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Martin Tyler: Liverpool's red cards, Suarez's hat-tricks and a new teaser

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Martin Tyler brings you another of his teasers ahead of West Ham's game against Manchester United.

Tyler's Teaser

Every week, Martin will set you a question of his own to get your grey matter working. Click above for this week's Tyler's Teaser - which comes from Upton Park ahead of West Ham v Manchester United.

Send your questions to Martin

1: Email your posers to skysportsclub@bskyb.com

2. Use the feedback form at the bottom of this page.

Martin’s Starting Stats

This is now the first ever season where Everton, Liverpool and Manchester City have all won away at Manchester United in the Premier League. I was at Old Trafford on Tuesday night to see City do the double for the second season in three. They have also won three derbies in a row for the first time since March 1969 – December 1970. They have also won the last three derbies away – and the last time they did that was when they won five in a row between March 1958 and April 1972.

In fact, in the 1920’s, City made three consecutive league visits to Old Trafford and the games finished 6-1, 2-1 and 3-1. We almost had the same sequence of results again, but it wasn’t quite 3-1 this time! In fact, in the season when they won 6-1 in the Premier League they were relegated, but when they won by that scoreline in 2012 they won league.

It was Rio Ferdinand’s 500th career league appearance and Joe Hart made his100th shutout for Man City. He has been the goalkeeper in all four of City’s Premier League wins at Old Trafford.

Wayne Rooney has now gone 11 games at Old Trafford without scoring since October 26. His last nine goals have all been away from home – and we saw two of them at West Ham on Saturday. Edin Dzeko became the fourth Manchester City player to reach 20 goals (all competitions) this season. Sergio Aguero has 26, Alvaro Negredo 23, Yaya Toure 21 and Edin Dzeko 20.

In 2014 Manchester United have won seven and lost eight in all competitions. Manuel Pellegrini has managed three times at Old Trafford now and not conceded in any of the games. He secured two 0-0’s with Villarreal in the Champions League and his overall record against United is P6 W2 D4 L0 F7 A1

I’ll finish this section with the most damning fact of all.  This is the first time in Premier League history that Man United have lost 10 games.

The ultimate run-in

Hi Martin. As a Liverpool fan starting to dream, I believe the club will have to win all remaining fixtures to clinch the title. This would then mean that they would have won the last 14 matches of the season, taking 42 points from 42! Has there ever been such a run in to the season? Also, what has been the most points taken from the last 14 games for a team, coming from a lower position, to clinch the title? Best Regards, Henri

MARTIN SAYS: We asked Opta to look at the stats and tell us the teams who have picked up the most points from the last 14 games of a Premier League season. I can tell you that no side has ever won their last 14 games of a season, but we have seen a team win their last 13 games.

That team was Arsenal in 2001/02, who drew their 25th game of the season 1-1 at home to Southampton – and then won their final 13 matches against Everton, Fulham, Newcastle, Derby, Aston Villa, Sunderland, Charlton, Tottenham, Ipswich, West Ham, Bolton, Arsenal and Everton. After 24 games they were second on 47 points, one point behind leaders Manchester United and one point above Liverpool in fourth. They ended up winning the title by seven points on 87 points.

Manchester United have twice gone unbeaten in the last 14 games of the season. In 1999/2000 they won 12 and drew two of their last 14 and in 2002/03 they won 11 and drew three. On both occasions they won the title.

Liverpool are no strangers to finishing the season strongly. We have twice seen them pick up 37 points from the last 14 games of the season. In both 2001/02 and 2005/06 they only lost one of their last 14 games and finished second and third respectively.

Best finishes to a Premier League season (final 14 games): 

Team Season P W D L F A GD Pts
Arsenal 2002 14 13 1 0 30 7 23 40
Manchester United 2000 14 12 2 0 41 14 27 38
Manchester United 1996 14 12 1 1 31 8 23 37
Liverpool 2002 14 12 1 1 34 6 28 37
Liverpool 2006 14 12 1 1 27 8 19 37
Manchester United 2003 14 11 3 0 34 10 24 36
Manchester United 2006 14 11 2 1 27 10 17 35
Chelsea 2009 14 11 2 1 24 9 15 35
Liverpool 2009 14 11 2 1 38 12 26 35
Arsenal 2013 14 11 2 1 24 8 16 35

No red for Reds

Hi Martin, love to read your column here from India. In a week of red cards and controversies I wanted to ask you a red card question regarding Liverpool. Cardiff was yet another game for Liverpool without getting a red. The last in the league, I think, was Shelvey against United, at the early stages of the previous season. I wanted to know the longest that teams have gone without getting a red in the league. Also how many teams have played an entire season without getting a red? I know Liverpool played out 2008-09 without one. Any others? Vivek (kopite) (Liverpool)

MARTIN SAYS: Writing ahead of the midweek game with Sunderland, Liverpool have gone 63 matches since their last red card. You’re right to say the last Liverpool player to be sent for an early bath in the Premier League was Jonjo Shelvy against Manchester United at Anfield on September 23, 2012.

