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Man Utd: failed to register a shot in a rare Monday defeat

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Tyler's Starting Stat - Manchester moments

I was at the 146th Manchester derby in the league to see City's 39th win overall. They've drawn 49 of those games, while United have 58 wins.

Vincent Kompany also scored their first goal at home in the league against United since August 2007 when Geovanni netted in a 1-0 win.

That goal was City's 88th in the league this season - the third highest tally in Premier League history. Chelsea managed 103 in 2009/10, while Man United got 97 in 1999/2000.

The result means Man Utd have still never won away to Man City twice in the same season - they had a chance to do so after their FA Cup win at the Etihad Stadium in January.

The result also meant we saw the 11th change of leadership in the league this season - and we could see it change again before the end of the campaign.

SEVENTH HEAVEN FOR CITY
Dear Martin. We only scored one goal against Manchester United, but that was all we needed. I suppose it would be greedy to ask for more after we put six past them at Old Trafford. But I was wondering, has any other team scored more than seven goals against Man United in a single Premier League season? Craig (Man City)

MARTIN SAYS: Thanks to our friends at Opta, I can tell you that Manchester City have become only the third side in Premier League history to score seven times against Manchester United in a single Premier League season.

The first to do so were Southampton back in 1996/97. The Saints famously beat United 6-3 at the Dell on October 26, but then lost 2-1 at Old Trafford on February 1 as they racked up seven goals against Sir Alex Ferguson's men.

The other side to do this were Chelsea in 1999/00, who won 5-0 at Stamford Bridge on October 3 and then lost 3-2 at Old Trafford on April 24.

No side has ever put more than seven goals past Manchester United in a single Premier League season, so City missed out on breaking that particular record, but they did become the first to score seven and do the double over them. They've also scored 11 in all competitions this term (but will choose to forget the defeats in the FA Cup and Community Shield).

However, you'll notice that in each of the two previous seasons when they've conceded seven goals against a single opponent, Man United went on to lift the Premier League trophy!

MANIC MONDAY
Hi Martin. Before the derby I heard a stat that Manchester United have never lost a Monday football match. I remember in 1996 when United went to St James' Park and beat Newcastle 1-0 thanks to Eric Cantona, but I wondered what's the full list of results? Ashiq

MARTIN SAYS: Ashiq, Manchester United's derby day defeat to City on Monday night was a real rarity, but it wasn't their first Monday defeat in the Premier League.

According to our friends at Opta, it was only the third time United have lost a Monday fixture in 49 Premier League games. The last time they suffered a Monday defeat was against Southampton in January 1998, going down 1-0 to the Saints that day. The only previous loss was a 4-1 defeat to Tottenham in January 1996. In the 49 games they have played on a Monday in the Premier League, United have won 36, drawn 10 and lost three. That's a win percentage of just over 73% and a loss percentage of just 6%.

Kompany's goal was the first goal they'd conceded on a Monday since a 2-2 draw at Newcastle in January 2007. They had won their last nine games on a Monday without conceding, so as I said in commentary they do like Mondays - but in the end they didn't like this one.

Manchester United's Premier League results on a Monday:

SHOT SHOCK
I was amazed when watching Gary Neville's post-match analysis to find out that Manchester United had no shots on target in the game. Has this ever happened before to United in the Premier League? Terry (Man Utd fan)

MARTIN SAYS: We've taken this one to our friends at Opta, who have been keeping data on shots since 2003/04. In those nine seasons there have only been three occasions, including Monday night, when Man Utd have failed to have a shot on target in a Premier League game.

The last time was May 16, 2009 when they drew 0-0 at home to Arsenal to mathematically wrap up that season's title. The other occasion was back on November 30, 2003 when they went to Chelsea and lost 1-0 to a Frank Lampard penalty. They went on to finish below both Chelsea and Arsenal that season.

However, I would point out that they had several blocked shots that are not technically recorded as shots on target as well as two shots off target.

DIFFERENCE CLASS
With Manchester United and Manchester City level on points with two games left can you tell me how many times in English top-flight history have we seen the league decided on goal difference? I can't recall it happening in my lifetime and I'm 27! Phil Baker (Everton fan)

MARTIN SAYS: Hi Phil. Although the top two teams have finished level on points on five occasions in English football history, the championship has never technically been decided on goal difference.

