OptaJoe has been slaving away once again to bring the latest and greatest statistical snippets.
Opta's man in the know, OptaJoe, has been slaving away once again to bring the nation the latest and greatest statistical snippets from the football action last weekend.
Cesc On Fire
Arsenal's Spanish superstar Cesc Fabregas returned to the Gunners first team on Sunday after missing two league games with a hamstring injury and duly put on a bravura performance at the Reebok Stadium.
The Iberian playmaker netted Arsenal's first goal and started the move that led to the Gunners' second, converted by his fellow countryman Fran Merida.
Amazingly, at the time of scoring that opening goal it was Fabregas' fourth in just 91 minutes of Premier League action.
Overall this season, Fabregas has either scored or assisted 20 of the Gunners' 55-goal league-haul this season and currently leads the way in the Premier League with 10 assists this season, while his total of 10 league goals is a high for a midfielder this season.
The Spanish schemer will no doubt be vital to the north Londoners' chances of regaining the Premier League title this season.
Boaz Constrictor
Tottenham boss Harry Redknapp celebrated his 500th Premier League game as a manager against Hull on Saturday, but his players failed to mark the occasion with a victory.
Central to that failure was a magnificent performance between the posts by Hull's Boaz Myhill.
In the game, which finished 0-0, Myhill made 11 saves, the joint-highest number of stops made by a 'keeper in a Premier League game this season.
The home side, eager to keep their push for a top four finish on track, laid siege to the Tigers' goal, mustering a total of 30 shots in the game, more than any other side on Saturday.
However, Myhill stood firm, making a number of outstanding stops from the likes of Robbie Keane and Peter Crouch.
The Californian-born Wales international keeper may well prove to be Hull's best chance of avoiding the drop come May.
18,000 and Counting...
League leaders Chelsea treated the Stamford Bridge faithful to a fabulous display of attacking football on Saturday, with Ashley's Cole's 22nd minute strike the pick of the bunch as Carlo Ancelotti's side, despite being shorn of its African contingent, mauled Sunderland 7-2.
Cole's strike was also the 18,000th goal in Premier League history, and the quality of the goal, which saw the England man bring down John Terry's long pass with ease, before stepping inside Lorik Cana and flicking the ball over Marton Fulop was more than worthy of celebrating the landmark.
Interestingly, another landmark was set on Saturday in the Premier League, with Cole's England team-mate Wayne Rooney netting the division's 600th goal of the season, in Manchester United's 3-0 home win against Burnley.
Seventh Heaven
That superb goal-heavy win for Chelsea on Saturday was also only the fourth time that the West Londoners had netted seven goals in a league game (they have yet to net eight).
Indeed, it was their first seven-goal haul since the 3rd of December 1960, when they overcame West Bromwich Albion 7-1.
A rampant Blues side had the game sewn up by half-time, going in 4-0 at the break. In doing so, they became only the 50th side to net four or more goals in the first half of a Premier League game.
The likes of Manchester United and Arsenal will need to be at their very best to keep Chelsea within striking distance for the rest of the season.
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