EPL

Arsenal reach milestone with 2,000th Premier League goal as Saka strikes

By Sports Desk March 19, 2022

Bukayo Saka struck against Aston Villa on Saturday to bring up Arsenal's 2,000th goal in the Premier League.

The England international rifled in a low 20-yard strike to give the Gunners a 1-0 lead in the 30th minute.

Arsenal become only the third team to hit the milestone in the competition after Manchester United and Liverpool. Jurgen Klopp's side managed the feat in last week's win against Brighton and Hove Albion.

Mikel Arteta's Arsenal, who are aiming to secure Champions League qualification for the first time since 2016, took their tally to 44 goals in the league this season with Saka's opener at Villa Park.

Stats Perform breaks down the headline numbers from Arsenal's haul.

87 - Arsenal's 87-goal haul in 2004-05 remains their highest-scoring season to date, but they have hit the 80-goal mark on two further occasions, in 2002-03 (85) and 2009-10 (83).

300 - The Gunners are the only side to have netted at least 300 Premier League goals at two different grounds. They scored 538 while at Highbury and have now moved onto 605 at Emirates Stadium.

45 - The opposition ground at which they have scored most often in the Premier League is Goodison Park (45). Indeed, Everton are the only side against whom Arsenal have helped themselves to over 100 goals in the competition.

30 - Thierry Henry became the first Arsenal player to score 30 Premier League goals in a season, when he did so in the famous 'Invincibles' campaign of 2003-04. Robin van Persie is the only other Gunner to have hit that mark since, when he netted 30 in 2011-12, before going on to join Manchester United.

3 - Henry scored 25 goals or more in three separate Premier League campaigns (2003-04, 2004-05, 2005-06). The only other Arsenal player to ever score more than 25 was Van Persie in his final season at the club.

175 - Predictably, Henry is Arsenal's top scorer in the Premier League, with 175 goals. Ian Wright is second with 104, with Van Persie third on 96. Dennis Bergkamp tallied up 87, while Olivier Giroud scored 73.

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    Vlahovic returned from the international break with a muscle problem in his left thigh, and the manager, after he confirmed the Serbian's absence for Saturday's game at San Siro, was asked about his chances of playing on Wednesday at Villa Park.

    "I don't know. He definitely won't be there tomorrow. We hope to have him back as soon as possible," Motta told a press conference on Friday.

    "Injuries are part of football. Now it's Vlahovic's turn, but we'll keep playing with the same principles, attacking and defending together."

    Vlahovic is the latest of Motta's injury problems at Juventus. Argentine winger Nicolas Gonzalez missed the last six league games and is still unavailable, while Poland striker Arkadiusz Milik is a long-term absentee.

    Brazilian midfielder Douglas Luiz will also miss the game with Milan and defender Juan Cabal recently suffered an Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) injury, the same issue which will keep fellow defender Gleison Bremer out for the rest of the season.

    "I'm really disappointed for Cabal because, like Bremer, he'll be out for a long time," Motta said.

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    "It's very balanced and this is good for both us and the public," Motta said.

    "We must all try to continue like this. We have to try to get as many positive results as possible."

    Milan are one place behind Juve but six points off Motta's side.

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    "Injuries are part of football. Now it's Vlahovic's turn, but we'll keep playing with the same principles, attacking and defending together."

    Vlahovic is the latest of Motta's injury problems at Juventus. Argentine winger Nicolas Gonzalez missed the last six league games and is still unavailable, while Poland striker Arkadiusz Milik is a long-term absentee.

    Brazilian midfielder Douglas Luiz will also miss the game with Milan and defender Juan Cabal recently suffered an Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) injury, the same issue which will keep fellow defender Gleison Bremer out for the rest of the season.

    "I'm really disappointed for Cabal because, like Bremer, he'll be out for a long time," Motta said.

    "This is another reason to push ourselves, to commit that bit more so that these absences don't weigh too heavily."

    Juventus go into the game as the only unbeaten side in Serie A, but find themselves sixth in the standings in what is so far a very tight title race, with just two points separating Motta's side from leaders Napoli.

    "It's very balanced and this is good for both us and the public," Motta said.

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    PLAYERS TO WATCH

    New York City FC – Alonzo Martinez

    Twelve of Alonzo Martinez's 17 goals this season (regular season and playoffs) have been scored in home matches, while Santiago Rodriguez has scored 11 of his 13 goals at home.

    Both players found the net in NYCFC's home win over Cincinnati in Game 2 of their first-round series.

    New York Red Bulls – Emil Forsberg

    Emil Forsberg became the 14th different Red Bulls player to record a goal and an assist in a single playoff match in Game 2 of New York's first-round series against Columbus Crew.

    No player has more than one such game in the team's postseason history.

    MATCH PREDICTION: NEW YORK CITY FC WIN

    This will be the first playoff meeting between New York City FC and the Red Bulls, but the fifth in knockout rounds in all competitions.

    The Red Bulls eliminated NYCFC in each of the previous four knockout round meetings, doing so in the US Open Cup three times and the Leagues Cup once.

    NYCFC has won five of their eight all-time home playoff matches, including the last three in a row. All three teams that defeated NYCFC on the road in the playoffs went on to reach the MLS Cup Final (Toronto FC in 2016 & 2019, Atlanta United in 2018).

    The Red Bulls' 1-0 win at Columbus in Game 1 on October 29 ended a six-match road losing streak in postseason play for the club. The Red Bulls have won multiple road playoff games in a single season twice before, doing so in 2008 and 2017.

    OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

    New York City FC – 46.5%

    Draw – 26.5%

    New York Red Bulls – 27%

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