Home of football statistics and historyWelcome to our weekly review of some of the leading stats and facts from the latest round of Premier League games.
The future of Arsène Wenger continues to lead the football conversation as, with the defeat at West Bromwich Albion, Arsenal have lost four out of their last five Premier League games for the first time since April 1995 when Stewart Houston was their manager. The Gunners have also lost three consecutive away games in the Premier League for the first time since October 2011.
Everton moved level on points with Arsenal following their win against Hull City. Romelu Lukaku became the first player to score more than 20 league goals in a season for the Toffees since Gary Lineker in 1985-86 (30 goals). He also became the fourth player to score 80 goals in the Premier League before the age of 24 after Michael Owen, Wayne Rooney and Robbie Fowler.
By becoming the first club to win 600 games in the Premier League with their victory at managerless Middlesbrough, Manchester United moved up to 5th and their highest league position since 16 September.
Despite Chelsea’s seemingly inevitable climb towards the title, Gary Cahill had a day of mixed fortunes at Stoke City. He became the first Chelsea player to score a goal and concede a penalty in the same Premier League game since Salomon Kalou at West Ham United on 25 April 2009.
Tottenham Hotspur continue as the closest title challengers having now won ten consecutive league games at White Hart Lane for the first time since October 1987. Spurs’ win against Southampton means they have also won ten consecutive home games in the top division within the same season for only the second time (also 1921-22 in League Division One).
Pep Guardiola was delighted with Manchester City’s 500th home league draw as Liverpool’s James Milner scored his 50th career league goal in his 450th career league appearance to set a new competition record of remaining unbeaten in all 47 Premier League games when he has scored.
The remarkable start to Craig Shakespeare’s managerial career continued at West Ham United as he became the first Leicester City boss to win his first three Premier League games in charge and the first-ever manager to see his team score three or more goals in his first three games in the Premier League.
Manager Eddie Howe was possibly as relieved to record a clean sheet as claim the three points against Swansea City. AFC Bournemouth avoided becoming the first team to concede two goals or more in seven consecutive Premier League home games since Wolverhampton Wanderers set the record of 11 in a row from December 2011 to April 2012.
Crystal Palace reduced the gap between themselves and Watford to three points with a narrow win at Selhurst Park. On-the-rise Palace have kept three consecutive clean sheets in the Premier League for the first time since April 2014 while the sinking Hornets have kept only one clean sheet in league games since 29 October.
Sunderland’s 300th home game in the Premier League continued down the path of recent encounters with Burnley. Three of the last six league and cup meetings had now ended in goalless draws.
And finally, a special mention for two of the former stars of the Premier League who will be heading down Wembley way in May for the final of the FA Vase.
Former Aston Villa, Blackburn Rovers and Leicester City midfielder Graham Fenton is the joint-manager of South Shields and it was a goal from ex-Sunderland and Middlesbrough favourite Julio Arca in Saturday’s second leg that set the Mariners on course for a 6-1 aggregate win against Coleshill Town.
They will now face Cleethorpes Town of the Northern Counties East League who, remarkably, were formed as recently as 1998 (two years before Arca’s Premier League debut) as an under-sevens boys football club.
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