#360stats: final delight for Gerrard, Aguero looking supreme

Sport360 staff 20:20 14/05/2015
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  • Starmen: Stteven Gerrard and Sergio Aguero's input could prove decisive.

    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 MAY 16 – 15:45 (GST)

    Southampton v Aston Villa

    Since Tim Sherwood’s first PL game in charge of Aston Villa, Christian Benteke (10) has scored more goals than any other player and from just 13 shots on target.

    • Southampton have won just one of their six previous Premier League matches against Aston Villa at St. Mary’s, with both sides scoring in each clash (D2 L3).
    • Gabriel Agbonlahor has had a hand in three goals in his last three Premier League appearances against Southampton (two goals, one assist).
    • Tim Sherwood has won 54.5% of his first 33 Premier League games as a manager; only one Englishman has a better win rate from his first 33 PL matches – John Gregory (63.6%).
    • Saints have shipped exactly two goals in each of their last four games (D1 L3); they had conceded just eight in the previous 14. 
    • Tom Cleverley has netted three in his last three Premier League games after failing to score in his last 37 top-tier appearances before that.
    • Southampton have already set their best points return in the Premier League with 57. Indeed, Saints have won 34 points at home this season; three more against Villa will set a new record.
    • A win for the Villans will secure their Premier League status for next season. They were in the relegation zone with just 22 points before Tim Sherwood arrived at Villa Park.
    • 10 of Graziano Pelle’s 11 Premier League goals this season have arrived at St. Mary’s.
    • Fabian Delph has attempted more shots without scoring than any other Premier League player in 2014/15 (33, excluding blocked).

    SATURDAY MAY 16 – 18:00 (GST)

    Burnley v Stoke City

    Peter Crouch has scored 46 headed Premier League goals, the joint-most in Premier League history along with Alan Shearer.

    • Burnley have won only one of their last six league games against Stoke City, though it arrived in the reverse of this fixture back in November (D3 L2).
    • Stoke City have avoided defeat in each of their last three trips to Turf Moor (W1 D2), keeping two clean sheets in the process.
    • Burnley have won just 18 Premier League points at home this term; a joint league-low alongside Crystal Palace.
    • The Potters have equalled their best ever points tally in the Premier League (50 – also in 2013/14).
    • The Clarets have conceded more goals from corners than any other team in 2014/15 (12).
    • Burnley are the only current Premier League that Peter Crouch hasn’t scored against.
    • The Clarets are one of just two teams to have played in more than one Premier League season and been relegated each time (Watford the other).
    • Turf Moor is the lowest scoring stadium in the Premier League this season (35 goals).
    • No Premier League team has conceded more penalty goals (5) or direct free-kicks (4) this season than Stoke.

    Queens Park Rangers v Newcastle United

    Newcastle midfielder Jack Colback has scored or assisted nine goals this season (four goals, five assists); more than in his previous six Premier League campaigns combined (7).

    • Queens Park Rangers have failed to find the back of the net in five of their last six matches against Newcastle United (one goal scored).
    • Newcastle United have won seven and lost none of their last nine league encounters with Queens Park Rangers.
    • The Magpies have gone nine Premier League games without a win (D1 L8), their longest wait since May 2009 (10 games), a season in which they were relegated.
    • QPR have conceded 67 goals this term; the most they have ever shipped in a Premier League season. Only in three other top-flight seasons have the R’s conceded more goals than in 2014/15 (1969 – 95, 1979 – 73, 1985 – 72).
    • Chris Ramsey is yet to win a Premier League game at Loftus Road as manager of QPR (D1 L5). He could become the first QPR manager (2+ games) to fail to win at Loftus Road in the Premier League.
    • Only QPR (9) have won fewer points in 2015 than Newcastle United (10).
    • 74% of QPR’s points this season have arrived on home soil; the highest share in the PL.
    • The Magpies have scored more goals from substitutes than any other team in the top division (10).
    • Matt Phillips has made more assists in 2015 than any other PL player (7), though he has now gone four games without one.

    Sunderland v Leicester City

    Jamie Vardy has scored three goals and provided four assists in his last eight Premier League games.

