Aston Villa – Swansea City
Aston Villa have won just one of their eight Premier League meetings with Swansea (D3 L4), losing each of the last three and failing to score in the last two. Swansea City have collected just two points from their last five Premier League away games (D2 L3).
Tim Sherwood has lost 14 of his 22 Premier League games in charge of Aston Villa; Paul Lambert didn’t lose his 14th game in charge of Villa in the competition until his 28th game. The Villans have failed to score in four of their last five Premier League home games.
There have only been six goals scored from direct free-kicks in the Premier League so far this season and half of these have been netted against Swansea City (3). Jonjo Shelvey has attempted the most shots (27 – incl. blocked) without scoring in the Premier League this season. Bafetimbi Gomis has now failed to score in five successive Premier League appearances after scoring nine goals in his previous 10 games in the competition.
Swansea have seen their opponents reduced to 10 men on four occasions this season; more often than any other Premier League side. No player has attempted more dribbles in the Premier League this season than Swansea’s Jefferson Montero (62), while Villa’s Jordan Amavi has attempted the second most (58). Swansea are now winless in five Premier League games (D2 L3); they haven’t gone six without a win in the competition since March 2014.
Prediction : Aston Villa win
Leicester City – Crystal Palace
Leicester have enjoyed just one win in their six Premier League games against Crystal Palace, losing four and drawing one. Crystal Palace have won nine of their last 12 Premier League away games (W9 D0 L3) – this after winning just nine of their previous 61 on the road in the top-flight. In all league games, the Foxes are without a win in their last four meetings with Palace (D1 L3), with their last league victory against the Eagles coming in January 2012 (2-1 away).
On home soil, Leicester have lost their last two league encounters with Crystal Palace after avoiding defeat in the eight before that (W5 D3). Jamie Vardy will be looking to become only the fifth different English player to score in 7+ successive Premier League games after Alan Shearer (7), Ian Wright (7), Mark Stein (7) and Daniel Sturridge (8) Vardy has had a hand in 18 goals in his last 19 Premier League appearances (13 goals, five assists).
Leicester have won a league-high seven points from losing positions this season and have lost just one of the six PL games they’ve been behind in (W1 D4). The Foxes have scored a league-high tally of six goals in the final 15 minutes of games this season. Crystal Palace have conceded the highest proportion of goals in the final 15 minutes of Premier League games this season (50% – five of 10).
Palace have averaged 2.25 points per game away from home under Alan Pardew (W9 D0 L3), compared to 1.27 points per game at home (W6 D1 L8).
Prediction : Draw
Norwich City – West Bromwich Albion
Norwich have won just three of their last nine league games against West Brom (L6), although those victories have come in the last five meetings. The Baggies have netted just one goal in total in their last three Premier League games against the Canaries. At Carrow Road, the hosts have lost four of their last five league clashes with West Brom (W1).
This will be the two sides’ second clash in just over a month, following Norwich’s Capital One Cup 3-0 win on September 23rd. Sebastian Bassong has made more clearances than any other player in the Premier League this season (85), with 60 of these being made with his head (another league-high).
Norwich City have conceded more goals than any other side in the Premier League this season (20) and are one of just three clubs yet to keep a clean sheet (alongside Sunderland and Leicester). West Bromwich Albion have kept a league-high 15 clean sheets in the Premier League since Tony Pulis’ first game in charge of them on January 10th 2015. WBA have kept five clean sheets in their last eight Premier League games, but in the other three games during this run they’ve conceded eight goals in total.
Saido Berahino has scored just four goals in 22 away appearances in the Premier League since the start of last season, compared to 13 goals in 23 home apps. These two sides have won the fewest fouls in the Premier League so far in 2015-16 – Norwich (69) and West Brom (83)
Prediction : Norwich win
Stoke City – Watford
Stoke City have won exactly half (21) of their 42 Premier League home games under Mark Hughes’ management (D10 L11). Watford are unbeaten in their last five league meetings with Stoke City (W3 D2) and have kept a clean sheet in all five of these games. Stoke have failed to score in their last three league games at the Britannia Stadium against the Hornets (L2 D1).
