.
QPR v Chelsea
• Whenever he has come up against any of his former playing clubs, Mark Hughes has only ever tasted victory twice in 14 occasions.
• Chelsea have won just two of 17 top-flight games at Loftus Road.
• Hughes’s side have conceded nine goals in their opening three matches, which is the most across all four English league divisions.
• Bobby Zamora has scored both of the Hoops goals this season but has never registered in 11 previous attempts against the Blues.
• If he finds the net on Saturday, John Terry will score his 50th goal in all competitions for Chelsea.
FLASHBACK: QPR 1-2 Chelsea – 2 January 1996
Chelsea’s only triumph at Loftus Road in the Premier League era came in January 1996.
Despite conceding first, they came back to win 2-1 thanks to a stoppage time header from Paul Furlong.
QPR went down at the end of that particular season.
Stoke City v Manchester City
• The last three encounters in the Premier League at the Britannia Stadium have all ended in 1-1 draws.
• Stoke have allowed their opponents the joint-fewest shots on target in the Premier League so far this season with just seven.
• Manchester City have won eight of their last nine Premier League games.
• Carlos Tevez likes playing against the Potters, having netted four goals in six previous games against the hosts.
• Stoke have won just one of their last 14 Premier League matches.
FLASHBACK: Stoke City 1-1 Manchester City – 24 March 2012
City travelled to the Britannia in March and left with what turned out to be a priceless point.
Yaya Toure’s deflected second half strike earnt the draw, after a moment of brilliance from Peter Crouch.
The former England striker scored the goal of the season last year, for his unstoppable 25 yard volley from the edge of the penalty box.
Sunderland v Liverpool (5.30pm), LIVE ON ESPN
• The loss to Arsenal a fortnight ago was Liverpool’s 200th defeat in Premier League history.
• Sunderland have not won any of their last ten Premier League matches, drawing seven and losing three of them.
• Martin O’Neill has coached a Premier League side against Liverpool on 17 separate occasions. His record isn’t bad either, winning six, drawing six and losing five.
• Liverpool have only kept two clean sheets in their last 17 Premier League games.
• Only QPR have conceded more goals than Liverpool so far this season.
FLASHBACK: Sunderland 1-0 Liverpool – 17 October 2009
Sunderland got the better of Liverpool in this encounter in very bizarre circumstances. Darren Bent’s fifth minute shot took a deflection off a beach ball! It deceived Pepe Reina to go in and push the Black Cats above a stuttering Liverpool side in the league table.
To add insult to injury, the beach ball was thrown onto the pitch by an away supporter, oops!
Sunday, 16 September
Reading v Tottenham Hotspur (4pm), LIVE ON SKY SPORTS
• Reading have won eight and lost none of their last 10 games at the Madejski Stadium.
• Andre Villas-Boas has collected just three Premier League wins in his last 15 games in charge.
• Spurs have won only one of their last 11 Premier League away games.
• From nine shots on target in his Premier League career, Royals striker Pavel Pogrebnyak has scored a staggering seven goals!
• Emmanuel Adebayor has scored six goals in his last six Premier League starts for the North Londoners.
FLASHBACK: Reading 0-1 Tottenham – 3 May 2008
Irishman Robbie Keane scored the only goal of this drab encounter in the last match between these two in Premier League history.
The defeat pushed the Royals into the bottom three and despite winning 4-0 on the last day at hopeless Derby; they were relegated to the Championship.
Monday, 17 September
Everton v Newcastle United (8pm), LIVE ON SKY SPORTS
• Newcastle need to score just one more goal to reach the landmark of 1,000 goals in Premier League history.
• Since August 1998, this fixture has seen more penalties than any other in the Premier League, with a total of 13.
• David Moyes’ side have won eight and lost just one of their last 10 home matches in the Premier League.
• Newcastle have lost three of their last four away trips in the Premier League but haven’t shared the spoils on their travels in their last 13.
• Hatem Ben Arfa’s first goal in English football came in this fixture in September 2010, when the Magpies recorded a 1-0 away win.
FLASHBACK: Everton 2-0 Newcastle – 14 April 1995
Newcastle’s hopes of finishing in the top three took a big hit with this defeat in a Good Friday encounter.
Nigerian striker Daniel Amokachi scored both goals in the first half, helping the eventual FA Cup winners towards safety and consigning Ipswich Town to relegation in the process.
By Simon Wright – Follow me on Twitter @Siwri88
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