Premier League Opta stats: Goal droughts end, Leicester don't need the ball, and a bad omen for Hull...

With the help of Opta, we pick out some of the key stats from Saturday’s Premier League games.

Danny Ings ended his Burnley goal drought, while Danny Graham finally found the net for Sunderland.

Find out which Premier League player covered the most ground, who got their first ever Premier League assist and why Hull’s history suggests the Tigers are toast…

Everton 0-2 Sunderland

Sunderland’s surprise two-goal victory at Goodison Park means they have now won back-to-back Premier League games for the first time this season, ending a run of eight Premier League away games without a win and moving out of the relegation zone in the process.

Everton enjoyed plenty of the ball but Sunderland defended resolutely and largely restricted the home side to playing in front of them. That’s perhaps best illustrated by the fact that while the Sunderland centre-backs managed 16 successful passes between them, Everton’s pair had 115.

Jermain Defoe completed only five successful passes in the match, the joint-lowest by a forward playing the whole of a Premier League game this season. More importantly, he also scored a goal. As, indeed, did Danny Graham – his first in the Premier League since December 2013.

Aston Villa 1-0 West Ham

Aston Villa have hit form at just the right time and their 1-0 win over West Ham means they have now clinched back-to-back home league wins for the first time this season to add to the recent feel-good factor at Villa Park. Tim Sherwood has even got Tom Cleverley scoring.

Cleverley has netted three in his last three Premier League games after failing to score in his 37 top-tier appearances before that. In setting up Cleverley’s match-winner, teenage talent Jack Grealish also registered his first ever Premier League assist.

West Ham are going in the opposite direction having won none of their last 11 Premier League away games. Goals are the problem with just five of them in their last 10 matches home or away and they mustered just one shot in the first half on Saturday – their lowest total all season.

Hull 0-1 Burnley

Burnley were relegated but did at least go down with a fight – and possibly dragging Hull with them - thanks to a 1-0 win at the KC Stadium that is their fifth in a row in the league against the Tigers. Danny Ings got the goal to end his drought at 1036 minutes.

In fact, Burnley as a team had not scored for 631 minutes when the goal went in – the sixth-longest goal drought by any side in Premier League history. Once again, there was no questioning the work rate with George Boyd (12.80 kilometres) covering the most ground of anyone on the day.

Steve Bruce’s side have work of their own to do given that their final two games are against Tottenham and Manchester United and they already in the drop zone. The added worry for Hull is that they have never won a Premier League game in the month of May.

Leicester 2-0 Southampton

Southampton’s recent slump continued as they conceded twice before half-time for the first time this season against a rejuvenated Leicester team. To illustrate their good form, two of the three instances of Leicester scoring twice before half-time this season have come in their last two games.

However, the victory did not come about as a result of the Foxes dominating possession. They completed only 143 successful passes in the match, their lowest total so far this season.

But Leicester did get Riyad Mahrez on the ball. He made more passes than any of his team-mates, more sprints (65) and covered more ground (12.31 kilometres) than anyone on the pitch. More crucially, he scored both goals as well. 

Newcastle 1-1 West Brom

Victor Anichebe got the breakthrough goal at St James’ Park and certainly enjoys an impressive record against Newcastle. He has scored more goals against them than any other Premier League side (five), netting three in his last five games against them.

Ayoze Perez equalised for Newcastle and has scored in both of his Premier League games against West Brom this season, as well as in his last two games at St James’ Park. Both Perez’s goal and Anichebe’s came from set-pieces and that should be no surprise where the Baggies are concerned.

While West Brom have conceded a league-high 20 goals from set pieces this season (including penalties), only Arsenal (21) have scored more set-piece goals than Albion this campaign (also 20).

Stoke 3-0 Tottenham

Stoke came up with a fine performance to see off Tottenham in emphatic style at the Britannia Stadium. Stoke’s nine shots on target were the most they have managed in a Premier League game this season, while Spurs have still kept only seven clean sheets – the third-worst in the division.

Charlie Adam got the opener and has now scored in each of his last three appearances in front of the home fans. His goal was unusual in that it was only his second Premier League header, having netted 26 with his left foot and two with his right.

Steven N’Zonzi, who covered more ground than any Stoke player, then grabbed his first Premier League goal at the Britannia since November 2013 before Mame Biram Diouf scored for the fourth time in his last five home games.

Crystal Palace 1-2 Manchester United

Manchester United kept up their fine record against Crystal Palace and have now won 12 of their last 14 league meetings with the Eagles, losing none of them. Their record against all London teams is particularly impressive with two defeats in 23 games in the capital – both at Chelsea.

Saturday’s victory was set up by a penalty with Juan Mata assuming responsibility following recent misses by Wayne Rooney and Robin van Persie. The Spaniard scored despite having missed his three preceding penalties in English football.

After Palace scored with their third direct free-kick of the season, Marouane Fellaini netted the winner for the visitors with Ashley Young providing the assist. Young has now provided as many Premier League assists this season (four), as he did in the preceding two seasons combined.