Watford have scored a league-low six goals this season and have the lowest shot conversion rate (7.8%). The Hornets have played more long balls than any other Premier League side this season (366). Mame Biram Diouf has scored five goals in his last eight PL games, including a goal against both of the other two newly promoted sides in 2015-16 (Bournemouth and Norwich).
Jack Butland has made more saves than any other goalkeeper this season in the Premier League (39) Troy Deeney has scored just two goals in his last 17 competitive appearances for Watford. Stoke City have won three successive Premier League games – they haven’t won four in a row since December 2011. Games involving Watford have seen just 16 goals scored this season in the Premier League; a league-low.
Prediction : Stoke win
West Ham United – Chelsea
West Ham United have won just one of their last 18 Premier League London derbies against Chelsea (W1 D3 L14). Chelsea have not conceded a single goal in any of their last five Premier League matches against the Hammers; last conceding in a 1-3 defeat in Dec 2012.
West Ham have scored with a league-high 22% of their shots this season in the Premier League while only Man City (24) have scored more goals than the Hammers (20). Chelsea have conceded a league-high five headed goals in the Premier League in 2015-16.
Dimitri Payet has created more goalscoring chances than any other Premier League player so far this season (39). Payet has had a hand in eight goals (five goals, three assists) in nine Premier League appearances for West Ham. West Ham have won their two Premier League London derbies so far this season (v Arsenal and Crystal Palace); they only won two PL London derbies in the whole of 2014-15.
The Hammers have lost their last three Premier League London derbies at home, however. Jose Mourinho has lost just five of his 52 Premier League London derbies as a manager (W36 D11 L5).
This is West Ham’s best ever start to a PL season after nine games (17 points), while it’s Chelsea’s second worst ever start to a PL campaign after nine games (11 points).
Prediction : Chelsea win
Arsenal – Everton
Arsenal have lost just one of their last 16 Premier League meetings with Everton (W9 D6). However, the Toffees have lost only one of their last six PL games versus Arsenal with four of these games ending in a draw (W1 L1).
Arsenal’s joint Premier League record win (7-0) came against Everton; this was at Highbury in May 2005. Arsenal have had more touches in the opposition box than any other side in the Premier League this season (329).
Everton have scored five goals courtesy of substitutes in the Premier League this season, more than any other side. Petr Cech has the best saves to shots ratio of any goalkeeper in the Premier League so far in 2015-16 (82.1%). Cech has now kept 167 Premier League clean sheets, just two away from David James’ record (169) in the competition.
Olivier Giroud has netted four goals in the Gunners’ last four meetings with Everton in all competitions. Theo Walcott has been directly involved in 15 goals in his last 15 Premier League starts for Arsenal (12 goals, three assists).
Romelu Lukaku has now scored 47 Premier League goals – only four players have reached 50 PL goals before the age of 23 and the Belgian will become the fifth if he scores three more goals this season.
Prediction : Draw
Sunderland – Newcastle United
Sunderland have won the last five Tyne-Wear derbies in league competition; their best ever run against Newcastle United. Newcastle have managed to score just one goal in their last 537 minutes of football against Sunderland.
Sunderland have won eight Premier League games against Newcastle; versus no other side have they won more often (also eight wins vs. Bolton and Everton). Sam Allardyce has never lost his opening Premier League home game in charge of a club (W3 D1). Allardyce managed Newcastle United 21 times in the Premier League (W7 D5 L9) between Aug 2007-Jan 2008 and will become the first ever manager to have taken charge of both Sunderland and Newcastle in a Tyne-Wear derby.
Georginio Wijnaldum scored as many goals in his last Premier League appearance (4) as Sunderland have in their last six Premier League games combined (4). Wijnaldum has only attempted 12 shots (inc. blocked) in the Premier League this season, but has scored with half of these (6).
