#360stats: Carrick's impact, Alexis quick off the mark

Sport360 staff 12:10 20/03/2015
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  • Michael Carrick has made a huge difference to Man U's side, Alexis Sanchez has a tendency to score the first goal.

    Ahead of every round of Premier League games, Sport360 – with some help from our friends at Opta Stats – will provide the pick of the facts and figures. Here are this week’s highlights:

    SATURDAY 21 MARCH – 16:45 (GST)

    Manchester City v West Bromwich Albion

    Sergio Aguero has scored four goals in five Premier League appearances against West Brom.

    • Manchester City have won nine and lost none of the last 10 Barclays Premier League games against West Bromwich Albion.
    • West Brom have won none of their seven trips to the Etihad Stadium, drawing the first two and losing the last five in a row.
    • City have scored four goals inside the first 10 minutes in their last three Premier League games against West Brom.
    • The Baggies have gone nine Premier League away games without a victory (W0 D5 L4).
    • West Brom have kept four clean sheets in their last five Premier League matches.
    • The Baggies have conceded more goals in the opening 15 minutes of matches than any other side this season (10).
    • However, West Brom have conceded the fewest goals in the final 15 minutes of games (4).
    • West Brom have scored the highest percentage of goals from set pieces excluding penalties in the top flight this season (50%) while City have scored the lowest proportion (8%).

    SATURDAY 21 MARCH – 19:00 (GST)

    Aston Villa v Swansea City

    All six of Gabriel Agbonlahor’s Premier League goals this season have come inside the opening 37 minutes.

    • Swansea City have lost just one of their seven Barclays Premier League meetings with Aston Villa (W3 D3 L1).
    • Christian Benteke and Gabriel Agbonlahor have both scored two in their last three Premier League appearances against Swansea City.
    • Aston Villa ended a run of six home Premier League games without a win (W0 D3 L3) with victory last time out against West Brom.
    • Swansea’s last three Premier League away wins have all been by a 1-0 scoreline.
    • Villa have scored more goals in their last two Premier League matches (6) than they managed in the previous 13 (5).
    • Aston Villa have scored the highest proportion of first half goals in the top division this season (79%).
    • No Villa manager has won three Premier League games in a row since Martin O’Neill in April 2010.

    Newcastle United v Arsenal

    Olivier Giroud has netted six goals in five Premier League appearances against the Magpies.

    • Arsenal are unbeaten in the last eight Barclays Premier League games against Newcastle, winning the last six in a row.
    • The Gunners are the only team ever to not win a Premier League game after being 4-0 up at half-time, when they drew 4-4 with Newcastle at St James Park in February 2011.
    • Newcastle have failed to score in their last three Premier League home matches against the Gunners.
    • Olivier Giroud has scored six and assisted three in his last eight Premier League appearances.
    • Newcastle have won just four of the last 39 games in all competitions against Arsenal (W4 D11 L24).
    • In Arsenal’s last six Premier League away matches, the winning side has netted exactly two goals.
    • Newcastle have won just one of their last five Premier League home matches (W1 D2 L2).
    • St James Park has seen the joint-most goals netted in the final 15 minutes of matches (13 along with the Emirates).
    • Alexis Sanchez has scored the first goal of the game more often than any other Premier League player this season.

    Queens Park Rangers v Everton

    • Everton are unbeaten in the last five meetings in all competitions with Queens Park Rangers (W3 D2 L0).
    • However, the Toffees have won none of their last five PL trips to Loftus Road with two defeats against Fulham and two draws and a loss against QPR in those visits.
    • There have been three own goals in the last three Premier League meetings between Rangers and Everton.
    • QPR have won none of their last six Premier League home matches (D2 L4) and lost the last four in a row. They have scored just three goals in that run.
    • Everton have lost eight and won one of their last nine Premier League away games and scored just one goal in their last five on the road.
    • Queens Park Rangers have conceded the first goal of the game more often than any other Premier League side this season (22).
    • Rangers are the only team in the top flight yet to net a goal in the opening 15 minutes of a Premier League match this season.
    • Matty Phillips has scored one and assisted four goals in his last five Premier League appearances.

    Southampton v Burnley

    Jose Fonte has made more interceptions (85) than any other player in the Premier League this season.

    • Burnley have won three and lost just one of the last six league meetings with Southampton.
    • The Clarets have lost 25 of their 33 Barclays Premier League away matches (W2 D6 L25).
    • There have been just four goals scored in the last four Premier League matches played at St Mary’s.
    • Saints’ home form has been patchy recently with a record of W3 D2 L4 in their last nine Premier League matches at St Mary’s.
    • Southampton have kept 11 clean sheets and conceded just 12 goals in their last 19 Premier League games on home soil.
    • Saints have dropped just two points from winning positions this season, fewer than any other team.
    • All five of Burnley’s Premier League wins this season have been by a single goal margin.
    • Burnley have conceded the most headed goals in the top flight this season (17) while Southampton have shipped the fewest (2).

    Stoke City v Crystal Palace

    Only West Ham (15) have scored more headed goals than Stoke City this season and six of the last eight goals the Potters have netted have come via this route.

