Martin Tyler's stats and facts column is back for another season here on skysports.com!
Sky Sports' voice of football and his back-up team of experts are here to answer your questions and queries on all things statistical and historical from the beautiful game.
It could be on a side in the Premier League or Football League, international scene or European competitions - or it could be about an individual player or manager.
Gallas: Injury-time ace
If you have spotted something from a game or have been stumped by a pub quiz question, simply Email here and Martin will do his best to answer.
Tyler's starting stat
Well, I suppose being at Anfield on Tuesday night, there is only one place to start! You all know that the 8-0 win over Besiktas was a Champions League record of course, but there were plenty of other little titbits to come out of the game. Yossi Benayoun's hat-trick was the first by an Israeli in the Champions League proper and the second by a Liverpool player, following on from Michael Owen's against Spartak Moscow in 2002. They were also his first goals in the competition, while Ryan Babel also opened his account with a brace. Steven Gerrard's goal took him to within one of Owen's club record of 22 European goals, while Sami Hyypia celebrated his 100th European match for the club with a welcome clean sheet and Rafa Benitez marked his 50th Champions League game in charge of Liverpool with a place in the record books.
NEVER TOO LATE
Hi Martin. After William Gallas' last gasp equaliser last week, I was wondering who has scored the most goals in second-half injury time in the last three years in the Premier League. Andy Shirra
MARTIN SAYS: It needed a quick call to our good friends over at Opta, but I can give you the stats for injury-time goals over the past three seasons in the Premier League. I wasn't sure whether you wanted the figures for the teams or individuals, so we have got both for you. You might be surprised to find that Everton and not Manchester United have scored the most goals in stoppage time, or the last minute as they are classified. Arsenal, rather fittingly, and Fulham also figure, while Chelsea complete the top five. The top five individuals scorers in the past three seasons makes interesting reading and indeed, maybe Juande Ramos knew something when he put both Jermain Defoe and Darren Bent in his starting side on Saturday. That's because they are the most prolific stoppage-time scorers, Bent leading the way with four and Defoe next on three, alongside Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. Everton's Andy Johnson heads a clutch of players with two to their name, which includes William Gallas, Pascal Chimbonda, Gary Speed, Jimmy Bullard and Salomon Kalou.
| INJURY-TIME TOP THREES | Team | Total | Player | Total |
| Everton | 13 | Darren Bent | 4 |
| Manchester Utd | 11 | Jermain Defoe | 3 |
| Arsenal/Fulham | 10 | Ole Gunnar Solskjaer | 3 |
TOP TWO, TAKE TWO
Hello Mr Martin Tyler, this is Manish from Washington DC. I am an Arsenal fan and I would like to know a few things. I wish you could help me out. I would like to know the following:
1) What was Arsenal's biggest ever victory against Manchester United since they first began their rivalry?
2) How many times have Arsenal scored five or more goals in a match against Manchester United?
I will be grateful to you if you could help me out. Thanking you in anticipation, ManishMARTIN SAYS: Manish, as you put it so politely and have mailed in all the way from the USA, how could I refuse? Last week's column focused on the big one at the Emirates but we didn't go as far as five-goal wins! I can tell you that Arsenal's biggest ever win over United is 5-0, which came way back in an FA Cup tie in 1936-37 - we are going to take it that their rivalrly began when they first met back in 1894, some 201 games (in all competitions) ago. More recently, the Gunners' record Premier League win over their old foes is 3-0, in September 20th 1998, when goals from Nicolas Anelka, Freddie Ljungberg on his debut and Tony Adams - incidentally the last time an Englishman scored for them against United, some nine years ago. They did better that in the League Cup in 2001 when a hat-trick from Sylvain Wiltord and one from Kanu saw them win 4-0 in a battle of what can best be described as second-string sides.
PLAY AWAY POMPEY
Martin, I can't believe Pompey have won four away games already! I am sure this must have already surpassed their best for a season in the Premier League? What is their best return on the road in a PL season? Frank Watson
MARTIN SAYS: It has been an impressive start by Harry Redknapp's charges Frank, but they still have some way to go before they reach the heights of the miracle season of 2005-06 when they won five away games, including three of their last four to beat the drop. It was when Harry Redknapp took over from Alain Perrin and picked up nine wins in the last 10 games, including three on the road. They had beaten Everton and Sunderland 1-0 prior to that, but went on to beat West Ham 4-2, Fulham 2-1 and in the game that ensured they remained in the Premier League, Wigan 2-1. But other than that fantastic season, three away wins is Pompey's best with the 2004-05 and 2005-06 campaigns yielding just two each.
