Grand Slam stats

Martin Tyler answers your 'Big Four' queries and unearths some stats gold ahead of Grand Slam Sunday.

Martin Tyler will be commentating at Old Trafford for the first part of Grand Slam Sunday. Ahead of a crucial weekend for the Premier League top four, Martin unearths stats and facts about Manchester United, Arsenal, Chelsea and Liverpool. Sky Sports' voice of football and his back-up team of experts are also 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. 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. Or use the feedback form at the bottom of the page....

Starting stat - 4-4-PHEW!

I have just about recovered from my midweek trip to White Hart Lane in time for Grand Slam Sunday, but that sensational game between Tottenham and Chelsea is where we shall start this week. I suppose with eight goals going in, that is where we should focus, so I will tell you that in scoring that dramatic equaliser Robbie Keane equalled his best goalscoring season with 22 goals in all competitions, which was last season. It was his first goal from open play against Chelsea in 10 games though, his goal in the 2-1 home defeat in the FA Cup quarter-final exactly a year ago on March 19, 2007, coming from the penalty spot. His strike partner Dimitar Berbatov went one better and took his Premier League tally to 13, which was one better than his debut season. As for Chelsea, that was Joe Cole's first goal in 18 games against Tottenham in all competitions and the Blues became the third side to score four goals at White Hart Lane this season, following Reading and Aston Villa. It was also both sides' second 4-4 draw of the season with, funnily enough, both of them sharing eight goals with Villa already! It was certainly up there with any game I've ever commentated on. A POINT TO PROVE
As a Manchester Utd fan, I was immensely pleased when Jose Mourinho arrived, as he effectively raised the bar. My view is that in order to win the Premer League, the winning team will have to win at least 28 to 30 games out of 38 games, and going forward teams have to target 90 points in a season as a minimum. This means that the winning team has to target 2.37 points per game. I would appreciate it if you could check the records since the inception of the Premier League and indicate how the average points required for victory has increased? Suren Panday, South Africa MARTIN SAYS: Well Suren, you do have a point, although there is not exactly a pattern that has developed over the years. I suppose the stats that back up your theory is that since the 38-game season was introduced, four of the top five points totals to win the Premier League have come in the last four years. Only Manchester United's win of 2000, when they got 91 points, goes against that particular grain. I can also tell you that no-one has won the title with less than 89 points since Manchester United did it with 83 in 2003. I suppose it has been easier to maintain the higher totals since we switched to 38 games as well - although in those 11 years, the average winning total is 85.27 points compared to the four seasons of 42 games, when the Premier League winners averaged 86.75! I think the easiest thing to say is that going on recent trends, it is going to take at least 89 points to take the title this time round, with six crucial ones up for grabs on Sunday! SPOT THE DIFFERENCE
Hi Martin, First of all I love the column! As the title race looks like it might go down to the wire this year I was checking on Man Utd's pretty impressive goal difference and I was wondering what is the largest number of goals scored by one team in a Premier League season, the least number conceded and the largest goal difference? Dafydd Gwyon, Rhondda MARTIN SAYS: I can answer all three of those questions Dafydd, and you probably won't be at all surprised to find out that the two teams you are talking about are going for the title this year. The largest goal difference in Premier League history is Chelsea's impressive +57 in 2005. Chelsea hold the record for meanest defence: they conceded just 15 goals and that is not going to be beaten this year either, seeing as Manchester United have the best goals against record so far, of 15! The largest number of goals scored in a single 38-game Premier League season was also achieved by the men from Old Trafford, back in 2000, when they amassed 97 at an average of 2.55 a game. I think that answers your questions! NIC'S HAT-TRICK
Hi Martin, keep up the good work! Nicolas Anelka has played for Arsenal, Liverpool and most recently Chelsea during his career. I was wondering if it is rare for a player to make Premier League apperances for three of the 'Big Four' teams and if anyone else has achieved this during their career? Or has anyone gone one better and made appearances for all four of the big clubs, therefore including Manchester United! Cheers! Richard White (Farsley Celtic fan) MARTIN SAYS: I am afraid I just don't have the time to dig back through all the records to find all of the players transferred between those four clubs, even in Premier League years, but Nicolas Anelka is the only player to have played for three. No-one has played for all four though, probably because there hasn't been a player transferred between Liverpool and Manchester United since Phil Chisnall way back in 1964. But in terms of players that have played for two, we should be seeing the likes of Ashley Cole (Arsenal and Chelsea) and William Gallas (Chelsea and Arsenal) on Grand Slam Sunday. Emmanuel Petit has also played for both the London clubs, while some time before the Premier League, Viv Anderson played for Arsenal and Manchester United. And of course Ray Wilkins played for Chelsea and United. Going even further back, I can only think of one player who can match Anelka and that is my some-time colleague here at Sky Sports, George Graham. George, a cultured midfielder in his heyday, played for Chelsea between July 1964 and September 1966, scoring 35 goals in 72 league games, before moving across the capital to play for Arsenal, where he stayed until December 1972, scoring 59 goals in 227 league games - and winning a Double. George completed the treble when he moved to Manchester United, where he spent just under two years scoring just twice in 45 league games. George of course went on to manage Arsenal which I suppose sets him apart from Anelka, for now!THINKING OUTSIDE THE BOX
Hi Martin. With Javier Mascherano getting his first goal for Liverpool on Saturday with a spectacular strike from outside the area I was wondering how many goals the Reds have scored from outside the box this season? I would imagine we are up there with Gerrard, Riise, Alonso and Torres all not afraid to have a go! David Hill (Liverpool fan) MARTIN SAYS: David, I can tell you that Liverpool have in fact scored more long-range goals than any other team in the Premier League this season. Gerrard has struck four, Torres three, and Alonso, Fabio Aurelio and Mascherano have each hit one goal from outside the penalty area. Closely behind Rafa Benitez's team come Chelsea with 11 long-distance strikes, with Blackburn and Manchester United both on 10 apiece.

