Premier League Matchweek 2: what the stats say

BRIGHTON AND HOVE ALBION V MANCHESTER UNITED

Brighton have won four of their last five Premier League games against Manchester United, though did lose the most recent meeting 2-0 at home on the final day of 2023-24.

Manchester United have lost 43 per cent of their Premier League meetings with Brighton (6/14), their highest loss rate against a single opponent in the competition’s history.

None of the 14 Premier League meetings between Brighton and Man Utd have been drawn, with the Seagulls winning six to the Red Devils’ eight. Only Manchester United against Wigan (16) has been played more often in the competition without ever finishing level.

Brighton have lost four of their last five Premier League home games (W1), more than they had in their previous 25 at the Amex Stadium (W14 D8 L3).

Having beaten Fulham 1-0 in their opening match, Manchester United are looking to win both of their first two games in a Premier League campaign for the first time since 2017-18.

Brighton have won 10 of their 22 Premier League games in August (D3 L9). It’s their highest win rate in a specific month in the competition (45 per cent), while in no month have they won more games (also 10 in December).

Brighton’s Danny Welbeck scored and assisted against Everton on MD1, netting in a 15th consecutive Premier League campaign (16th overall). He has also scored four Premier League goals against former side Manchester United, making him the highest scoring player against the Red Devils to have previously played for them in the competition.

Brighton’s James Milner now holds the record for appearing in the most Premier League campaigns (23). He’s been on the winning side in 11 of his 35 appearances against Manchester United in the competition, with only Kyle Walker beating the Red Devils more (12).

Bruno Fernandes has either scored (4) or assisted (2) six of Man Utd’s last 13 Premier League goals against Brighton. The Portuguese only has more goals and assists combined against Everton, Leeds (8 each) and Aston Villa (7) in the competition than he does against Brighton (6).

Against Fulham on MD1, Joshua Zirkzee became the second player to come off the bench and score the winning goal on his Premier League debut for Manchester United after Federico Macheda in April 2009.

The last player to score on his first two league appearances for the Red Devils was Antony in October 2022.

CRYSTAL PALACE V WEST HAM UNITED

Crystal Palace have won their last two Premier League home games against West Ham, having won just one of their previous eight against them at Selhurst Park (D2 L5).

The last four Premier League meetings between Crystal Palace and West Ham at Selhurst Park have produced a total of 24 goals, an average of six per game (13 for Palace, 11 for West Ham). Both teams have scored at least twice in each of these four matches.

Both teams have scored in each of the last 14 Premier League meetings between Crystal Palace and West Ham – only Fulham against Man City (15 between 2004 and 2011) has had a longer such run in the competition’s history.

Crystal Palace won their final four Premier League home games of 2023-24 by an aggregate score of 16-2. The Eagles haven’t won five consecutive home league games since October 2001 (a run of six), while they’ve never done so in the top-flight.

West Ham lost their last three Premier League games against fellow London sides in 2023-24, with the last two seeing them lose 5-2 at Crystal Palace and 5-0 at Chelsea. No team in English Football League history has ever conceded 5+ goals in three consecutive London derby matches before.

Crystal Palace have won just five of their last 25 Premier League games in August (D7 L13). Indeed, in all months they’ve played at least 10 games in the competition, they have fewer wins (11) and their lowest win rate (21 per cent) in August.

West Ham lost 2-1 against Aston Villa in their opening Premier League match this season – no side has lost both of their opening two games in a single campaign more often than the Hammers (8, level with Southampton).

Despite losing to Aston Villa in their opening match, West Ham had the second highest expected goals total of any Premier League side on MD1 (2.5, behind Liverpool’s 2.7). The Hammers averaged just 1.4 xG per game in the Premier League last season.

Eberechi Eze had more shots on MD1 than any other Premier League player (7). It’s the third time he’s had 7+ shots in a Premier League game without scoring, the most of any Crystal Palace player on record (since 2004-05).

Marc Guéhi could make his 100th Premier League appearance for Crystal Palace in this match, the 21stplayer to do so. Aged 24 years and 42 days on the day of the game, he’d be the second youngest to reach a century for the Eagles after Tyrick Mitchell (24y 15d).

