EPL

Premier League data dive: Arsenal's Goodison gloom as Reds' rot continues

By Sports Desk February 04, 2023

Arsenal's assault on the Premier League title suffered a hit at Goodison Park as Sean Dyche provided the new manager bounce for Everton.

The Toffees secured a first league win since October to condemn the Gunners to defeat, opening the door for Manchester City to cut the gap to the leaders to just two points if they beat Tottenham on Sunday.

Sean Dyche's side were not the only relegation-threatened team to pick up a major scalp, as Wolves stunned Liverpool at Molineux to extend a miserable run of form for Jurgen Klopp's Reds.

There was no similar result for Southampton, who were picked apart by in-form Brentford, while Manchester United maintained their fine home run with a hard-fought win against Crystal Palace.

Here, Stats Perform looks at the most interesting facts to emerge from Saturday's Premier League action.

Everton 1-0 Arsenal: Goodison gloom for Gunners

Goodison Park is a ground that used to hold many happy memories for Mikel Arteta, who started his Premier League career at the club, but three consecutive league defeats for Arsenal at the venue may have changed that.

Arteta has lost all of his three Premier League away matches to Everton, the first Gunners manager to endure such a run, while the Toffees boast three consecutive home league victories against Arsenal for the first time since March 1977 to August 1978.

It handed Arsenal just their second defeat in their last 21 Premier League matches (won 17, drawn 2), with the loss ending a streak of 14 unbeaten top-flight games for the league leaders.

Dyche, meanwhile, became just the second manager to beat a side starting the day top of the table in his first Premier League game in charge of a club, after Alan Curbishley defeated Manchester United in his first match with West Ham in December 2006.

Wolves 3-0 Liverpool: Dawson delight amid Klopp rot

Craig Dawson is not a name that would usually strike fear for opposition defenders in the Premier League but the Wolves defender has established a habit of haunting Liverpool, his latest goal representing his third against the Reds.

Each of those goals have come for a different side (West Brom, West Ham, Wolves) and he has scored more goals against Liverpool than he has versus any other side.

Klopp's side have now lost three consecutive away games in the Premier League for the first time since a run of four in April 2012 and have lost back-to-back Saturday 3pm kick-offs in the competition for the first time since March 2012.

A horror start was their downfall against Wolves, with Liverpool conceding more Premier League goals in the opening five minutes of matches than any side this season (five), while Joel Matip's own goal was his first in 135 Premier League appearances.

Brentford 3-0 Southampton: Bees buzzing at home

Unbeaten in their last nine Premier League games (won five, drawn four), only Newcastle United are currently on a longer run without defeat – extending their streak to 16 with a draw against West Ham in the late kick-off.

The Bees' trio of goals against Southampton took their tally to 23 goals in 11 Premier League home games this season, already surpassing the tally of 22 last term. In fact, only Manchester City (38) and Arsenal (25) have scored more at home this term.

On target with a header yet again, 10 of Ben Mee's 12 Premier League goals have come in that fashion and no side has conceded more headed goals in the top-flight this season than Southampton (10), two of them being on Saturday.

Pressure upon Saints boss Nathan Jones continues to rise, with Southampton losing eight of their last nine in the Premier League, winning just once, while they have just a single clean sheet in their last 27 matches in the competition.

Manchester United 2-1 Crystal Palace: Penalties on point for United

With 13 consecutive home wins in all competitions, Manchester United are in their stride and are enjoying their longest such run at Old Trafford since a 20-match streak between December 2010 and September 2011.

While Marcus Rashford scored in five consecutive Premier League home games for the first time, it was Bruno Fernandes' opener from the penalty spot that sent Erik Ten Hag's side on their way – and took the Portugal midfielder's tally of penalty goals in the Premier League to 14.

Only Wayne Rooney (20) and Ruud van Nistelrooy (18) have scored more from the spot for United than Fernandes, with his latest effort being the club's 173rd all-time spot-kick in the Premier League – the joint-highest total alongside Liverpool.

The red mist descended on Casemiro, however, with the Brazilian shown a straight red card for the first time in Europe's top-five leagues; the dismissal coming in his 366th such appearance.

That provided a late charge for Palace, who saw eight of their 10 shots come in the final 20 minutes after Casemiro's dismissal, but Patrick Vieira's side remain winless in the Premier League in 2023 (drawn 2, lost 3), scoring just once in the process.