    • Sunderland have won four and lost none of their last six league meetings with Leicester City, keeping a clean sheet in their last two.
    • Leicester City have failed to win any of their last six away to Sunderland in league competition (D3 L3), last recording a victory there in August 1995.
    • The Foxes have won their last two away games; they’ve never won three in a row in the Premier League.
    • The Black Cats have been victorious in their last two PL games; they’ve not won three in a row since May 2014 when they embarked upon a four-game winning run to avoid relegation.
    • Leicester have kept four clean sheets in their last five PL games, more than they recorded in their previous 19 in the competition (3).
    • Sunderland have the lowest scoring top goalscorer in the Premier League this season – Conor Wickham with five goals.
    • Only four teams (PSG 21, Borussia Mönchengladbach, Real Madrid & Barcelona 19) in Europe’s top five leagues have won more points from their last seven games than Leicester City (18).
    • No Premier League side has shipped more goals at home this season than Sunderland (27) – level with Newcastle and Crystal Palace.
    • If Sunderland win and Hull fail to beat Tottenham, the Black Cats will be safe from relegation. Similarly, a point for the Foxes will be enough to secure survival providing the Tigers lose at White Hart Lane.

    Tottenham Hotspur v Hull City

    No player has scored more match-winning goals in the Premier League this term than Christian Eriksen (7, same as Eden Hazard).

    • Tottenham have won four and lost none of their last six Barclays Premier League fixtures against Hull City.
    • Hull have scored just five goals in seven previous Premier League games against Spurs and never more than once in a match.
    • Harry Kane’s goals and assists have won Tottenham 26 points this season; more than any other player in the division.
    • However, Kane has scored just once in his last six Premier League appearances.
    • Hull City have never won a Premier League game in the month of May (W0 D3 L8).
    • The Tigers have conceded a league-high 13 goals from outside the box this season.
    • Hull’s victory last time out on the road (v Crystal Palace) was their first away win in eight attempts (D2 L5).
    • Tottenham have gained 10 points from losing positions at home this season, more than any other side.
    • Spurs have failed to score in their last two PL games; they’ve not gone three in a row without a goal since November 2013.

    West Ham United v Everton

    Romelu Lukaku has scored 41 Premier League goals – the joint-most by any Belgian player in PL history (alongside Christian Benteke).

    • West Ham have gone 13 games without a win against Everton in the Barclays Premier League (D4 L9), losing each of the last five.
    • Romelu Lukaku has scored in each of his five appearances in all competitions for Everton against West Ham.
    • No Premier League side has scored more goals via defenders this term than Everton (10); more than twice as many as West Ham (4).
    • The Toffees have dropped more points from leading positions than any other team this season (19).
    • Enner Valencia has scored just one goal in his last 21 appearances and has gone 534 minutes since his last strike (v Crystal Palace).
    • Everton have won only one of their last six away games in the top-flight, losing four (D1).
    • The Hammers have scored just five goals in their last 10 matches and never more than once in a game.
    • Aaron Cresswell is the only Hammer to have played every minute of every West Ham match in the Premier League this campaign.
    • Everton (15) have made more errors directly leading to goals than any other Premier League team in 2014/15.

    SATURDAY MAY 16 – 20:30 (GST)

    Liverpool v Crystal Palace

    Jordan Henderson has managed his best tally of goals in a single PL season (6) and also the best tally of assists (9).

    • Liverpool have lost only one of their previous 14 home league games against Crystal Palace, winning 11 (D2).
    • Crystal Palace have found the back of the net in each of their last six Premier League matches against the Reds, including exactly three goals in their last two.
    • Palace have scored more goals in their past six league games against Liverpool (11) than the previous 19 (10).
    • 51 of Gerrard’s 92 Premier League assists have arrived at home. Only three players (Ryan Giggs 84, Dennis Bergkamp 66 and Frank Lampard 52) have provided more assists at home for a single club than the Liverpool captain has in the Premier League.
    • However, Gerrard has recorded just one assist this campaign, his lowest total since his debut season in the Premier League in 1998/99 (0 in 12 games).
    • Simon Mignolet and Jordan Henderson could make their 53rd appearance of the campaign in all competitions, more than any other Premier League player has managed.
    • Jason Puncheon (12) has had a hand in more Premier League goals than any other Crystal Palace player this season (five goals, seven assists).
    • Crystal Palace have scored a joint league-high 21 goals from set-pieces this season – level with Arsenal.
    • The Eagles have lost their last four matches; they’ve not suffered five consecutive defeats since November 2013 (a run of seven).

