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What numbers say ahead of PL matchday 34
8 July, 2020
Manchester City are unbeaten in their last 15 home league games against Newcastle (W13 D2), winning the last 10 in a row – they’ve never won 11 successive home games against an opponent in their top-flight history.
Newcastle are unbeaten in their last two Premier League games against Man City (W1 D1), having lost 15 of their 16 against them previously (D1). They’re looking to avoid defeat in both league meetings with the Citizens for the first time since 2004-05.
Manchester City have won their last four home Premier League matches by an aggregate score of 14-0. They haven’t kept five consecutive home clean sheets in the competition since September 2011 under Roberto Mancini.
Newcastle are looking to win three consecutive away Premier League matches for the first time since December 2001, when they beat Ipswich, Arsenal and Leeds to top the Premier League.
Manchester City have lost nine Premier League games in 2019-20 - their highest total in a season since 2015-16 under Manuel Pellegrini (10 defeats).
Newcastle have scored 10 goals in their last four Premier League games – their previous 10 goals came across a period of 14 games.
Newcastle United are unbeaten in six Premier League matches (W3 D3), last enjoying a longer undefeated run in the competition between May and November 2011 (14 unbeaten).
Manchester City have made a league-high 120 changes to their starting XI in the Premier League this season, including six changes last time out. Indeed, City failed to score against Southampton despite having 26 shots – they last failed to score in consecutive Premier League games in March 2016.
Manchester City’s Kevin De Bruyne has been directly involved in 28 goals in 28 Premier League starts this season (11 goals, 17 assists), with the Belgian scoring or assisting 15 times in his last 14 starts in the top-flight.
In his first 40 Premier League appearances, Newcastle’s Miguel Almirón scored just two goals from 64 attempts at goal – since then, the Paraguayan has scored in back to back games, scoring twice from five shots against Bournemouth and West Ham.
Sheffield United – Wolverhampton Wanderers
8 July, 2020
Sheffield United have won just one of their last eight league games against Wolves (D3 L4), though it was in their last home game against them in September 2017 (2-0).
Wolves have won two of their last three away league games against Sheffield United, more than they had in their previous 16 visits (W1 D7 L8).
Sheffield United are looking for three consecutive home wins in the Premier League for the first time since August 1993.
Wolves are looking to win four consecutive away top-flight games for the first time since a run of five in April 1980.
Wolves have only lost back-to-back Premier League games twice this season, in September against Everton and Chelsea, and in January against Liverpool and Watford. However, Wolves have won six of their last seven league games against promoted sides (D1).
Wolves defender Conor Coady has played the full 90 minutes in all 71 Premier League matches since the start of last season – this is the longest run by an outfield player since Cesar Azpilicueta did so in 74 consecutive games for Chelsea between 2015 and 2017.
In their first match back after the restart, Wolves had six shots on target in their 2-0 win against West Ham. They’ve managed just five across their three subsequent league games, with their only effort on target in their last game coming after 17 seconds.
Sheffield United have given 22 740 minutes to British players in the Premier League this season, with only Burnley giving more (25 615). By contrast, opponents Wolves have given a league-low 3 886 minutes to players from Britain.
Jack Rodwell made his first Premier League appearance since May 2017 in Sheffield United’s 1-1 draw at Burnley – he is the 22nd British or Irish player to appear for the Blades in the Premier League this season, more than any other club.
Wolves’ Adama Traoré has provided a club-high nine Premier League assists this season. He could become the sixth different Spanish player to register at least 10 assists in a single Premier League season, after Jose Antonio Reyes, Cesc Fàbregas, David Silva, Juan Mata and Santi Cazorla.
West Ham United – Burnley
8 July, 2020
Having won five of their first six Premier League meetings with Burnley (L1), West Ham have won just one of their subsequent five against the Clarets (D1 L3).
Burnley have won three of their last four Premier League games against West Ham (L1), keeping a clean sheet in each victory.
West Ham have avoided defeat in consecutive Premier League games (W1 D1) for the first time since going six unbeaten in August and September 2019.
Burnley have won just 16 points in 31 away Premier League matches in London (W4 D4 L23) – however, the Clarets won on their last visit to the capital last month at Crystal Palace.