Related items

  • Argentina's training facility named after Messi Argentina's training facility named after Messi

    Argentina have honoured Lionel Messi's World Cup heroics by naming their training facility after their talismanic captain.

    Casa de Ezeiza, in Buenos Aires, houses Argentina's national team set-up, but it will now be known as Lionel Andres Messi.

    Chiqui Tapia, president of the Argentine Football Association (AFA), confirmed the news on Saturday, tweeting: "We lived a historic day in our Casa de Ezeiza, which from today will be renamed Lionel Andres Messi, in homage to the best player in the world.

    "I want to thank all the managers, players and employees of @afa for having been with us."

    Messi dragged Argentina to glory in Qatar last year, emulating the success of the late Diego Maradona as La Albiceleste claimed their third world title, and first since 1986.

    "This recognition is one of the nicest I've ever received," Messi posted on Instagram. "A great honour, thank you very much!!!"

    Messi scored the 800th goal of his stellar career in Argentina's 2-0 friendly win over Panama on Thursday. The 35-year-old's next goal on the international stage will be his 100th for his country.

  • Maguire suggests he does not feel fully appreciated at Man Utd Maguire suggests he does not feel fully appreciated at Man Utd

    England centre-back Harry Maguire suggested he does not feel fully appreciated at Manchester United and insists his influence is still being fully felt at the club.

    Maguire has started just five Premier League games all season after falling out of favour at United since the arrival of manager Erik ten Hag.

    The 30-year-old has had no such problems under Gareth Southgate, having remained a regular for England despite his relative lack of minutes at club level.

    Amid rumours that Maguire may look to find a new team ahead of next season, the former Leicester City man has defended his time at Old Trafford.

    "In my last nine starts for United, we have won," he said. "I can't remember losing a game for United, so my influence is still there."

    Asked if he feels properly appreciated, Maguire said: "For England, yes. Last season was difficult for [United] but I've proven myself to Gareth. 

    "I've made over 50 caps. I'm England's top-scoring defender. I've played nearly 200 times for United. I've captained the club for three years.

    "I do also understand that when you are the captain of United you do come under the most amount of scrutiny.

    "Last season at club level, my performances weren't good enough, alongside everybody else at club level."

    Maguire played a full part as England kicked off their Euro 2024 qualifying campaign with a 2-1 win away at Italy on Friday.

    England exited the 2022 World Cup at the quarter-final stage, and Maguire says falling short of lifting the European Championship title next year will be "a failure".

    "I believe we have the players to win it," he said. "I'm with a mindset of 'If we don't win the tournament, it's been a failure'. 

    "I've been at three major tournaments now and I've come so close. Obviously, we've got to qualify first from a tough group, we've come to Italy and got an amazing result. 

    "We're in a good place. But these big tournaments are decided on the finest margins. 

    "I think we played really well in the World Cup and ultimately we got knocked out by a good French team. So it's something that we're working on. 

    "We have so much talent and so many young players coming through."

  • Man City striker compared to Haaland 'can be best in the world', says team-mate Man City striker compared to Haaland 'can be best in the world', says team-mate

    Khadija 'Bunny' Shaw has already prompted comparisons to Erling Haaland for her goalscoring exploits, and a Manchester City team-mate believes she can be the world's best player.

    Jamaica striker Shaw has scored 26 goals in 23 games in all competitions for City this season, including 15 in 15 in the Women's Super League.

    The 26-year-old has averaged a goal every 86 minutes in the league – not quite on par with men's star Haaland, who has scored every 76 minutes in the Premier League, but close enough for onlookers to note the similarities.

    City manager Gareth Taylor did not shy away from comparisons between the "pretty remarkable" pair last week, explaining how both are "so mentally strong".

    It is that quality that might yet make Shaw the world's best, with England defender Alex Greenwood backing her City colleague.

    "I'm not surprised she's doing what she is doing, and she still has so many levels to go to, which is quite frightening to be honest," Greenwood told BBC Sport.

    "I think she can be the best in the world if she wants to be. She has all the attributes to be the best in the world.

    "I know how hard she works in training. It's the reason she's flourishing right now.

    "She's been really strong for us, so we just need to keep feeding her, keep giving her the ball, and the rest she'll take care of."

© 2023 SportsMaxTV All Rights Reserved.