BRIGHT YOUNG THINGS
The recent match between Watford and Crystal Palace saw young John Bostock make his first-team debut at the sprightly age of 15, apparently making him the youngest player in Palace's history. If he's the youngest player in Palace's history, how does he compare against other young debutants and who holds the title as the youngest? Matt Teakle
MARTIN SAYS: As young as Master Bostock is Matt, he is by no means the youngest player to make his debut in this country - in the league anyway. Bostock, who is Palace's youngest player, finds himself 17th on the all time list, although he is only 129 days shy of the record. That belongs jointly to Ken Roberts, who made his Wrexham debut at the ripe old age of 15 years and 158 days way back in 1951, and Albert Geldard who was the same age when he won a place in the Bradford Park Avenue side in 1929. The rest of the list might be a mystery for those who aren't of a certain age, although there are some names most of you will recognise ahead of Bostock - who was 15 years and 287 days of course. Matthew Etherington, now at West Ham, was 15 years and 262 days when he made his Peterborough debut and Scott Sinclair, currently on loan at QPR from Chelsea, was 15 years and 275 days when he was given his chance in the Bristol Rovers side.
BALKAN BEST
I read your stats column regularly and with regard to the different nationalities in the Premier League, I wonder if you can break down the contribution from the Balkan countries please? Can I request the leading goals and appearances for players from my own Bulgaria, Turkey, Serbia, Croatia, Romania and Greece. Krasimir Georgiev
MARTIN SAYS: It would be my pleasure Krasimir! This clearly is something that has struck a chord with you out there and I am more than happy to delve back through the record books to reflect the truly global appeal of the Premier League! The Balkans have produced a number of regulars down the years, but I think the best way to list them is the highest scorer and appearance maker for each of the countries you have listed - with honourable mention to the likes of Mark Viduka and Mark Bosnic, who are of course of Croatian descent. But Krasimir, here are the leading appearances and goalscorers from those Balkan nations you list...
| BALKAN BEST - GOALS | Nation | Player | Clubs | Number |
| Muzzy Izzet | Turkey | Leicester/Birmingham | 34 |
| Savo Milosevic | Serbia | Aston Villa | 29 |
| Dan Petrescu | Romania | Sheff W/Chelsea/Bradford/Soton | 24 |
| Stelios Giannakopoulos | Greece | Bolton | 18 |
| Dimitar Berbatov | Bulgaria | Tottenham | 14 |
| BALKAN BEST - APPEARANCES | |||
| Muzzy Izzet | Turkey | Leicester/Birmingham | 248 |
| Dan Petrescu | Romania | Sheff W/Chelsea/Bradford/Soton | 186 |
| Radostin Kishishev | Bulgaria | Charlton | 179 |
| Nikos Dabizas | Greece | Newcastle | 148 |
| Igor Stimac | Croatia | Derby | 100 |
| Savo Milosevic | Serbia | Aston Villa | 90 |
HOME HAMMERINGS
Martin, I watched Newcastle get beat 4-1 on Football First and it got me thinking. What is the heaviest home defeat in Premier League history! I can remember West Ham losing 5-1, but is that it? LisaMARTIN SAYS: It was an impressive win I agree Lisa, but it was a long way off from the Premier League's biggest home defeat. That honour belongs to Nottingham Forest, who were beaten 8-1 by Manchester United the last time they were in the top flight. They went behind on two minutes to Dwight Yorke's goal, hit back through Alan Rogers after six minutes, but within 60 seconds were behind again as Andy Cole made it 2-1. And from then on, it was a sorry tale for Forest, although in their defence they restricted United to another goal apiece for their strikers and were were only trailing 4-1 with 10 minuites to go. Enter Ole Gunner Solskjaer! The Norwegian came off the bench and bagged four goals - which is still a record for a substitute.
Last week's left overs
Well done and thank you to Scott Mullings and David Jefferies, who helped us out with our missing manager last week. Remember I was asked which three managers had won the World Cup as players and went on to manage in the Premier League and came up with Alan Ball and Ossie Ardiles. But the one I couldn't get was Karl-Heinz Riedle, who was a world champion with Germany in 1990 and went on to take charge of Fulham, albeit in a caretaker capacity, in 1999-2000. A very good question and a very good answer...
Got a question for Martin? E-mail him here.Or if you have any comments to make on this article, fill in the feedback form below.
Post to your View!
Be the first to post a comment on this story