After a run of just one win in 10 home league games (D3 L6), West Ham have won two of their last three at the London Stadium (L1). The Hammers are averaging two goals-per-game at home in the Premier League since David Moyes returned, netting at least three goals in four of their seven such games.
Burnley have won three of their last five Premier League away games (D1 L1), as many as they had in their previous 16 on the road (W3 D4 L9).
West Ham are on a run of 13 Premier League matches without a clean sheet – only Bournemouth (16) are on a longer current run without a shutout. They last had a worse run back in December 2009 (15 games).
Burnley’s Chris Wood has scored in all five of his Premier League games against West Ham (6 goals in total) – only Mohamed Salah against Bournemouth (6/6) has a better 100% scoring record against an opponent in the competition.
West Ham’s Michail Antonio has been directly involved in five goals in his last six Premier League appearances (3 goals, 2 assists). Antonio is looking to score in three consecutive appearances for the first time since September 2016.
Burnley’s Chris Wood has scored in four of his five Premier League starts in games played on a Wednesday and has scored in both of his starts on a Wednesday this season (against Aston Villa and Man Utd in January).
Brighton and Hove Albion – Liverpool
8 July, 2020
Brighton have lost each of their last eight meetings with Liverpool in all competitions, including all five games in the Premier League.
Liverpool are unbeaten in all six of their top-flight away games against Brighton (W3 D3), with both teams finding the net in five of those six meetings.
Brighton have won two of their four Premier League games since the restart (D1 L1), as many as they had in their previous 18 (W2 D8 L8). The Seagulls are looking to pick up back-to-back wins in the competition for the first time since November.
Liverpool have won 29 of their 33 Premier League games this season – should they beat Brighton, they will have reached 30 wins in a season faster than any team in the history of English league football, with Man City holding the record in 2017-18 (35 games).
Brighton have lost all four of their previous Premier League matches against teams starting the day top of the table. Their last top-flight win over a side top of the table was back in December 1980, beating Aston Villa 1-0 with a goal from Michael Robinson.
Liverpool have failed to score in any of their last five away matches in all competitions (D1 L4) – they are without a goal in their last seven hours and 42 minutes away from home. Only once in their history have the Reds gone more away games without a goal (8 games in April 1992 under Graeme Souness).
Brighton have scored 35 Premier League goals this season, equalling their tally from last season with five games remaining. It is one more than they scored in their first season in the competition in 2017-18 (34).
At the start of this matchday, Brighton are nine points clear of the relegation zone. It is the furthest ahead of the relegation zone the Seagulls have been all season, and the furthest since January 12th 2019, when they were 10 points ahead of 18th position.
Liverpool’s Sadio Mané has scored against 28 of the 30 opponents he faced in the Premier League, failing only against Middlesbrough (one game) and Brighton, who he has faced four times and had eight shots against without finding the net.
Since the start of the 2017-18 season, Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah has been directly involved in 127 goals in 147 appearances in all competitions (92 goals, 35 assists), 22 more than any other Premier League player in that time.
Bournemouth – Tottenham Hotspur
9 July, 2020
Bournemouth have lost seven of their nine Premier League meetings with Spurs (W1 D1), though that one victory did come in this exact fixture last season courtesy of Nathan Ake’s 90th minute winner.
Tottenham won 3-2 in the reverse fixture, conceding as many goals in that game as they had in their previous seven combined in the Premier League against Bournemouth.
Bournemouth have lost seven of their last eight Premier League games, including each of their last five in a row. They’ve shipped 21 goals in these eight games, netting just seven.
Bournemouth have conceded 59 Premier League goals this season and could become the first side to concede at least 60 in five consecutive campaigns in the competition.
Bournemouth have lost 20 Premier League games this season, more than they have in any of their five campaigns in the competition. Seven of these defeats have been at home, with the Cherries only losing more at the Vitality Stadium in their debut season in the competition in 2015-16 (9).
Tottenham have picked up just 15 points from their 16 Premier League games on the road this season (W3 D6 L7), with only Aston Villa (0) keeping fewer clean sheets on the road than Spurs (1).
Having been unbeaten in their first 12 Premier League games played on Thursdays (W7 D5), Tottenham lost their last such match, going down 1-3 against Sheffield United last week.
Tottenham manager José Mourinho has never lost a Premier League away game against a side starting the day in the relegation zone, with the Portuguese winning 18 and drawing six of his 24 such games.