These two sides have allowed the most shots on target by opponents this season in the Premier League; Newcastle (55), Sunderland (53). Sunderland have had the fewest touches in the opposition box this season after the opening nine matchdays (116). The Black Cats are currently on the longest run without a win in the Premier League (12 games; W0 D5 L7).
Prediction : Newcastle win
Bournemouth – Tottenham Hotspur
This will be only the second competitive meeting between Bournemouth and Spurs, with the first coming in an FA Cup tie in 1957 that the south coast side won 3-1. Tottenham have lost just one of the last seven Premier League games that they’ve played on a Sunday (W4 D2 L1).
Spurs are the only side to have remained unbeaten following the opening matchday; winning three and drawing five since their MD1 defeat at Man Utd. In Harry Kane’s last 17 Premier League appearances he’s scored three goals from 40 shots (7.5% conversion rate).
Spurs have conceded only three goals in their last six Premier League games, keeping four clean sheets in the process. Bournemouth have scored in each of their last seven Premier League games. Glenn Murray has scored nine Premier League goals in 22 apps in 2015, compared to one goal in 16 PL apps before this year.
Bournemouth have only conceded three goals in four PL home games this season, while Spurs have netted just four goals in four PL away games in 2015-16.
Nine of Christian Eriksen’s 12 Premier League goals since the start of last season have come away from home (75%). Since 2013-14, when Eriksen signed for Tottenham, he has scored two more direct free kicks than any other player in the Premier League (6).
Prediction : Spurs win
Manchester United – Manchester City
Wayne Rooney has scored 11 goals in Manchester derbies (all comps); more than any other player in this fixture. Rooney is 30 years old on the day before this match – no player has scored as many Premier League goals as he has by the age of 30 (187).
Manchester City have won six of their last eight Manchester derbies in league competition (L2); prior to this run City had won six of their previous 42 derby games v Man Utd. Man Utd have won 17 of their 23 Premier League home games under Louis van Gaal (74%), conceding just 16 goals (D3 L3).
Manchester City are looking for their 50th competitive win in the Manchester derby (W49 D50 L69). None of the last 12 Manchester derbies in all competitions have ended as a draw (five United wins, seven City wins). The last 10 Manchester derbies in all competitions have seen 41 goals scored (4.1 goals per game).
Manchester City have had the most shots on target (74) and have allowed their opponents the fewest (24) in the opening nine matchdays of 2015-16. Kevin De Bruyne has 23 assists in 41 league appearances since the start of last season; three more than any other player in the top five European Leagues.
Man City will be missing Sergio Aguero for this game; he’s scored eight goals in eight Manchester derbies in all competitions, including all three for City v Utd last season.
Prediction : City win
Liverpool – Southampton
Liverpool have enjoyed three PL wins in a row over Southampton, conceding just one goal in the process; that being scored by Nathaniel Clyne (who now plays for Liverpool).
Southampton’s 3-1 win at Chelsea on MD8 was their first PL away win since February 7th, ending a 10-game away winless streak (L6 D4). The Reds ran 116km in their first game under Jurgen Klopp last weekend; further than they had run in any single Premier League game since the start of 2013-14.
James Milner has run further than any other Liverpool player in every one of their opening nine games in the Premier League this season. Milner has also created 20 goalscoring chances for the Reds; more than any other player for the club. Just three of Graziano Pelle’s 17 Premier League goals have come away from home (18%). Pelle (5) has scored or assisted as many goals in his last four Premier League appearances as he did in his previous 11 in the competition.
Southampton have attempted more open play crosses than any other side in the opening nine matchdays of the 2015-16 season (171). Saints have attempted 10 more headed shots (32) than any other side in the opening nine matchdays this season.
Lucas Leiva has made more tackles than any other player in the opening nine matchdays of the 2015-16 season (40).
Prediction : Liverpool win
