MY ACCOUNT
Manchester United were fortunate to leave Stamford Bridge with a 1-1 draw on Sunday as a dominant Chelsea squandered a host of chances against Michael Carrick’s men.
The Blues are now winless in their past eight Premier League games against the Red Devils (D5 L3), only once enduring a longer such run (10 games between 1938 and 1950).
Elsewhere, Manchester City edged past West Ham 2-1 at the Etihad Stadium to keep the pressure on Thomas Tuchel’s table-topping side, and Leicester City beat Watford 4-2.
Everton’s dismal run continued with a 1-0 defeat at Brentford, while Tottenham’s trip to Burnley was postponed amid heavy snow in Lancashire.
Here, Stats Perform looks through the pick of Sunday’s Opta facts…
Chelsea 1-1 Manchester United: Profligate Blues held at home again
Under the guidance of Carrick – the first Englishman to take charge of United in a league game since Ron Atkinson in November 1986 – the Red Devils were on course to seal an unlikely win when Jadon Sancho scored early in the second half.
The England international’s goal was his second in as many games, following his midweek strike against Villarreal in the Champions League. This came after a 16-match goalless run across all competitions for Dortmund (two) and United (14).
United managed just one further attempt after taking the lead, with a total of three shots their lowest in a Premier League game since April 2017 against Manchester City (also three).
Jorginho atoned for his error in the build-up to Sancho’s goal, stroking home from the spot to draw Chelsea level. Thirteen of the midfielder’s 15 Premier League goals have come via penalties (87 per cent), the highest ratio of any player with 10 or more goals in the competition’s history.
In their last two Premier League matches at Stamford Bridge, against Burnley and United, Chelsea have attempted 49 shots, faced just eight themselves and had 100 touches in their opponents’ penalty area. They have, however, failed to win in back-to-back home games in the top-flight for only the second time under Tuchel.
Manchester City 2-1 West Ham: Gundogan and Fernandinho on target for Guardiola’s men
City have now won 11 of their past 13 matches against West Ham in all competitions, losing none. Over that period they have scored 35 goals against the Hammers and conceded just six.
Ilkay Gundogan got them on their way with his 15th non-penalty goal in 37 Premier League appearances since the start of last season – the most of any midfielder, ahead of Bruno Fernandes in second place (13 in 50)
The Germany international has now scored 16 goals in his past 31 Premier League matches for City – his previous 16 goals in Europe’s big-five leagues were spread across 138 matches.
Fernandinho doubled their advantage late on to become the second-oldest player to score for City in the Premier League at the age of 36 years and 208 days, after Frank Lampard against Southampton in May 2015 (36 years and 338 days).
Manuel Lanzini scored deep into stoppage time for the Hammers, who have taken just five points from 78 available in Premier League away games against reigning champions (W1 D2 L23), with their one victory coming at Manchester United in December 2001.
Leicester City 4-2 Watford: Evergreen Vardy pulls level with Wright record
Jamie Vardy scored twice in the Foxes’ victory to equal Ian Wright’s record of netting 93 goals in the Premier League aged 30 and over.
Since his first game aged 30 in January 2017, only Harry Kane (108) and Mohamed Salah (106) have more Premier League goals than Vardy.
Vardy also became only the second player to score a Premier League goal against a team managed by Claudio Ranieri after having played under the Italian, after Jeffrey Schlupp (February 2019, Crystal Palace v Fulham).
James Maddison was also instrumental in the win, the midfielder now scoring in all three of his matches against the Hornets in the top flight. It was also the first time Maddison has scored and assisted in a Premier League game, in what was his 111th appearance in the competition.
Watford, meanwhile, have conceded in each of their past 23 Premier League matches, shipping 45 goals in the process – the longest current run of any Premier League side without a clean sheet.
Brentford 1-0 Everton: Toney puts Benitez on the spot
The pressure intensified on Everton boss Rafael Benitez after a seventh Premier League game without a win – their longest such run since April 2016 under Roberto Martinez (also seven).
Benitez has now won just one of his past 10 away Premier League matches against promoted sides (D3 L6) across spells with Chelsea, Newcastle United and Everton.
A different player has scored all eight of Brentford’s home goals in this season’s Premier League, with Ivan Toney scoring his first on home soil in the competition in his ninth such appearance for both the Bees and former club Newcastle United combined.
Since the start of last season, Toney has scored more penalties in league games (excluding play-offs) than any other player in the top four tiers of English football (11), doing so without missing from the spot.