FULHAM V LEICESTER CITY

Fulham won both Premier League meetings with Leicester the last time the sides met in 2022-23, last winning three consecutive league games against the Foxes between 1966 and 1967.

Leicester lost 5-3 on their last league visit to Craven Cottage in May 2023, with that game producing more goals than their previous six away league games against Fulham combined (7).

Fulham haven’t won their first home match in any of their last five Premier League campaigns (D1 L4), since a 5-0 win against Norwich City in 2012-13.

No side in the top four tiers of English football won more away league games than Leicester City last season (14). The Foxes won each of their first seven away games in the Championship last term, winning the same amount in their final 16 on the road (D3 L6).

Leicester have won just two of their last 15 Premier League away games against London sides (D3 L10), beating Brentford in October 2021 and West Ham in November 2022. They’ve conceded at least twice in each of their 10 defeats in that run.

Fulham lost 1-0 against Manchester United on MD1. The Cottagers have started a season with consecutive defeats in just two of their 17 previous Premier League campaigns (2018-19 and 2020-21).

Leicester manager Steve Cooper has lost six of his seven meetings with Fulham in all competitions, though his one victory did come at Craven Cottage (1-0 in April 2022). He’s lost all three Premier League games against the Cottagers by an aggregate score of 10-2.

Fulham’s Andreas Pereira created more chances than any other Premier League player on MD1 (6). It’s the 19th time on record a Fulham player has created 6+ chances in a Premier League match, with the Brazilian responsible for seven of those.

37-year-old Jamie Vardy became Leicester’s oldest Premier League goalscorer when he netted against Tottenham on MD1. The last player aged 37+ to score in consecutive Premier League appearances was Cristiano Ronaldo (4 in April/May 2022).

No Premier League player won more duels on MD1 than Leicester’s Abdul Fatawu (13), while he also led all Foxes players for successful dribbles (3), possession won (8) and tackles (6).

MANCHESTER CITY V IPSWICH TOWN

This is the first meeting between Man City and Ipswich in any competition since January 2002, with the Citizens (then in the second tier) beating Premier League Ipswich 4-1 at Portman Road in the FA Cup.

This will be the first Premier League meeting between Man City and Ipswich since the 2000-01 campaign, when they were both newly promoted sides. The Tractor Boys won both games that term, with their 2-1 home win confirming the Citizens’ relegation to the second tier.

This will be Ipswich’s first ever meeting with Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium – they won their last two visits to Maine Road, winning a Premier League game 3-2 in November 2000 and a League Cup tie 2-1 the following month.

Manchester City have won 17 of their last 18 Premier League games against promoted sides (D1) since a 2-1 home loss to Leeds in April 2021.

Ipswich haven’t scored in any of their last seven away league games against the reigning top-flight champions (D1 L6), losing the last three by an aggregate score of 15-0. They last scored in such a game in April 1984 (2-2 v Liverpool), while their last such victory was in October 1981 (1-0 v Aston Villa).

Manchester City are unbeaten in their last 44 home games in all competitions (W37 D7) since a 2-1 loss to Brentford in November 2022. It’s the eighth longest such run among English top-flight clubs in history, and longest since Chelsea’s run of 74 between February 2006 and October 2008.

Ipswich lost 2-0 against Liverpool in their opening match of 2024-25 – not since 2006-07 in the Championship have they started a league season with two straight defeats, while they last did so in the top-flight in 1985-86.

Ipswich’s Kieran McKenna will be the 14th different manager whose first ever Premier League away game came against the reigning champions. None of the previous 13 have won (D2 L11), with Mark McGhee (1-1 v Man Utd in 1994) and Claudio Ranieri (3-3 v Man Utd in 2000) the only ones to earn a point.

Man City striker Erling Haaland has scored at least once against all 22 sides he’s faced in the Premier League. The Norwegian has also scored 13 goals in nine appearances in August in the competition, more than he’s netted in any other month.

Bernardo Silva’s assist for Erling Haaland in Man City’s opening weekend victory was his 43rd in the Premier League, the joint-most of any Portuguese player in the competition’s history (level with Nani).

SOUTHAMPTON V NOTTINGHAM FOREST

Both of Southampton’s Premier League victories over Nottingham Forest have come in away games, with Saints winless in all six at the Dell/St Mary’s Stadium (D2 L4).

