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The Weekend in Numbers: The stats behind the league's in form strikers & United's lack of goals

There are some interesting stats to be found ahead of this weekend's Premier League clashes, with...



The Weekend in Numbers: The st...
Soccer

The Weekend in Numbers: The stats behind the league's in form strikers & United's lack of goals

There are some interesting stats to be found ahead of this weekend's Premier League clashes, with some great fixtures set to take place. 

While some teams can't stop scoring, others are having real difficulty finding the back of the net this season, so what do the stats tell us about this weekend's matches?

Manchester United v West Brom

United's problems in front of goal have been highly publicised in recent weeks, but even though they did manage to score in midweek in the Champions League, they've failed to find the net in three out of their last four league games. 

They're coming up against a rather resolute West Brom defence that has already kept six clean sheets this season, and when a misfiring front line takes on a well organised back line, the most likely outcome is...well not a lot of goals anyway. 

Judging by our previous record where we've predicted goalfests however, now that we're saying the opposite this game will probably end 4-4. 

Are Spurs due a win?

Spurs have been ticking along since their opening day loss to Manchester United, and have gone undefeated in all their other games. Even in that first match, it was a strange own goal that cost them all three points at Old Trafford, so their record would be even better were it not for a stroke of bad luck. 

They're hardly setting the world alight at the same time, but they have become a team that makes very few mistakes, and are finally finding their form in front of goal, scoring eight in their last two games.

Image: Adam Davy / PA Wire/Press Association Images

Spurs last beat Arsenal away from home in the 2010/11 season, and before that you have to look back to 1992/93 for a win at Highbury if you want to find the last time they won North London bragging rights at Arsenal's ground, so their record in that regard is not great. 

With so many Arsenal injuries and a bad result midweek in the Champions League, there's a good chance that they might finally improve that record this weekend. 

Giroud in form

At the start of the season there were concerns over Giroud's reliability and his consistency, but he's been quietly chipping away at that reputation this week. 

With a real challenge in the form of Theo Walcott putting him under some pressure, he's responded by scoring six goals in his last eight games in all competitions, including a consolation against Bayern in their midweek drubbing. He won't be short on confidence anyway. 


Lukaku loves getting Hammered

Bad pun (which is a bit of a stretch, if we're honest) aside, Lukaku's record against West Ham would suggest that he's really looking forward to this weekend's matchup. 

He's scored in six successive games against West Ham, and a seventh would make him the first Everton player to score in that many consecutive games against the same opponent since the legendary Dixie Dean.

Everton's record when facing the Hammers is just as impressive: they are unbeaten in the last 17 meetings between the two sides in all competitions, dating back to 2007.   

Triple Threat

Another week, another Vardy goal...maybe. This time he's up against a strong defence in the form of Watford who have been very well organised and already kept five clean sheets so far this season. 

Some of the league's most in form strikers are in this game, however, as Ighalo has scored five in his last six, Mahrez already has seven and Jamie Vardy has scored in eight consecutive matches. That last one is an exclusive stat that has yet to be mentioned by anyone else, of course. 

Image: Scott Heavey / PA Wire/Press Association Images

Leicester have a tendency to concede and then fight back to win points (they've secured the most points from losing positions in the Premier League so far this season), which means there could well be goals at both ends in this one. 

Cursed Palace?

Liverpool do not have many happy memories from playing Crystal Palace in recent years, not least that match that pretty much cost them the league title when they let slip a 3-1 lead to end up drawing 3-3. 

Aside from that, they've only actually beaten the London side once since their return to the top flight in the 2014 season, and after a very long away trip on Thursday (around 4,000 miles round trip), there may be some tired legs and minds that mean that Pardew's Palace keep up their hoodoo on the Anfield side this weekend. 

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