    • Stoke City have won five of their last eight Barclays Premier League games at the Britannia Stadium (W5 D1 L2), with their only defeats coming against Chelsea and Manchester City.
    • Defeat last time out on the road against Southampton ended a run of five without loss for Palace away from home in the Premier League (D2 W3).
    • Stoke have hit the target with just 38% of their attempts at goal, the lowest shooting accuracy in the Premier League.
    • The Potters are one of only two teams (along with Burnley) without a red card this season.
    • This is Stoke City’s best performance in the top flight since 1974-75 after 29 games of a season, when assuming three points for a win.
    • Crystal Palace have not had more than 33 points after 29 games of a top flight season since 1991-92 when they had 40 points at this stage.
    • Since drawing 1-1 with Palace back in December, Stoke have lost four matches; they followed each of the first three defeats with a three game unbeaten run.
    • Palace have kept just one clean sheet in nine Premier League matches under Alan Pardew.

    Tottenham Hotspur v Leicester City

    Leonardo Ulloa has scored in all four of his starts against the two big north London sides Arsenal and Tottenham.

    • Five of the last seven meetings between Tottenham and Leicester in all competitions have ended with a 2-1 scoreline.
    • There have been two meetings so far between these teams this season, both ending in 2-1 away wins (Spurs won the reverse Barclays Premier League game, while Leicester won in the FA Cup at White Hart Lane).
    • Leicester City have won just one of their last 13 Premier League away games (W1 D2 L10).
    • Tottenham are unbeaten in their last nine Premier League matches at White Hart Lane (W6 D3) and have lost just one of the last 15 home games in all competitions (W10 D4 L1) but that was to Leicester in the FA Cup.
    • Spurs have recovered 16 points from losing positions in the Premier League this season, more than any other team.
    • The Foxes have failed to score a first-half goal in any of their last seven Premier League games.
    • Christian Eriksen has scored more winning goals than any other player in the Premier League this season (6).
    • Esteban Cambiasso has scored three goals from just four shots on target for Leicester.

    SATURDAY 21 MARCH – 21:30 (GST)

    West Ham United v Sunderland

    Jermain Defoe has scored four goals in his last five Premier League appearances against former club West Ham United.

    • Sunderland have lost just one of their last seven Barclays Premier League games against West Ham (W3 D3 L1).
    • The Hammers have won just one of their last 12 Premier League matches (W1 D5 L6).
    • Sunderland have won one of their last 12 Premier League matches (W1 D4 L7), but none of the last six away (W0 D3 L3).
    • Morgan Amalfitano has scored three goals from just four shots on target for West Ham.
    • The Black Cats have netted just one goal in their last five Premier League matches.
    • Only Sunderland (7) and QPR (5) have picked up fewer points than West Ham (8) since Christmas.
    • Sunderland have fired in fewer shots than any other team in the top flight this season (204).
    • Sunderland have won the lowest proportion of games where they have been leading of any team in the top flight this season (40%).
    • West Ham have the highest tally of headers on target (39) and headed goals this season (15).

    SUNDAY 22 MARCH – 17:30 (GST)

    Liverpool v Manchester United

    Man Utd have taken 2.2 points per game when Michael Carrick has featured this season (15 games) compared to 1.6 without him.

    • Steven Gerrard has scored seven goals in his last 11 Barclays Premier League games against Manchester United.
    • If Liverpool avoid defeat in this game they will match the longest unbeaten run seen in the Premier League this season (14 games, recorded by Chelsea).
    • The Red Devils have lost just one of their last nine Premier League away matches (W4 D4 L1).
    • Liverpool are unbeaten in their last 14 matches in all competitions at Anfield (W7 D7).
    • Daniel Sturridge has scored in two of his three Premier League appearances for Liverpool against Man Utd.
    • Manchester United have won away at Anfield more times than any other team in Premier League history (10).
    • Only Liverpool v Everton (20) has seen more red cards in Premier League history than Liverpool v Manchester United (15) (including a record by one player in a single fixture – Nemanja Vidic with four).
    • Ander Herrera has found the net with all three of his shots on target for Manchester United in the Premier League.
    • Wayne Rooney has scored or assisted 250 goals for Manchester United in the Premier League (169 goals, 81 assists).

    SUNDAY 22 MARCH – 20:00 (GST)

    Hull City v Chelsea

    Eden Hazard has scored in the last two Premier League meetings with Hull City.

    • Chelsea have won nine and lost none of the last 11 meetings in all competitions against Hull City.
    • Loic Remy has scored three goals in three Barclays Premier League appearances against Hull.
    • Chelsea have lost just two of their last 17 Premier League away matches (W11 D4 L2).
    • Following a run of just one win in 11 Premier League home games (W1 D3 L7), Hull City have won three and lost just one of the last five at the KC Stadium.
    • Cesc Fabregas has scored or assisted 86 goals in the opening half of the campaign over the last six seasons, but only 33 from New Year’s Day to the end of the season over the same period.
    • Chelsea have seen more opposition players sent off than any other team in the top flight this season (7).
    • Only Aston Villa (6) have earned more red cards than Hull City (5) this season.
    • Only Eden Hazard (79) has created more scoring chances for team-mates than Cesc Fabregas in the Premier League (74) this season.

    All statistics and facts are brought to you by Opta Sports.

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