Saturday 8 August 2015 20:23, UK
The Premier League is back - and the opening day threw up plenty of interesting stats. Here's a selection of the best...
Manchester United 1-0 Tottenham Hotspur
- For the first time a Premier League season's first goal was an own goal. Kyle Walker had the dubious honour.
- It is the second time Spurs have scored an own goal v Manchester United on opening day, Ramon Vega also did this in 1997.
- Manchester United have kept a clean sheet on the opening day for the first time since 2010, when they beat Newcastle 3-0 at Old Trafford.
- Mauricio Pochettino’s Spurs are yet to score against Manchester United in three meetings.
- United have lost just one of their last 24 opening league games of the season at Old Trafford (W17 D6).
- Spurs have lost three of their last five games on opening day, winning the other two.
- Manchester United have now won back-to-back Premier League games against Spurs, after a five game winless run (D3 L2).
- Aston Villa opened a Premier League campaign on the road for the fifth successive season.
- Since the start of 2013/14, Rudy Gestede has scored 20 headed goals; five more than anyone else in the top four tiers.
- Gestede has scored in five consecutive appearances for the first time in his league career.
- Bournemouth only lost one of their last 19 home league games last season; they suffered defeat on the opening day at Dean Court on Saturday.
- Aston Villa won on the opening day against a newly-promoted side for the first time in Premier League history, at the fourth attempt (D1 L2).
- Aston Villa’s last seven away league wins have seen them keep a clean sheet; a run that goes back to a 3-2 win at Southampton in December 2013.
- Miguel Layun became the first player to score a Premier League goal for Watford since Marlon King, 3009 days ago against Newcastle.
- Layun scored his first goal for Watford; he became only the fifth Mexican to score in the Premier League, after Javier Hernandez, Guillermo Franco, Carlos Vela and Jared Borgetti.
- Ross Barkley has scored in both of his appearances on the opening day of a Premier League season. Both came from outside the box.
- Odion Ighalo has scored more goals than any other player in the top four tiers in 2015 (17).
- Arouna Kone netted his first Premier League goal since December 2014; he also assisted Everton’s first equaliser.
- Everton have now started three consecutive Premier League seasons with a 2-2 draw.
- The Toffees have now conceded 37 goals on the opening day in Premier League history; more than any other side.
- Watford ended a run of nine consecutive defeats against Everton in all competitions.
- All five Premier League clashes between these teams have now seen a goal scored in the final five minutes.
Norwich City 1-3 Crystal Palace
- Norwich City are winless in their last 13 opening day matches in league competition (D6 L7).
- Wilfried Zaha has scored three goals in his last five Premier League away appearances
- Yohan Cabaye scored his 18th Premier League goal. He now has six in his last eight appearances in the competition.
- Palace have only lost two of their last eight visits to Carrow Road, winning four of their last six.
- Nathan Redmond has scored four goals in his last five appearances for Norwich.
- Norwich have lost seven of their last eight Premier League games.
- The Canaries have conceded 26 goals in their last 12 Premier League games.
- Alan Pardew has matched the most number of wins by a Crystal Palace boss in the Premier League (11) even though this was only his 19th game in charge.
- The last Sunderland manager to win a Premier League game on the opening weekend was Steve Bruce against Bolton in 2009/10 (D4 L2 since).
- Since the start of April Leicester have won more points than any other Premier League side (25).
- The Foxes have won six and lost just one of their last seven league games at the King Power Stadium.
- Jamie Vardy has five goals and four assists in his last 11 league appearances.
- Leicester scored three goals before half-time for the first time in the Premier League since October 2003. They actually went on to lose that game against Wolves 4-3.
- Leicester have scored 14 goals in their last four Premier League home games.
- Jermain Defoe has now scored in 15 different Premier League seasons, and has 129 goals in total.
- Marc Albrighton assisted and scored in a Premier League game for the first time.
- Albrighton ended last season with three assists but already has two after the opening game of 2015-16.
- Six of Steven Fletcher’s last nine Premier League goals have been headed.
- Garry Monk's Swansea are the first away team to score twice at Stamford Bridge in the Premier League since they did so last September.
- Swansea join Wolves as the only teams to hit 10+ shots on target in a Premier League game away at Chelsea in the Opta database.
- Thibaut Courtois' red card was Chelsea's 70th in the Premier League, 17 of which have come under Mourinho (24%).
- Bafetimbi Gomis is one of two players (along with Naismith) to have scored v Arsenal, Chelsea, Man City & Man Utd over the last 2 Premier League seasons.
- Oscar has scored three goals in his last 12 Premier League appearances - all coming against Swansea.
- Andre Ayew has scored in eight of his last 14 league game (France and England), including four of his last six.
- It took Ayew 599 minutes to score his first goal in Ligue 1; he scored after 29 minutes in the Premier League.
- In 24 Premier League seasons, the defending champions have never lost their opening game (winning 20 and drawing four).
- Chelsea have won 14 and lost none of their last 17 Premier League fixtures on the opening weekend. The Blues haven’t lost a season opener since 1998/99 vs Coventry City.
