Life comes at you fast in the Premier League. Here are the 6 most intriguing stats from the weekend's action in the Best League In The World™.
Tony Pulis loves a set piece
Live by the set piece, die by the set piece. That is the Pulis way. Pulis's best defenders are also his best strikers - witness Big Gareth McAuley's goal-scoring form this season. Craig Dawson added a brace in WBA's hammering of Arsenal yesterday. Wwe hadn't realised just how reliant West Brom are upon the set piece until saw this stat from Opta yesterday. Nearly half of West Brom's under Pulis have come from a set piece, a stat that makes Arsenal's woeful set piece defending even more mindboggling
48.4% - Since Tony Pulis took charge of WBA in Jan 2015, they've scored a higher % of goals from set-pieces than any other PL team. Routine.
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) March 18, 2017
James Milner is a penalty-taking machine
Milner scored his latest penalty - his seventh of the season - today against his old club. It was an unsaveable missile taken into the left hand corner. How good is Milner at penos? He hasn't missed one in 8 years and is 10 for 10 with Liverpool.
Correct me if wrong - but I believe that Milner hasn't missed a single penalty kick since 7 Nov. 2009 (5-1 Villa win v. Bolton).
— Philippe Auclair (@PhilippeAuclair) March 19, 2017
Boro can't score
There was widespread criticism from Premier League managers after Middlesbrough sacked Aitor Karanka. The Spainard's main problem with Boro was he couldn't get his forwards to score and today, in his absence, Boro broke brought a seemingly endless goalless streak to an end. Rudy Gestede's ultimately useless goal was Boro's first goal in nearly TEN hours.
Rudy Gestede has scored Middlesbrough’s 1st PL goal from open play in 9 hours & 50 minutes #PL pic.twitter.com/nXFYvFIRtE
— Sky Sports Statto (@SkySportsStatto) March 19, 2017
Rudy Gestede is an island of pain
There is a solution to Boro's woes, however. Don't play Rudy Gestede. Goal today aside, the Benin international is mired in one of the most woeful streaks in world football. He had not played a team to win a Premier league game since Aston Villa's first game of last season. That, it turns out, was his solitary victory in 42 Premier League games, a terrible 2% hit rate.
Rudy Gestede has played 42 times in the Premier League, for three different teams.
He's been on the winning side once.
😳 pic.twitter.com/nfO27VyWGE— bet365 (@bet365) March 19, 2017
Christian Eriksen is positively lethal from outside the box
No Harry, no problem for Tottenham. Spurs did not miss a beat without Kane today, thanks in large part to man of the match Christian Eriksen. While Kane does the vast bulk of his scoring inside the penalty box, Eriksen might be the most lethal shooter in the Premier League outside of the box.
13 - Since his debut in Sept 2013, no player has scored as many Premier League goals from outside the box as Christian Eriksen (13). Range. pic.twitter.com/1e7x3mG2qp
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) March 19, 2017
Arsenal are really going to miss Sanchez
Arsenal are in free fall and James McClean's reducer on Alexis Sanchez is only going to mean more pain for Arsene Wenger. It looks like Arsenal will be without their best player as they hunt for a top 4 place. It means they will be without the most influential attacking player in the Premier League this season. How can they cope?
27 - Alexis Sanchez has been involved in 27 PL goals this season (18 goals, nine assists) – more than any other player. Leader.
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) March 18, 2017