Liverpool are currently on the 12th longest run without a red card in Premier League history. Incredibly Leeds United played 131 Premier League games before picking up their first red card. They received no reds in the first three Premier League seasons and their run finally ended in September 1995 when John Pemberton was sent off in a 3-1 defeat at home to QPR.

It should be pointed out that the laws of the game have changed in recent years and certain offences are mandatory red cards for referees – which has led to more red cards – though there are signs of a softer approach this season.

Longest runs without a red card in Premier League history

Team Games without a Red Run Started Run Ended
Leeds United 131 15/08/92 16/09/95
Ipswich Town 94 03/10/92 28/12/94
Manchester City 91 22/08/92 15/10/94
Liverpool 87 11/02/95 16/04/97
Aston Villa 82 15/08/92 30/04/94
Everton 79 10/02/93 14/01/95
Manchester United 73 15/08/92 19/03/94
Liverpool 70 29/04/06 23/03/08
Southampton 69 15/01/94 22/10/95
Fulham 68 19/10/09 22/05/11
Manchester United 64 29/10/11 05/05/13
Liverpool 63 29/09/12 Ongoing

You also ask about teams who have gone through a season without receiving a red card. In total, 26 teams have achieved this feat in Premier League history – although only one side has done it in the last four seasons. That team was Fulham in 2011/12.

Remarkably we could see five teams do it this year because, like Liverpool, no red cards have been awarded to Cardiff, Aston Villa, West Brom or Southampton this season.

Current runs without a red card (ahead of Wednesday's games)

Team Games without a Red Run Started
Liverpool 63 29/09/12
Southampton 34 04/05/13
West Bromwich Albion 34 04/05/13
Aston Villa 31 19/05/13
Cardiff City 31 17/08/13
Crystal Palace 18 30/11/13
Everton 12 29/12/13
Norwich City 8 01/02/14
Newcastle United 8 01/02/14
Hull City 7 01/02/14
West Ham United 6 08/02/14
Swansea City 3 15/03/14
Stoke City 2 15/03/14
Tottenham Hotspur 2 16/03/14
Manchester City 2 22/03/14
Manchester United 2 22/03/14
Chelsea 1 22/03/14
Arsenal 1 -
Fulham 0 -
Sunderland 0 -

Arsenal outgunned

Arsenal have conceded six goals against Chelsea, six goals against Man City and five goals against Liverpool. Has any team ever finished in the top four having conceded so many goals against the teams above them? Leslie (Arsenal fan)

MARTIN SAYS: In total, Arsenal have conceded 17 goals in their five games against the other sides in the top three. As you mention, they lost 5-1 to Liverpool, 6-3 to Man City and 6-0 to Chelsea – but in their home games against Chelsea and Liverpool they kept clean sheets, drawing 0-0 with the Blues and beating the Reds 2-0. They host Manchester City this Saturday live on Sky Sports.

We asked Opta to tell us which top-four sides have conceded the most goals against the other sides in the top four that season and we’ve found just one team that has conceded more than Arsenal. That side is Tottenham, who finished fourth in 2011/12 despite conceding 20 goals to the teams above them – Manchester City, Manchester United and Arsenal.

They lost 5-1 and 3-2 to Manchester City; lost 3-0 and 3-1 to Manchester United; and also lost 5-2 to Arsenal despite beating them 2-1 at White Hart Lane. That’s a total of 20 goals conceded. Arsenal will need to avoid conceding three times on Saturday night to avoid matching that unwanted record.