Nottingham Forest’s six away games without defeat against Southampton in the Premier League is the most they’ve faced a side on the road without losing in the competition, and the joint most Saints have faced a side at home without ever winning (also 6 v Brighton).

Nottingham Forest have won their last two Premier League games against promoted sides, beating both Sheffield United and Burnley in May. They’d only won one of their previous 19 such matches in the competition before this (D12 L6).

Southampton have won just two of their last 21 Premier League home games (D5 L14), keeping just one clean sheet at St Mary’s Stadium in that run (1-0 v Leicester in March 2023).

Nottingham Forest won their last two Premier League away games of 2023-24, beating Sheffield United 3-1 at Burnley 2-1. They last won more consecutive top-flight away games in March/April 1995 (a run of four).

Southampton are winless in their last 14 Premier League games (D4 L10), their longest run without a win in the top-flight since a run of 17 between November 1988 and March 1989.

Nottingham Forest had more shots on target than any other Premier League side on MD1 (8). Only once since their return to the division in 2022 have they had more in a single match (9 v Wolves in April).

Southampton had 77.8 per cent possession in their opening day defeat against Newcastle, the most of any Premier League side on MD1 and their second highest on record (since 2003-04) in a single match in the competition (78.1 per cent v Aston Villa in December 2013).

Southampton forward Ben Brereton is yet to end on the winning side in a Premier League match in 15 attempts (D4 L11). In Premier League history, only Marvin Sordell (17 games) and Emanuel Villa (16) have played more matches without featuring in a win.

Chris Wood scored Nottingham Forest’s goal in their 1-1 draw with Bournemouth on MD1. He’s never scored in both of a side’s first two games in a league season before.

TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR V EVERTON

Tottenham have scored more Premier League goals against Everton both overall (102) and at home (63) than they have v any other opponent.

Everton have won just one of their last 23 Premier League games against Tottenham (D11 L11), a 1-0 away win in September 2020 under Carlo Ancelotti.

Everton have won just three of their last 20 Premier League away games against London sides (D6 L11), with those three wins all coming consecutively between September and November last season.

Everton haven’t won a Premier League game in the month of August in any of the last three seasons (D3 L6), losing each of their last four such games without scoring. Their last such victory was in 2021 at Brighton (2-0).

Tottenham have won their first Premier League home match in five of the last six seasons, with the only exception being a 1-0 defeat to Everton in 2020-21.

Everton lost their opening Premier League match against Brighton, and started both the 2022-23 and 2023-24 campaigns with consecutive defeats. The only team to lose their opening two games in three consecutive Premier League campaigns (not including those who suffered relegation in between) are Bournemouth (2015-16, 2016-17 and 2017-18).

After winning four consecutive Premier League away games between October and December last season Everton are now winless in their last 11 on the road (D4 L7). Nine of those have come in 2024, leaving the Toffees as the only ever-present side over the two campaigns without an away win this calendar year.

Tottenham drew 1-1 with Leicester in their opening Premier League match of 2024-25 – the last time they failed to win either of their first two games in a single campaign was 2015-16 (D1 L1).

Against no side does Tottenham midfielder James Maddison have more Premier League assists than he does against Everton (4), with each of his four against the Toffees coming in his last three appearances.

Since joining Tottenham from Everton in 2022, Richarlison has scored three Premier League goals against the Toffees, with all three coming in last season’s two meetings. Of players to have previously played for Everton in the competition, only Wayne Rooney (4) has scored more against them than the Brazilian.

ASTON VILLA V ARSENAL

Aston Villa did the double over Arsenal last season, accounting for 40 per cent of the Gunners’ Premier League defeats (2/5). They’ve beaten Arsenal in three consecutive Premier League meetings twice before – November 1993 and February 2021.

Arsenal have won 14 away Premier League games against Aston Villa, with those 14 wins at Villa Park their joint most at a single away venue in the competition (also 14 at Selhurst Park).

Aston Villa have won five of their last nine Premier League meetings with Arsenal (L4), keeping a clean sheet each time. It’s as many wins as they’d managed in their previous 46 against the Gunners (D14 L27).

Arsenal have scored 98 Premier League goals against Aston Villa, only netting more against Everton (124), West Ham (109) and Tottenham (105). Only Liverpool and Manchester United (5 opponents each) have netted 100+ Premier League goals against more different sides.

