Premier League week 21 in review

Welcome to our weekly review of some of the leading stats and facts from this week’s round of Premier League games.

  • Harry Kane celebrated becoming a father this week by becoming the third player to score three hat-tricks in the Premier League for Tottenham Hotspur, following in the footsteps of Robbie Keane and Jermain Defoe.
  • Five minutes after coming on to make his second debut for Burnley, Joey Barton scored his first Premier League goal since 4 April 2015 for Queens Park Rangers in a 4-1 win at West Bromwich Albion.
  • AFC Bournemouth’s Artur Boruc became the fourth Polish player to make 100 Premier League appearances, following the lead set by Wojciech Szczesny 132, Jerzy Dudek 127 and Lukas Fabianski 127.
  • In their defeat to Stoke City, Sunderland became only the second team not to use any of their three substitutes in a game so far in this Premier League season. (Hull City were the first against Leicester City on the opening day in August.)
  • In their defeat to Arsenal, Swansea City became the first team to score two own goals in a Premier League game since Queens Park Rangers’ Richard Dunne and Steven Caulker hit the back of their own net against Liverpool on 19 October 2014.
  • With ex-West Ham United manager Sam Allardyce still without a win after six games in charge of Crystal Palace in all competitions, the Hammers scored three goals in a Premier League game at the London Stadium for the first time.
  • Leicester City now have 21 points from their 21 games so far in this Premier League season. They had 43 points at the same stage last season when they went on to win the title.
  • Chelsea having scored 52 points, Chelsea have now taken more points this season than in the entire 38-game 2015-16 campaign when they scored just 50.
  • Everton recorded their biggest win against Manchester City at Goodison Park since a 4-0 victory in League Division One on 11 February 1986 when Gary Lineker netted a hat-trick.
  • By converting his tenth consecutive penalty in the Premier League, James Milner equalled the competition record of former Aston Villa and Manchester City forward Darius Vassell (who lost none of the 46 games in which he scored).

The sad death of Graham Taylor

Watford’s game with Middlesbrough was preceded by a minute’s applause at Vicarage Road in tribute to the Hornets’ much-loved former manager Graham Taylor who died suddenly on Thursday, aged 72.

Taylor improved Watford out of all recognition, nurturing talents like John Barnes and Luther Blissett and taking the club from the Fourth division to runners-up spot in the top flight in 1983 and to the FA Cup Final in 1984.

Taylor also managed Wolves and Aston Villa and had a spell as England manager, memorable for the abuse to which he was subjected in the press.

Taylor was a true gentlemen of the game, and the strength of his character, his long term legacy and the affection in which he was held by the fans were reflected in the kind of coverage he received in the papers this week.

Premier League week 21 in review

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