Optajoe has studied more top-flight action and hunts down the nuggets of truth and destiny.
Opta's man in the know, Optajoe, has studied another weekend of Premier League action and hunts down the nuggets of truth and destiny.
Going for Goals
Following Fulham's 2-0 defeat of Hull City last night, the Premier League goals per game average currently stands at 2.99.
This is the highest seen in the top-flight since 1967/68 (3.03), but falls well below the highest-ever average; seen in the 1889/90 Division One season, when 4.63 goals were scored per game.
Arsenal have been the key contributors to the impressive goal average; scoring 27 goals in their eight league matches, which is more than any other side in Premier League history has managed after as many games.
Interestingly, the 1970/71 double winning season for the Gunners was the lowest scoring in top-flight history, when only 2.36 goals were scored per game on average. How times have changed.
Red Alert
Liverpool suffered their fourth defeat in only nine Premier League games this season, seriously denting any hope of their first top-flight title win since 1989/90.
No side has ever won a Premier League title after losing more than three of their opening nine league matches.
On a more positive note for all Liverpool supporters, the last top-flight team to lose four of the first nine games and still win the league title was Liverpool, back in 1963-64. Also, the last time that the Reds' won the league in 1990, they lost four of their opening 15 league matches, so if they can remain unbeaten in their next six games....
Hell Bent on Catching Fabio's Eye
Following his beach ball assisted goal against Liverpool, Darren Bent scored in his fifth consecutive Premier League match.
The former Tottenham striker has now managed eight in the league this term; six of those arriving in those last five games - a record that must surely have caught the eye of Fabio Capello.
Bent became the first player to score in five consecutive top-flight matches for Sunderland in 58 years, since Trevor Ford hit six in a row for the Black Cats back in December 1951 - a record that Bent will want to equal in their next Premier League match against Birmingham City.
Defence is the Best Form of Attack
Chelsea tasted defeat for only the second time in the Premier League this season following their 2-1 defeat to Aston Villa at the weekend.
In a constant theme so far this season, the Chelsea backline were caught napping by opposing defenders in their own box. Five (63%) of the eight goals that the Blues have conceded in the league this term have come courtesy of an opposition defender (a league-high) following a cross.
One of those players; Villa defender Richard Dunne, has now scored a goal in two consecutive Premier League matches for the first time - an impressive feat considering he had scored only two goals in his previous 112 Premier League games.
The other goalscorer for Villa; James Collins' last two Premier League goals have both come against Chelsea, but arrived within three and a half years of one another - the last coming in April 2006 at Stamford Bridge.
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