Aston Villa are looking to win their opening two Premier League matches in a season for a fourth time, also doing so in 1995-96, 1999-00 and 2020-21.

Arsenal have won eight of their nine Premier League away games so far in 2024 (D1), scoring 28 goals, conceding three and keeping seven clean sheets. Indeed, the Gunners have kept 21 away clean sheets over the last two seasons (10 in 2022-23, 11 in 2023-24), more than they had in the four previous campaigns combined (20).

Aston Villa are the only side to beat Arsenal in the Premier League in 2024, winning 2-0 in April. The Gunners have won 17 of 19 games this calendar year (D1 L1); in Football League history, the most wins by a side in their first 20 matches in a year is 18, won by Liverpool in 1982 and Man City in both 2019 and 2021.

Since February 17 when Arsenal beat Burnley 5-0, no player in the Premier League has more goals and assists combined than Kai Havertz (10 goals, 7 assists). However, Havertz is yet to score or assist in seven games against Aston Villa, the most he has faced an opponent without doing so.

Among all Premier League players with 5+ goals, Aston Villa’s Jhon Durán has the second-best minutes per goal ratio (six goals, one every 103 mins), behind only Erling Haaland (one every 85 mins). Five of his six goals have been as a sub (83 per cent), the second-highest ratio by a player in Premier League history (min. 5 goals), behind Matt Derbyshire, who scored nine of his 10 goals as a sub.

Bukayo Saka has been on the winning side in 99 of his 171 Premier League games for Arsenal. Victory here will see him become the fourth player to win 100 in the competition before turning 23 after Wayne Rooney, Cesc Fàbregas and Phil Foden.

BOURNEMOUTH V NEWCASTLE UNITED

Bournemouth have won just one of their last nine Premier League games against Newcastle (D5 L3), having won two of their first three against the Magpies (L1).

Having kept a clean sheet in their first Premier League meeting with Bournemouth (1-0 in November 2015), Newcastle have conceded at least once in each of their last 11 against the Cherries.

Bournemouth have won none of their last eight Premier League games in August (D3 L5) since a 2-0 win over Aston Villa in 2022. In those eight winless games, the Cherries have scored three times while shipping 23.

Newcastle are looking to win their opening two Premier League matches in a season for the first time since the 1997-98 campaign under Kenny Dalglish.

19 of Bournemouth’s last 25 Premier League goals have been netted in the second half, with 65.5 per cent of the goals they’ve netted under Andoni Iraola coming after the break (36/55). In Premier League history among managers whose sides have 50+ goals, only Michael Laudrup (72.4 per cent) and Steve Clarke (66.2 per cent) have seen a higher share of goals scored in the second half of matches.

Newcastle United won 1-0 with a goal from Joelinton on MD1 against Southampton despite playing with 10 men from the 28th minute onwards and enjoying just 22.2 per cent possession. It was the Magpies’ lowest possession in a Premier League win since August 2019 against Spurs (19.8 per cent) – a game they also won 1-0 thanks to a goal from Joelinton.

Newcastle United’s away Premier League matches last season saw 76 goals scored (36 for, 40 against), the most by a team in a season since Chelsea in 2019-20 (77 – 39 for, 38 against). Eight of their 10 away games in 2024 have seen at least four goals scored with an overall average of 4.4 goals per game.

Antoine Semenyo has scored six goals in his last 13 Premier League starts for Bournemouth. His goal against Nottingham Forest was his 10th in the competition overall, the seventh Ghanaian to score 10+ goals; the only African countries with more players on 10 goals are Nigeria (17), Senegal (14) and Ivory Coast (10).

Newcastle manager Eddie Howe has never beaten former club Bournemouth in the Premier League in four attempts (D3 L1). The Cherries are one of only three sides Howe has faced but failed to defeat, along with Luton (D1 L1) and Man City (D1 L15).

Bournemouth’s Alex Scott made eight tackles in their 1-1 draw with Nottingham Forest on MD1, the joint most by a Cherries player in a Premier League match. He also won 13 duels, four more than any other player in the game.

WOLVERHAMPTON WANDERERS V CHELSEA

Wolves have won their last three Premier League games against Chelsea, as many as they had in their previous 17 (D4 L10). Only once before have they won more consecutive league games against the Blues, a run of five between November 1938 and September 1947.

