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Martin Tyler's stats: What can Chelsea realistically achieve this season?

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Sky Sports' Martin Tyler brings you his latest teaser

Can Chelsea salvage something from their dismal start to the season? Which player scored the quickest five-goal haul in Premier League history? Read on for the latest stats from Martin Tyler...

How to send your questions to Martin:

Tweet @SkyFootball using the hashtag #TylersTeasers

MARTIN'S STARTING STATS

It was the first time Arsenal have beaten Manchester United in the Premier League since May 2011, when Aaron Ramsey's strike sealed a 1-0 victory.

It was only their second win in 14 league meetings and they needed to win by two clear goals to go above United in the table on goal difference. Obviously, they won by three!

In just over a week, Alexis Sanchez has six goals in his three appearances for Arsenal, and he also scored his first goals against Manchester United.

Mesut Ozil and Alexis Sanchez shone in Arsenal's 3-0 win over Manchester United
Image: Mesut Ozil and Alexis Sanchez shone in Arsenal's 3-0 win over Manchester United

Mesut Ozil was a winner again against Manchester United, as he was when he helped Real Madrid knock United out of the Champions League in Sir Alex Ferguson's final European tie back in March 2013.

It was the first time Arsenal had beaten United by more than one goal in the league for 14 years.

Francis Coquelin made his 50th Premier League appearance; funnily enough, his first was in Arsenal's 8-2 defeat at Old Trafford in August 2011.

Wayne Rooney didn't add to his 14 goals against Arsenal, though, and he hasn't scored in his last 17 Premier League away games. His last Premier League away goal came in United's 2-1 victory at the Emirates in November 2014.

Arsenal had failed to score in five of their previous seven Premier League games at the Emirates and then, of course, scored three in 20 minutes.

Over to your questions...

Hi Martin! What chance do Chelsea have in finishing in the top four after their poor start? What is the highest a team has finished after being 16th after eight games and having eight points after eight games? (David, Orpington)

Chelsea playes show their dejection
Image: Chelsea have made their their worst start to a season since 1978/79

MARTIN SAYS: Chelsea's troubles this season continued at home to Southampton on Saturday as a 3-1 defeat condemned the Blues to their worst start to a season since 1978/79, at the end of which they were relegated from the First Division.

Of the 23 teams in Premier League history to have claimed eight points from their opening eight games, 12 have gone on to be relegated to the second tier of English football.

On a more optimistic note for Chelsea fans, the Blues would make history this season if they were to finish in the Champions League spaces come May.

Everton's fifth-place finish in 2008/09 season, having begun the season in identical fashion to Chelsea this year, is the closest any team has come after such a start, while the 63 points they gained is greatest a team in Chelsea's position have mustered.

In recent years, Crystal Palace's remarkable rise under Tony Pulis during the 2013/14 season, following Ian Holloway's departure from Selhurst Park, show that teams can have defy the odds after a poor start, although retaining the title may now be beyond Chelsea.

If Leicester's current points per game rate continues they would finish the season on 71 points - they earned 41 last season. What is the biggest jump in points a club has gained from one Premier League season to the next? (Sam, Runcorn)

Jamie Vardy (3rd L) celebrates his seventh league goal of the season after putting Leicester 1-0 up from the penalty spot
Image: Jamie Vardy (3rd L) celebrates his seventh league goal of the season after putting Leicester 1-0 up from the penalty spot

MARTIN SAYS: If Leicester can maintain their impressive start to life under new manager Claudio Ranieri, and gain 30 points more than they did last season, they would break the record for the biggest points gain in consecutive seasons.

Interestingly, if Leicester added 30 points onto their tally from last season they would have pipped Manchester United to the fourth and final Champions League spot!

The Foxes got back to winning ways on Saturday with victory at Norwich so if they're able to keep up this good form, who knows where they will end up come May.

In terms of record point increases in consecutive seasons Liverpool currently top the charts, gaining 24 more points in the 2005/06 season than they had in the season before. (But of course they did win the Champions League in 2004/05.)

The greatest overall points increase, with a swing of 39 points, was achieved by Ipswich Town in 2000/01, although six seasons separated that season and their previous top-flight campaign in 1994/95.

Manchester United found themselves 3-0 down after just 19 minutes against Arsenal. Is that the quickest they have been 3-0 down in PL history? (Mick, Hitchin)

Woe for Wayne Rooney and Manchester United
Image: Woe for Wayne Rooney and Manchester United

MARTIN SAYS: Arsenal's first-half demolition of Manchester United on Super Sunday was indeed the quickest United have gone three goals down in the Premier League, with the Gunners achieving the feat in just 20 minutes.

It was only the fifth time in Premier League history that United had fallen three goals behind. The first time came on the opening day of the 1995/96 season, where goals from Ian Taylor, Mark Draper and Dwight Yorke put Aston Villa three ahead after just 37 minutes, before a young David Beckham pulled it back to 3-1 late on.

United suffered the same fate later on that season as three strikes from Ken Monkou, Neil Shipperley and Matt Le Tissier inside the opening 43 minutes guided Southampton to 3-1 victory over the would-be champions at The Dell, Ryan Giggs was the Manchester United scorer.

Just as Arsenal did on Sunday, Villa and Southampton managed to see out the game to claim three points. The same, however, cannot be said for Tottenham, who were the next to go 3-0 up at half time against United during the 2001/02 season.

First-half efforts from Dean Richards, Les Ferdinand and Christian Ziege appeared to have put United to bed inside 45 minutes at White Hart Lane.

But the visitors produced a stirring second-half comeback to snatch victory as Andy Cole, Laurent Blanc, Ruud van Nistelrooy, Sebastian Veron and David Beckham completed a remarkable turnaround.

Before Arsenal's Alexis Sanchez and Mesut Ozil ran riot against them on Sunday, United had navigated almost ten years without suffering a similar result.

The last time they were three goals down came back in the October of the 2005/06 season, as Gaizka Mendieta, Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink and Yakubu all struck within 45 minutes for Middlesbrough in a 4-1 win at the Riverside.

Sergio Aguero's five-goal haul against Newcastle came in just 23 minutes and 34 seconds of play. Is he the quickest to hit a five-goal haul? (James, Shrewsbury)

 Sergio Aguero of Manchester City celebrates scoring his fourth and team's fifth goal
Image: Sergio Aguero hit five in just over 23 minutes against Newcastle

MARTIN SAYS: Officially there were just 20 minutes between the Manchester City forward's first goal and his fifth, meaning he beat the previous record, held by Jermain Defoe, by 16 minutes.

Of course, that doesn't include stoppage-time so you can add another three minutes and 34 seconds to that, making 23 minutes and 34 seconds as you rightly point out. However, even taking that into account Aguero was still more than 12 minutes quicker than Defoe, who notched his five-goal haul against Wigan in 2009.

Aguero was just the fifth player in Premier League history to score five goals in a game after Defoe, Andrew ColeAlan Shearer and Dimitar Berbatov.

Cole was the first in Manchester United's demolition of Ipswich in March 1995 with a gap of 68 minutes between his first and his fifth goal, exactly the same amount of time it took Berbatov 15 years later against Blackburn.

That makes Shearer the third fastest to complete his quintet of goals. His scored his fifth goal in the 84th minute of Newcastle's win over Sheffield Wednesday, 54 minutes after netting his first.

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