PREMIER LEAGUE LONG-RANGE GOALS - 2007/08					TEAM	LONG-RANGE GOALS SCORED
Liverpool	12
Chelsea	11
Blackburn	10
Manchester Utd	10
Portsmouth	8
Arsenal	7
Aston Villa	7
Birmingham City	7

CHELSEA'S BIG FOUR BLUES
Hi Martin, after the incredible events at White Hart Lane last night, Chelsea need to beat Arsenal more than ever on Sunday. But I am not that confident as our record against them, United and Liverpool has not been the best over the past couple of seasons. Can you give me some stats on that please? Jermaine Sands MARTIN SAYS: I can Jermaine and as a Chelsea fan, you might not like what you read! The reason for that is it is now nine Premier League games since the Blues last beat one of their rivals in the so-called big four. You have to go all the way back to September 17, 2006, to find the last time they beat Liverpool, Arsenal or United in the league. It was actually against Liverpool at Stamford Bridge when a solitary strike from Didier Drogba was enough to secure the spoils. But since then, under Jose Mourinho and Avram Grant, Chelsea have played the other three three times apiece and drawn six and lost three, scoring four and conceding exactly a goal a game. This table might explain a little better! Liverpool

CHELSEA'S BIG THREE TROUBLE					DATE	OPPOSITION	H/A	SCORE	RESULT
26 Nov 06	Manchester Utd	1-1	A	Draw
10 Dec 06	Arsenal	1-1	H	Draw
20 Jan 07	Liverpool	0-2	A	Lost
6 May 07	Arsenal	1-1	A	Draw
9 May 07	Manchester United	0-0	H	Draw
19 Aug 07	1-1	A	Draw
23 Sep 07	Manchester United	0-2	A	Lost
16 Dec 07	Arsenal	0-1	A	Lost
10 Feb 08	Liverpool	0-0	H	Draw

BEST OF THE BEST
Martin, If there was a league table for the big four this season, what would it look like heading into Sunday's double header? I remember that Arsenal beat Chelsea and Man Utd defeated Liverpool last time out but would like to see a head-to-head table if that's possible. Cheers, Steve, Coventry. MARTIN SAYS: Well Steve, your memory serves you right as thanks to a Carlos Tevez strike, Manchester United did indeed defeat Liverpool 1-0 at Anfield earlier in the season and the Champions have the best record of the 'Big Four' so far this season. In fact, neither United or Arsenal have lost a match between their closest rivals this season, but of course that could all change on Sunday. Here is the Big Four head-to-head table Steve.

BIG FOUR TABLE - 2007/08						P	W	D	L	F	A	GD	PTS
Manchester Utd	3	2	1	0	5	2	3	7
Arsenal	3	1	2	0	4	3	1	5
Liverpool	4	0	3	1	2	3	-1	3
Chelsea	4	0	2	2	1	4	-3	2