Chelsea are winless in four away league games against Wolves (D1 L3), since a 5-2 victory in September 2019 under Frank Lampard.

Wolves have lost six of their nine Premier League home games so far in 2024 (W3), with no side losing more. They’d only lost four of their 20 league games at Molineux in the whole of 2023.

Chelsea have conceded at least once in each of their last 16 Premier League away games, their longest run

without a clean sheet on the road since a run of 24 between January 1993 and February 1994.

Wolves have lost their last four Premier League matches. They haven’t lost more consecutively since a sixgame run between May and August 2021 (three with Nuno Espírito Santo, three with Bruno Lage), while the last Wolves manager to lose five in a row was Terry Connor in March and April 2012 (seven).

Chelsea suffered a 2-0 defeat to Manchester City on MD1 this season. The Blues haven’t lost their opening two league games in a season since 1973-74, while the last Chelsea manager to lose his first two matches in charge was Gianluca Vialli in February 1998.

Wolves didn’t name a single Englishman in their starting XI on MD1 against Arsenal, the first time they’ve done so in a Premier League game. Gary O’Neil was the first English manager to not name an English player in a starting XI since Steve McClaren for Newcastle against Leicester in November 2015.

Chelsea handed four Premier League club debuts to players against Manchester City on Sunday (Guiu, Veiga, Dewsbury-Hall, Neto), taking their total to 23 debuts since the start of last season, five more than

any other club who haven’t been newly promoted in that time.

Since the start of last season, only Conor Gallagher (83) has committed more fouls in the Premier League than Wolves’ João Gomes (69), with Gomes receiving 12 yellow cards, the second-most in that time behind Marcos Senesi and João Palhinha (13).

Enzo Fernández led all Chelsea players for shots (3) and touches in the opposition box (7) in their 2-0 opening day defeat to Man City. In only one of his previous 46 Premier League games had he managed seven touches in the opposition box, doing so in January against Fulham.

LIVERPOOL V BRENTFORD

In a run stretching back to 1939, Liverpool have won each of their last five home games against Brentford, keeping a clean sheet each time.

Brentford have won just one of their six Premier League meetings with Liverpool (D1 L4). At least one team has scored 3+ goals in five of those six games, with the exception being a 1-0 win for the Reds in May 2023.

Liverpool have lost just two of their last 61 Premier League home games (W46 D13), while they haven’t lost at Anfield in the opening month of the season since 2015 (0-3 v West Ham).

Liverpool are looking to start their Premier League season with two consecutive wins for the first time since 2021-22, a season in which they started with an away win at a newly promoted East Anglian team (3-0 v Norwich); they beat Ipswich 2-0 at Portman Road last weekend.

Brentford have won four of their last seven Premier League matches (D1 L2), more than in their previous 21 games combined (W3 D4 L14).

Arne Slot won his first Premier League game in charge of Liverpool on MD1 against Ipswich, with Graeme Souness in April 1991 the last Reds boss to win his opening two league games in charge. Liverpool had 50 touches in the opposition box against Ipswich, the most in a manager’s first ever game in charge in the Premier League that Opta has on record since 2008-09.

Brentford’s last away Premier League match of 2023-24 was a 2-1 win at Bournemouth – the Bees haven’t won consecutive away games since winning their final away game of 2022-23 (3-1 v Spurs) and first away game of 2023-24 (3-0 v Fulham).

Bryan Mbeumo could make his 100th Premier League appearance in this game, becoming the fourth Brentford player to hit that mark. Mbeumo averages a goal or assist every 108 minutes in games he plays without Ivan Toney (14 goals, 8 assists), compared to a goal involvement every 250 minutes in matches that feature him (9 goals, 13 assists).

Mohamed Salah scored and assisted in Liverpool’s 2-0 Premier League win over Ipswich on MD1, the 32nd time he has done so in a game in the competition, level with Thierry Henry. Only Wayne Rooney has both scored and assisted in more games in the history of the competition (36 games).

Yoane Wissa has scored and assisted in each of his last three Premier League appearances for Brentford, the first player to achieve that for any club since Riyad Mahrez in December 2021 for Man City. No player in Premier League history has scored and assisted in four consecutive appearances