Wednesday 16 December 2015 16:28, UK
Martin Tyler's stats and facts column is back with a look at Arsenal striker Olivier Giroud's latest milestone, Man Utd's winless run, as well comeback victories, set-piece goals and Premier League winners' points tallies.
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Martin's starting stats
It was quite a weekend of Premier League football, with wins for Bournemouth, Newcastle and Leicester all live on Sky Sports, and I was at two of those matches.
On Saturday, it was the first-ever league meeting between Bournemouth and Manchester United. They had played eight times previously in cup competitions, with Bournemouth winning once when as a then third division side they famously knocked the holders out of the FA Cup at the third round stage in 1984.
It was also Artur Boruc's 50th game for the club and the 100th of his England club career, while Andrew Surman finally got a win over United after playing against them for the fourth time with a fourth different team - the midfielder had lost in the past to United with Southampton, Wolves and Norwich, before tasting victory with the Cherries on Saturday Night Football.
Meanwhile, Josh King - who had been at United for four years, playing just twice for them as a substitute in that time - was facing his former club for the first time. And the striker obviously scored against them for the first time too in what was only his second-ever Premier League goal following his debut strike at Swansea a couple of weeks earlier.
Junior Stanislas, who opened the scoring at the Vitality Stadium straight from a corner, had one previous win against United on his CV when he came on as a substitute in West Ham's 4-0 League Cup quarter-final victory over them in November 2010.
As for United, Marouane Fellaini recorded his first goal of the season at Bournemouth and Nick Powell made his first Premier League appearance for the club since November 2012, when he was a substitute in their 3-1 home win over QPR.
Ahead of Chelsea's trip to the King Power Stadium on Monday Night Football, the Blues had beaten Leicester in their eight previous meetings, with the Foxes last win coming at Filbert Street in February 2001. Muzzy Izzet, an ex-Chelsea player, and Gary Rowett scored for the home side, with Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink netting for the visitors on that occasion.
Leicester's victory on Monday was just their fourth over Chelsea in the Premier League, meaning their overall record against the west Londoners now reads - Played: 19, Won: 4, Drawn: 4 and Lost: 11.
And Jamie Vardy has now scored in his last six home games in the Premier League, while Riyad Mahrez netted his first home Premier League goal since August 22 against Spurs.
As for Chelsea, Cesar Azpilicueta featured in his 100th Premier League game and Cesc Fabregas played his 50th Premier League game for the Blues. However, captain John Terry is still stuck on 299 league wins and Eden Hazard has been on 49 Chelsea goals since May, with the Belgian having not scored in his last 27 games in all competitions, including 19 in the top flight.
Giroud's milestone
Olivier Giroud's now scored 50 PL goals (in 113 games). Where does he rank and can we get a top 10 of players to hit that milestone in the fewest games? Tim, Manchester
MARTIN SAYS: Olivier Giroud joined the likes of Thierry Henry, Ian Wright, Dennis Bergkamp, Robert Pires, Robin van Persie and Theo Walcott as just the seventh Arsenal player to score 50 Premier League goals when he converted from the spot at Villa Park on Sunday.
The Frenchman, who has now scored nine times in the Premier League this season, is the third-fastest Arsenal player to 50 goals behind Henry (83) and Wright (87).
That makes him quicker to the landmark than Bergkamp (114), Pires (137) and Van Persie (142), but he doesn't even make the top 20 on the all-time Premier League list.
The 29-year-old is joint 21st alongside Stan Collymore, but top of the pile is Andrew Cole (65), who took 48 fewer games to get to 50 Premier League goals.
Alan Shearer is second on the list taking 66 matches, while Ruud van Nistlerooy is in third place scoring his 50 goals in 68 games.
Former Liverpool and Chelsea striker Fernando Torres took 72 matches to reach the milestone and he is followed by Manchester City forward Sergio Aguero in 81 games.
Comeback kings
Who has secured the most comeback wins this season? Who would be the ultimate Premier League comeback kings in recent campaigns? Graham, St Albans
MARTINS SAYS: Newcastle's 2-1 victory against Tottenham on Super Sunday was the 15th comeback victory of the campaign so far.
Normally, it's Tottenham who are the side producing the comebacks though, and they have two so far this season alongside league leaders Leicester and Swansea.
Arsenal, Manchester City, Manchester United, Liverpool, Crystal Palace, Everton, Southampton and West Brom are the other teams to have enjoyed a come-from-behind win this season.