    SUNDAY MAY 17 – 16:30

    Swansea City v Manchester City

    Aleksandar Kolarov’s goal against QPR last weekend was the 600th direct free-kick scored in the Premier League.

    • Swansea have lost four of their last five matches against Manchester City, drawing the other.
    • Sergio Aguero has scored in each of his last five Premier League games, netting eight in total. Aguero has never found the back of the net in six consecutive PL matches.
    • Yaya Toure has scored two and assisted another in his last three Barclays Premier League appearances against the Swans.
    • Bafetimbi Gomis has bagged four goals in his last four Premier League appearances.
    • Man City’s substitutes have been involved in more Premier League goals than any other side this season (18 – nine goals, nine assists).
    • Garry Monk has the best win percentage of any Swansea City manager in the Premier League (42%).
    • The Swans have won their last three PL matches; they’ve won four in a row only once before, also under Garry Monk back in August 2014.
    • Sergio Aguero has scored the opening goal in games more times than any other player this season (10).
    • The Citizens have lost four of their last five away games, though they did win their most recent game against Tottenham.

    SUNDAY MAY 17 – 19:00

    Manchester United v Arsenal

    Robin van Persie has scored in both of his Premier League matches against the Gunners at Old Trafford. He also scored there for Arsenal in 2011/12, meaning he’s scored in this exact fixture for three consecutive seasons.

    • Manchester United are unbeaten in seven home league meetings with Arsenal (W6 D1), since a 1-0 defeat in September 2006.
    • Arsenal have lost nine of their last 11 games against Man United at Old Trafford in all competitions (W1 D1), though that win came in the FA Cup this season.
    • Wayne Rooney has 11 goals against Arsenal in the Premier League. Only against Aston Villa (13) and Newcastle (12) does he have more.
    • The Gunners have not beaten United in the Premier League in seven attempts, since Aaron Ramsey scored the winner at the Emirates in May 2011.
    • United have not conceded more than one goal at home to Arsenal and lost in a league game since February 1979.
    • Arsenal could become the fourth team in history to beat Man United twice at Old Trafford in the same season. The others were Chelsea (2004/05), Tottenham (1989/90) and Aston Villa (1919/20).
    • Wayne Rooney has scored six and assisted three in his last seven games (all comps) against Arsenal at Old Trafford.
    • Manchester United have gone seven PL games without a clean sheet; they last went eight without a shutout in September 2001.
    • Arsenal have won their last five Premier League away games; their longest winning run since September 2013 (eight wins, their joint-best in the PL era).

    MONDAY MAY 18 – 23:00 (GST)

    West Bromwich Albion v Chelsea

    Didier Drogba has scored eight goals in seven starts against the Baggies in the Premier League.

    • West Brom are unbeaten in their last three Premier League games at home to Chelsea (W2 D1), after losing each of the first five against the Blues at the Hawthorns.
    • Chelsea have won five and drawn two of their seven PL matches against WBA under Jose Mourinho.
    • Cesc Fabregas has made 18 assists this season; his best return in the Premier League. Only Thierry Henry (20) in 2002/03 has provided more PL assists in a single season than Fabregas this term.
    • West Brom have conceded a league-high 20 goals from set pieces this season (including penalties).
    • Chelsea have scored as many goals in the opening 15 minutes of matches this campaign as West Brom have netted in the entire first half (15).
    • Only Chelsea (17) have kept more clean sheets in the top-flight this season than West Brom (15, level with Southampton).
    • The Blues have gone 16 games unbeaten (W11 D5); the longest run in the division this season.
    • West Brom have scored more goals from corners than any other Premier League outfit this season (12).
    • Chris Brunt has delivered more assists from set-pieces than any other Premier League player in 2014/15 (8).

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