Tottenham’s Harry Kane has scored seven goals in seven Premier League games against Bournemouth, though six of these came in his first three appearances against them.
Bournemouth’s Josh King – who scored and assisted for the Cherries last time out against Manchester United – is looking to score in consecutive Premier League games for the first time since January 2019.
Everton – Southampton
9 July, 2020
Everton are looking to achieve the league double over Southampton for the first time since the 2001-02 campaign, following their 2-1 win at St Mary’s earlier this season.
Southampton have won just one of their 20 Premier League away games against Everton (D5 L14) and are winless in their last 14 at Goodison Park since a 2-0 win in November 1997.
Everton are unbeaten in nine Premier League home games (W5 D4), last having a longer unbeaten run at Goodison Park between April and December 2016 (11 games).
Southampton have won three of their last four Premier League matches (L1), winning the last two in a row. Saints last won three consecutive matches in the competition in May 2016 under Ronald Koeman (4 wins).
Southampton have scored 25 goals from outside the area in the Premier League in the last two seasons (11 in 2019-20 & 14 in 2018-19); as many as they’d netted between 2013-14 and 2017-18.
Everton have only lost three of their last 42 home Premier League games against teams starting the day below them in the table (W31 D8), although two of those losses have come this season (vs Sheffield United and Norwich City).
Everton’s Gylfi Sigurdsson has scored five Premier League goals against Southampton – against no side does he have more in the competition. His two goals against them for Everton have come in defeats at St Mary’s.
Southampton’s Danny Ings has scored in four different Premier League games against Everton but hasn’t been on the winning side in any of them (D1 L3). Only three players have scored in more different Premier League games against an opponent without winning – Alan Shearer v Liverpool (7), Teddy Sheringham v Chelsea (6) and Mark Viduka v Manchester United (5).
Dominic Calvert-Lewin has scored more Premier League goals at home than any other Everton player this season (7 goals in 14 apps), with his tally of seven as many as he’d netted at Goodison Park in his previous three campaigns combined (7 goals in 40 apps).
Southampton’s Che Adams scored the winner against Manchester City last time out (1-0), which was his first league goal in 456 days, last netting against Leeds United in the Championship in April 2019. Adams last scored in consecutive league appearances in February 2019 (a run of 6).
Aston Villa – Manchester United
9 July, 2020
Aston Villa have won just one of their last 42 Premier League meetings with Manchester United (D11 L30), with that victory coming at Old Trafford in December 2009 (1-0).
Manchester United are unbeaten in their last 20 Premier League away games against Aston Villa (W13 D7), since a 1-3 loss on the opening day of the 1995-96 season. It’s the longest unbeaten away run one team has had against another in top-flight history.
Aston Villa have picked up just two points in their last nine Premier League matches (D2 L7), finding the net just five times in that run.
Manchester United are looking to become the first team in Premier League history to win four consecutive matches by a margin of 3+ goals.
Manchester United are unbeaten in nine Premier League games (W6 D3), the longest current run in the competition. Indeed, only Liverpool (27) and Wolves (11) have had longer unbeaten runs this term.
Aston Villa have won just one of their last 27 Premier League matches against sides starting the day in the top half of the league (D4 L22), a 2-0 win over Everton in August 2019.
Aston Villa’s 2-0 defeat at Liverpool was the 20th time this season the Villans had shipped two or more goals in a Premier League game – no side has done so more often in 2019-20 (level with Norwich and West Ham).
Bruno Fernandes has already been involved in 11 goals in his nine Premier League matches. In Premier League history, only five players have had as many as 12 goal involvements in their first 10 games in the competition – Mick Quinn (13), Alan Shearer, Kevin Phillips, Sergio Agüero and Papiss Cissé (all 12).
Manchester United’s Bruno Fernandes has both scored and assisted five Premier League goals (6 goals, 5 assists), reaching both figures in just nine appearances, a Premier League record. The previous record was 10 games, which Andrey Arshavin achieved in May 2009.
Mason Greenwood has scored 15 goals in all competitions for Manchester United this season – the only teenagers to score more goals for the Red Devils in a season are George Best in 1965-66, Brian Kidd in 1967-68 and Wayne Rooney in 2004-05 (all 17 goals).
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