The last time teams finished level on points was in 1989 when Arsenal famously pipped Liverpool to the title at Anfield thanks to Michael Thomas' injury-time goal. His strike ensured the Gunners won by the two goals required to finish above Liverpool after the teams finished level on points and goal difference. Technically the league was decided on "goals scored" that year.

The four other times teams have finished level on points the title was decided by goal average (a case of dividing the number of goals scored by the number of goals conceded) rather than the current system of determining goal difference, which was introduced in the English Football League from 1976/77.

The last time goal average decided the title was 1965 when Manchester United beat Leeds to the championship with a healthy 2.28 goal average after both teams finished the season on 61 points.

In 1953 Arsenal's 1.52 goal average proved decisive after they finished level on 54 points with Preston North End. Three years earlier Portsmouth's superior average saw them take the title ahead of Wolves.

In each of those incidents the title winners had superior goal differences to their rivals, as well as superior goal averages. However, in 1924 Huddersfield won the title ahead of Cardiff with the old method of determining goal average separating them, despite the teams having the same goal difference.

It's also worth pointing out that in the unlikely event of United and City ending the season with an identical goal difference and an identical goals scored, it would not go down to the head-to-head record. The two sides would, in fact, play off for the title.

Occasions when the top two teams in the English top flight have finished level on points:

SHOTS TO NOTHING
Hi Martin, I heard that Blackburn didn't muster a single shot (on or off target) in their 2-0 defeat to Tottenham. How often has this happened in the Premier League era? And has there been a team that has managed a draw (or even a win - possibly due to an own goal!) without a single shot? Thanks, Arjun Kudva (Man Utd fan)

MARTIN SAYS: Opta have confirmed that Blackburn did not have a single shot - on or off goal - in Sunday's game at White Hart Lane. They've been keeping records on shots since 2003/04 and in that time they are only the second team to fail to have a single shot in a Premier League game.

The other team was West Brom back on December 28, 2004 when they travelled to Manchester City and did not have a single shot on or off target - and yet still managed to score a goal! Richard Dunne's 85th-minute own goal secured a remarkable 1-1 draw for the Baggies following Nicolas Anelka's first-half opener. West Brom even played for 73 minutes with 10 men after Thomas Gaardsoe's early red card.

Blackburn will be hoping that's not the only similarity between themselves and the West Brom team of 2004/05. That team are the only side in Premier League history to have stayed up after being bottom of the table on Christmas Day. Rovers were bottom last Christmas - and will be hoping to repeat the trick this season against all odds.

WAIT FOR AGES... THREE COME ALONG AT ONCE
Hi, Martin as far as I can recall Luis Suarez's hat-trick against Norwich was Liverpool's first since the season before last where Fernando Torres put in three against West Ham. My question is which Premier League side has gone the longest since a player has scored a hat-trick for them. My guess would be Wigan. Ben Adepoju (Liverpool fan)

MARTIN SAYS: A good question, but you're wrong about Liverpool's last hat-trick in the Premier League. Before Luis Suarez you only have to go back a few weeks to the Merseyside derby when Steven Gerrard put three past Everton! They also scored three last season; Maxi Rodriguez scored two (against Birmingham and Fulham), while Dirk Kuyt got one against Manchester United.

So hat-tricks have been in plentiful supply for Liverpool, but that's not the case with Stoke, Swansea and Wolves - the three current clubs who have never registered a hat-trick in the Premier League. A further nine clubs have played in the Premier League and not scored a hat-trick, those clubs being: Barnsley, Blackpool, Burnley, Crystal Palace, Derby, Hull, Oldham, Reading and Watford.

However, of the 33 clubs that HAVE scored Premier League hat-tricks, Sheffield United are in the middle of the longest wait. Their last Premier League treble was scored in the very first Premier League season by Brian Deane on March 16, 1993.

Of the current Premier League clubs, it's Norwich City who have been waiting the longest for a top-flight treble. The last hat-trick by a Canaries player came from Efan Ekoku on September 25, 1993 against Everton.

Of the ever-present Premier League clubs, Aston Villa have been waiting the longest. Their last hat-trick came from Gabriel Agbonlahor on the first day of the 2008/09 season against Manchester City.

Thanks to Opta, here are the most recent Premier League hat-tricks, by club (correct as of 02/05/2012):

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