Optas Boxing Day in Numbers: Rooney rampant against Newcastle The England captain now has 12 goals and seven assists in 19 Premier League appearances against Newcastle United, while Manchester City have set a new club record By Duncan Alexander ROONEY RAMPANT AGAINST NEWCASTLE It was former Manchester United boss David Moyes who gave Wayne Rooney his bumper new contract in February but it is under his new manager, Louis van Gaal, that the England captain seems to be thriving. A double against Newcastle United on Boxing Day took Rooney to 11 goals in his last nine Premier League appearances at Old Trafford, and an assist for Robin van Persie’s strike means that Rooney now has 12 goals and seven assists in 19 Premier League appearances against Newcastle. Rooney’s goal on Friday also means that he has now scored on every day of the week in the Premier League, joining a select list of 15 others who have achieved this. STAND-OUT STATS Manchester United became the first team in English league history to win 50 league games on December 26th. Alexis Sanchez has scored or assisted half of Arsenal’s 32 Premier League goals this season with 10 goals and six assists. Harry Kane has now scored 15 goals in all competitions this season; only Sergio Aguero (19) has more for Premier League sides. Chelsea have won six Premier League games by two goals to nil this season, including each of the last three games. Leicester City have gone 97 days without a league win; in that time, Tottenham have collected 23 points to Leicester’s two (both from 13 games). Everton’s 1-0 defeat to Stoke was the longest game seen in the Premier League this season (106mins 2secs). Gylfi Sigurdsson has had a hand in nine of Swansea’s 15 home league goals this season (two goals, seven assists). At 30 seconds, Adam Johnson’s opening goal for Sunderland vs Hull was the second-fastest in the Premier League this season, after Peter Crouch’s against Arsenal (19 seconds).TERRY CONTINUES CHELSEA’S CHARGE While overseas players often eulogise about how much they enjoy the uniqueness of the UK’s Christmas football schedule, it’s the battle-hardened home-grown players who know no different. So it was perhaps apt that John Terry scored the first goal of Boxing Day 2014, guiding Chelsea to a first-half lead against West Ham. The former England captain has now scored 36 Premier League goals, which, if you exclude penalties, is 11 more than any other defender in the competition’s history. Chelsea were equally comfortable in the second half and eased to their third 2-0 win in succession. In fact, eight of Chelsea’s last nine Premier League victories have seen them score two goals, a perfect demonstration of the professionalism and control that Jose Mourinho teams typically show. MAN CITY’S AWAY DAY STROLL While Manchester United won 3-1 at home, Manchester City won 3-1 away, their ninth successive win in all competitions, which equals a club record. Despite playing with no recognised striker, City were three goals up inside 34 minutes, displaying the sort of first-half ferocity that was typical of games in their title-winning campaign last year. This season it has been less evident, but they are the only team to score in every single Premier League away game they’ve played this term. It is this sort of relentlessness that means that, heading towards the halfway point of the season, they are in with a good shout of becoming the first team to retain the Premier League title since 2009. LIVERPOOL CAPITALISE ON TOOTHLESS BURNLEY Somehow Liverpool exited Turf Moor with three points on Boxing Day. Burnley were impressive, especially in the first half, and ended the game with 16 shots in total, six more than the visitors. The home side even enjoyed the bonus of facing both Brad Jones and Simon Mignolet, as the Belgian goalkeeper replaced the injured Australian after 16 minutes. What the Clarets didn’t do, however, was manage to get a shot on target and even Liverpool’s creaky defence can usually manage to keep a clean sheet when they don’t have to make a save. It was only Liverpool’s second clean sheet in their last 13 Premier League away games and however it was achieved, the win means they remain only seven points behind fourth-placed Southampton. YELLOW TON FOR BARRY Gareth Barry reached a long-anticipated Premier League milestone on Boxing Day by becoming the first player in the competition’s history to reach treble figures for yellow cards. With Kevin Davies and Lee Bowyer departing the division on 99 yellows, and Paul Scholes getting close with 97, Barry has finally reached 100 and has enough left in his legs to get at least another 5-10 in the next few seasons. Barry already has six yellow cards this season and may even have time to match his seasonal record of 11 - set with Aston Villa in 2002-03.
Posted on: Sat, 27 Dec 2014 10:45:37 +0000
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