Top-flight clubs taking things to extremes
This season is one of extremes at both ends of the Premier League table, with the top three clubs and bottom two on course to set new records. At the present rate Liverpool, Manchester City and Arsenal will gather points totals of 88, 86 and 85 respectively, while Burnley and Sheffield United will gain only 19 points each. In terms of points per game, and assuming three points for a win throughout, Arsenal are on track to record the best figure for a third-place team in the top flight since the League’s formation in 1888, while Burnley — ahead of Sheffield United on goal difference — are on course to register the worst campaign for the second-last team in the top division.
Ton of patience
Liverpool’s Virgil van Dijk scored the first goal by either team from the 100th attempt across the three recent meetings with Chelsea in finals (they met twice in 2022). Kostas Tsimikas, who set up the winning goal for Liverpool’s captain in the closing minutes of a 1-0 victory, was born the day after Liverpool lost a final 1-0 through a goal in the closing minutes by a captain (Manchester United’s Eric Cantona in the 1996 FA Cup final). The past four goals in FA Cup or League Cup finals have been scored by captains: Ilkay Gundogan hit both of Manchester City’s goals in last season’s FA Cup final against Manchester United, who replied through Bruno Fernandes.
Last year Newcastle United recorded a fifth consecutive defeat in major domestic cup finals (FA Cup or League Cup) but Chelsea regained their unwanted record by registering a sixth such result in a row on Sunday. Chelsea have gone 535 minutes since they most recently scored in a League Cup or FA Cup final (three games that went to extra time against Liverpool, 90 minutes against Leicester City and the last 85 minutes against Arsenal in the 2020 FA Cup final).
Rodri equals record
Two League Cup finals have been played since Rodri most recently lost a match with Manchester City. The midfielder can become the first player to remain unbeaten in 59 consecutive games played for a league club in all competitions when his team visit Luton Town in the FA Cup, having this weekend equalled Ricardo Carvalho’s record of 58 undefeated with Chelsea.
Negative vibes
Manchester United, beaten 2-1 at home by Fulham on Saturday, have a negative goal difference in their 18 home matches in all competitions this season — the previous campaign in which they conceded more than they scored at home was 1933-34. Fulham’s famous victory was secured deep into so-called “Fergie time” with the latest recorded winner for an away team in the league at Old Trafford (the 97th minute): their goals came from an Alex and a player who shares Alex Ferguson’s birthday (Alex Iwobi and Calvin Bassey).
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Newcastle cornered
Newcastle are the first team since Watford in 1984-85 to have both scored and conceded at least 45 goals in their first 26 games of a top-flight season. Arsenal took more corners in the first minute against Newcastle on Saturday (two) than Newcastle won across both league meetings with Arsenal this season (none).
Coleman connection
The longest-serving player at one Premier League club is named Coleman — and so is the longest-serving manager at one League club: Seamus Coleman has played for Everton in every top-flight season since 2009-10, while John Coleman has managed Accrington Stanley in each league campaign since 2014-15. (Harrogate Town’s Simon Weaver was appointed in 2009 but the club only joined the League in 2020.)
Under the same flag
If the Premier League’s top four teams stay the same until the end of the season it will be the first campaign with three compatriot managers among the top four clubs since 1995-96: the Spaniards Pep Guardiola (Manchester City), Mikel Arteta (Arsenal) and Unai Emery (Aston Villa) would emulate the English trio of Kevin Keegan (Newcastle), Roy Evans (Liverpool) and Brian Little (Villa).
Leaping along
No league matches are scheduled this Thursday, February 29 — so the most recent February 29-born player to appear in the league on his birthday will remain Jimmy Brennan, who did so for Swindon Town against Millwall in 1956. For the second weekend in a row all 12 away teams scored in the Sky Bet Championship. Six of the Championship’s bottom-half teams won 2-1 on Saturday, including five who started the day in the bottom seven.
Mind the gap
With 16 clubs left in the FA Cup, which resumes this week, the gap in league positions between the teams ranked first and 15th is only 35 places (Liverpool first and Blackburn Rovers 36th) whereas 96 places separate the teams ranked 15th and 16th (Maidstone United are eighth in the National League South, so the top eight in the parallel National League North are included in the count).