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Gordon: conceded a series of vital late goals

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Tyler's Starting Stat - Cats end City hoodoo

I was at the Stadium of Light on Sunday and despite Manchester City's late equaliser, Sunderland can console themselves with the fact that it was the first time in 10 games that they didn't lose to City. The last time they took any points against them was December 2000 when Don Hutchison scored in a 1-0 win.

Kenwyne Jones played in five of those nine consecutive defeats, scoring two goals in the process - but his goal on Sunday took his record to three goals in six games against City. Meanwhile, Adam Johnson - who comes from a family of Sunderland supporters - scored his first City goal. The irony wasn't lost on the boy from County Durham!

In my research before the game I also came across the interesting statistic that Darren Bent is the third highest Premier League goalscorer since August 2005 behind Wayne Rooney and Cristiano Ronaldo:

Top 10 Premier League goalscorers since Aug 2005:

1. Wayne Rooney - 79 in 156 games
2. Cristiano Ronaldo - 75 in 134 games
3. Darren Bent - 67 in 157 games
4. Didier Drogba - 66 in 132 games
5. Frank Lampard - 61 in 160 games
6. Robbie Keane - 58 in 152 games
7. Jermain Defoe - 58 in 155 games
8. Emmanuel Adebayor - 55 in 122 games
9. Fernando Torres - 53 in 76 games
10. Steven Gerrard - 50 in 158 games

WEAR WE GO AGAIN...
Martin. I write to you as a weary Wearsider having seen my beloved Sunderland punished late in a game for the umpteenth time this season against Manchester City. If all the goals we'd shipped in the last 10 minutes were declared void, we'd be laughing up here. Can you tell me how many points we've lost from conceding late goals please? Tim Hughes.

MARTIN SAYS: You're not mistaken in thinking Sunderland have had a hard time of it with late goals this season, Tim. The eight goals your side has conceded inside the final 10 minutes of games have cost 10 points. To put that in context, Blackburn have conceded nine goals in the last 10 minutes, yet they have not lost a single point as a result. Here's a table of how every defence in the Premier League has fared in the final 10 minutes of matches - look away now, all you Sunderland fans...

ROO'S THE BOSS
Hi Martin. I hope you've been enjoying Wayne Rooney's recent exploits as much as us United supporters. I reckon he can beat Cristiano Ronaldo's 42 goals from 2007-08, but am I right in thinking Rooney can end the season having scored against every single Premier League team? That would be some achievement.Cheers, Lee Mills.

MARTIN SAYS: There is no doubt Rooney is a joy to behold for United supporters at the moment, but I'm afraid there is no chance of a 'full house' for your man this season, Lee. Of all the teams United have already played twice in the Premier League Rooney has failed to find the net against two - Aston Villa and his first love Everton. He did score against Villa in the Carling Cup final of course, so theoretically he could end the season having scored against 18 of United's 19 top-flight rivals. To do that Rooney would need to register against Stoke, Sunderland, Chelsea and Liverpool in the games remaining. You can see how he gets on against the latter two live on Sky Sports in the next few weeks.

And since you are comparing Rooney to his former team-mate, it is worth noting that Ronaldo managed to score against 18 of 19 Premier League teams during his record-breaking 2007-08 campaign. The Portugal star was on target against 17 rivals in the league and netted against Chelsea in the Champions League final. The one scalp missing was that of Manchester City, though he can at least point to the fact he was suspended for one of the two derbies that season - both of which United lost.

POINTS AND PRIZES
Dear Martin. With Manchester United flying high at the top and Liverpool struggling outside the Champions League places, I was wondering if United are on course for a record Premier League points margin over Liverpool this season? In the year when we're going to overtake their 18 league titles, that really would be the icing on the cake! Seb (Manchester United fan).

MARTIN SAYS: United are currently 15 points ahead of Liverpool and could go 18 points clear after Sunday's meeting at Old Trafford. However, they are still some way from recording their best ever Premier League finish over Liverpool.

Back in 1993/94, United finished 32 points ahead of their rivals, although that was of course a 42-game season. In 38-game Premier League seasons, the record difference is 25 points - which was achieved by United in their treble-winning season of 1998/99. That season Liverpool finished seventh with just 54 points. However, after 30 games of that season the gap was just 14 points. This year it is 15 points, so Liverpool were in fact better off at this stage in 1999!

I have detailed the difference in points between the two teams in the table below. As you can see, Liverpool have only finished above United once in Premier League history.