Top four sides conceding 13+ goals to other top-four sides in a season:

Team Season Games Played Goals Conceded
Tottenham Hotspur 2012 6 20
Newcastle United 2003 6 17
Arsenal 2014 5 17
Arsenal 2012 6 15
Leeds United 2000 6 14
Newcastle United 2002 6 14
Tottenham Hotspur 2010 6 14
Norwich City 1998 6 13
Chelsea 1998 6 13
Manchester United 2002 6 13
Everton 2005 6 13

Suarez’s treble of trebles

Hi Martin. I'm a big fan of your column and I never miss it. Luis Suarez scored his third hat-trick of the season against Cardiff on Saturday. What is the highest number of hat-tricks scored by a player in a Premier League season and also who has scored the most hat-tricks during his entire Premier League career? Sheikh (Liverpool fan in Ghana)

MARTIN SAYS: Before I answer your question, let me put Suarez’s achievement into context. When he scored hat-tricks against West Brom and Norwich earlier this season it was only the 34th time that a player had scored more than one hat-trick in a season. He also scored two hat-tricks last season and has become only the fourth player in Premier League history to score multiple hat-tricks in successive seasons after Alan Shearer (1994/95 & 1995/96), Thierry Henry (2003/04, 2004/05 & 2005/06) and Robin van Persie (2011/12 & 2012/13).

Now that he has added a third hat-trick to his list of achievements this season, I can tell you that he has become only the fourth player in Premier League history to score three hat-tricks in a season. The previous players were as follows:

DIMITAR BERBATOV (2010/11) – The Bulgarian scored five hat-tricks for Manchester United in the 2010/11 season. He scored in a 3-2 win over Liverpool in September, he hit five in a 7-1 success against Blackburn in November and scored three in a 5-0 win over Birmingham in January.

RUUD VAN NISTELROOY (2002/03) – The Dutchman also achieved the feat for Manchester United, netting trebles in a 5-3 win over Newcastle in November, a 3-0 win over Fulham in March and a 4-1 win over Charlton in May.

ALAN SHEARER (1994/95 & 1995/96) – Alan Shearer has achieved this feat twice – and this leads us on to the answer to your first question. In 1994/95, he hit hat-tricks for Blackburn against QPR, West Ham and Ipswich – but in the following season he scored FIVE hat-tricks against Coventry, Nottingham Forest, West Ham, Bolton and Tottenham.

So Alan Shearer is the man who has scored the most hat-tricks in one season – and he’s also the man with the most Premier League hat-tricks overall. It’s also worth pointing out that Shearer scored an old First Division hat-trick as well – on his full debut for Southampton against Arsenal. He scored 11 trebles in his Premier League career, while Luis Suarez has now moved up to fifth on the list after scoring the sixth hat-trick of his career.

Most Premier League hat-tricks:

Alan Shearer (11)
Robbie Fowler (9)
Thierry Henry, Michael Owen (8)
Wayne Rooney, Luis Suarez (6)
Dimitar Berbatov, Andrew Cole, Ruud van Nistelrooy, Robin van Persie, Ian Wright (5)

Goals galore

Dear Martin. There was a lot of goals scored in the Premier League this weekend with teams winning 6-0, 6-3, 5-0 and 4-1. Is this the weekend with the most Premier League goals ever and was Saturday the day with the most goals ever? Jake (Bolton fan)

MARTIN SAYS: With the help of Opta, I can tell you that since the Premier League was reduced to 20 teams, the goals record for a Premier League weekend in 43. We had 42 goals this weekend, so we fell one short of matching the record!

The record was set on February 5/6 2011 when the results were as follows:

Saturday February 5, 2011:
Stoke 3-2 Sunderland
Wigan 4-3 Blackburn
Newcastle 4-4 Arsenal
Man City 3-0 West Brom
Tottenham 2-1 Bolton
Everton 5-3 Blackpool
Aston Villa 2-2 Fulham
Wolves 2-1 Man Utd

Sunday February 6, 2011:
West Ham 0-1 Birmingham
Chelsea 0-1 Liverpool

As you can see – on that Saturday there were 41 goals scored, which is nine more goals than were scored last Saturday. That’s the most we’ve seen on one day in the 20-team Premier League era – but back in May 1993 we actually saw an incredible 47 goals scored in the nine games that were played. Six of those games featured at least six goals.

Saturday May 8, 1993: 
Liverpool 6-2 Tottenham
Man City 2-5 Everton
Coventry 3-3 Leeds
Arsenal 3-0 Crystal Palace
Sheff Utd 4-2 Chelsea
Blackburn 1-0 Sheff Wed
Oldham 4-3 Southampton
Middlesbrough 3-3 Norwich
Ipswich 2-1 Nottingham Forest

So the 32 goals scored on Saturday fell short of the record, but equalled the most scored on a single day this season.

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