In the last five campaigns it is Spurs who have picked up the most comeback victories with 19 and they are just ahead of London rivals Chelsea on 18.
Behind them are Arsenal and United (both 15), with City (13), Everton and Stoke (both 11), Aston Villa and Liverpool (both 10) and Swansea (9) completing the top 10.
Set-piece specialists
Which team has been the most dangerous from set pieces so far this season? Dave H, Rotherham
MARTIN SAYS: Set pieces remain one of the most important parts of the game, as Manchester United and Liverpool found out to their cost last weekend.
Jurgen Klopp is planning extra defensive training this week after West Brom struck twice from corners on Sunday, and only Swansea, Leicester and Everton have let in more goals from corners than Liverpool (four goals conceded).
And I was well aware on Monday of the six goals Leicester have shipped from corners this season, with Chelsea looking at times as if they would add to that total.
At the other end of the spectrum, Arsene Wenger's sides have not always won praise for their defensive solidity, but this Arsenal team is yet to give up a league goal from a corner so far this season, with only Crystal Palace matching that record.
Bournemouth's Josh King put United away on Saturday Night Football, finishing a superbly executed corner-kick routine, and it was no fluke. The Cherries are this season's most dangerous team from corners alongside Manchester City and Norwich (six goals scored).
Christian Eriksen's fine dead-ball delivery means Tottenham boast the highest total of set-piece goals (10), while it's not hard to see where Swansea are struggling. The Swans have let in 11 goals from set plays, the joint-most in the league along with new boys Norwich and Bournemouth.
Another word on the magnificent work by Alan Pardew at Selhurst Park: the Eagles are the only side in the top flight yet to concede from any set piece, including penalties.
Winless runs
Where does Manchester United's current winless run of five games in all competitions rank in their longest streak without a victory in the Premier League era? Ben, Bournemouth
MARTIN SAYS: Saturday's 2-1 defeat to Bournemouth stretched Manchester United's run without a win in all competitions to five matches.
However, they will have to extend that run to eight games if they are to overtake the unwanted record of Sir Alex Ferguson's 2007 side, who went seven matches with tasting victory in all competitions from May 9, 2007 to August 19, 2007.
Two United sides have gone six games in all competitions without a win. The first run came in the inaugural Premier League between September 19, 1992 and October 3, 1993 - but it did not stop them lifting the title.
Surprisingly, their other six-game winless streak came during the famous Treble-winning season of 1998/99. The winless run started on December 2, 1998 and came to an end on Boxing Day with a 3-0 home victory over Nottingham Forest as they went on to finish the campaign with Premier League, FA Cup and Champions League success.
Including their current run, United have had a total of five five-game runs (1992, 1995, 1998, 2014 and 2015) without a win in all competitions in the Premier League era and only on two occasions did they recover to go on and win the league that season.
What do points mean...?
How many points has it taken to win each Premier League season? Are we on course for the lowest winners' haul? Freddie, Croydon
MARTIN SAYS: Leicester are back on top of the table with 35 points from 16 games thanks to their 2-1 victory over Chelsea on Monday Night Football. However, if they were to continue at this current rate of picking up 2.18 points per game, they would finish with 83 points.
Would that be enough for them to be crowned champions? Well in a 38-match season, Manchester United retained the title in 1995/96 with just 75 points - the lowest winners' total in the 23 seasons so far of the Premier League.
And as you can see from the below table, an 83-point haul would also have been enough to be crowned champions in a 20-team division in 1996, 1998, 1999, 2001, 2003 and 2011, with Manchester City boss Manuel Pellegrini even recently predicting that "less than 80 points" could be enough to win this season's Premier League.
Meanwhile, Jose Mourinho's first-ever title triumph with Chelsea in his debut campaign in England in 2004/05 saw the Blues collect 95 points, a sum so far unmatched in the Premier League era.
Role reversal
Has any club been bottom at Christmas one season and then top the next?! Billy, Leicester
MARTIN SAYS: Thanks to Opta I can tell you that no club has ever been bottom at Christmas one season and then risen to the top of the pile in the next.
Leicester's rise from foot of the table this time last year to being top just under 12 months later has been remarkable. Are we looking at the first team to be bottom of the table at Christmas in one campaign and go on to become champions the next? We will have to wait and see!