38-game seasons:

42-game seasons:

KEEPING IT CLEAN
Everyone seems very keen to point out Arsenal's poor discipline record under Arsene Wenger, but not so keen to point out they have not had a red card yet this season. I looked at the stats and no other team gone 29 games WITHOUT receiving a red card this season. Has a team ever gone a whole Premier League season without receiving a red card? Also, I saw Fulham have just 33 yellow cards this season. This seems low. Is this a record? Simon

MARTIN SAYS: Our records on discipline only go back to the start of the 1996/97 season, but in that period several sides have gone the whole season without any of their players getting sent off. They include:

No red cards in a season since 1996/97:

2008/09: Liverpool
2007/08: Bolton
2006/07: Liverpool
2004/05: Chelsea
2003/04: Bolton
2001/02: Derby
1996/97: N Forest

In the same period, several teams have managed to go an entire season receiving less than one yellow card per game. The most impressive disciplinary record was that of Southampton in the 2001/02 season when they only picked up 26 bookings!

Fulham currently have 33 yellow cards to their name and will be hoping to join this list of sides with the fewest yellow cards in a season:

Fewest yellow cards in a season since 1996/97:

2001/02: Southampton (26)
2000/01: Ipswich (32)
2001/02: Ipswich (33)
2004/05: Norwich (35)
2004/05: Charlton (37)
2001/02: Liverpool (37)
1996/97: Wimbledon (38)
2008/09: Fulham (40)
2007/08: Everton (40)
2006/07: Reading (40)
2003/04: Charlton (40)
2001/02: Aston Villa (40)

COPING WITHOUT KING
Hi Martin, Great column, as ever! I was just wondering, as an avid Spurs fan, it seems 'Deadly' Ledley King is going to finish his career with us but just how beneficial is it for us to have him in the team? His talents are unquestionable but his fitness is such an issue I was wondering if we win more games with him playing or concede less goals? Thanks, Will Hill (Tottenham fan)

MARTIN SAYS: This season, Spurs have a 53% win per centage with King in the team compared to a 50% win per centage when he's missing, so there's not much difference whether he's in or out of the side. Statistically, though, Spurs tend to concede less goals per game when King plays, with an average of 0.80 goals breaching the Tottenham defence, compared to 1.14 when he's absent. And Spurs keep more clean sheets with King in the side. This season, they have kept clean sheets 40% of the time with him in the side, but just 29% without him.

Tottenham's record is below. The win record includes games in which he has played any part, but the goals conceded are only counted if King was on the pitch at the time. Spurs have in fact conceded four goals when he has been substituted.

Tottenham's record 2009/10:

The reliance on King was far more obvious last season with the side having a much higher win ratio when King was in the side (they had a win per centage of 46% with King, compared to 21% without him). Like the current season, they also conceded less with him in the team (1.08 goals per game), than they did without him (1.36 goals per game).

Tottenham's record 2008/09:

Overall, it seems King is still a clear benefit to the Spurs side, but they have maybe learned to live without him better than they did last season. And, this is a fairly small sample of matches to be looking at.

THE BELGIANS ARE COMING
Hi Martin. I know I'm getting a bit ahead of myself here, but am I right in thinking Arsenal's brilliant Belgian Thomas Vermaelen would be the first man from his country to win a Premier League medal this season if the Gunners managed to stay the course? I can remember Philippe Albert coming close with Newcastle, but not too many others. Ricky Colquhoun

MARTIN SAYS: Arsenal's impressive centre-half would indeed blaze a trail for Belgians if he were to win the title this year, though you don't need me to tell you there is a long way to go before that happens! You mention Philippe Albert, who was twice a runner-up with Newcastle, and it's true he has come closest to a winners' medal of any of his compatriots.

But the current champions do of course have a Belgian on their books in young Ritchie de Laet, who made one league appearance during last year's title-winning season and has featured just twice this term - nowhere near the 10 times required for a medal. Incidentally two of Vermaelen's Arsenal's team-mates - adopted Croatian Eduardo and Mexican Carlos Vela - would be the first from their nations to win the Premier League too. And just to satisfy those of you with an interest for these things, here is a list of what we think are all the Belgians to play in the Premier League. (As always, do email in and tell us if we've left anyone out). The former Coventry player Laurent Delorge is not included as he never played in the Premier League, while the likes of Pat van den Hauwe (Wales) and Steed Malbranque (France) assumed different nationalities, despite being born in Belgium.

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