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Yes, it isn't a Monday but 'By the numbers' is in. Like a player in Rinus Michel's legendary Ajax teams, we're now aiming to be anywhere, anytime -- as the need arises. We will continue updating over the next couple of days, but our aim is to be out there the moment anything spectacular happens.
Premier LeagueThe first North London derby at the new Tottenham stadium went the hosts way, Spurs coming from one down to beat Arsenal 2-1. Leicester City sunk to a 4-1 loss at Bournemouth to give the latter hope in the relegation battle. On Monday, Manchester United blew a 2-1 lead and a chance to go third as Southampton grabbed a 96th minute equalizer. 16 This season's PL top scorer Jamie Vardy has scored in 16 games this season. Only Danny Ings (17) has scored in more. 21 Arsenal have dropped 21 points from winning positions in the PL this season. This is second only to West Ham, who have dropped 24. 27 Arsenal have not won in its last 27 PL away games against Big Six sides (L17 D10) since a 2-0 win at Man City, January 2015. The club's captain at the time? Mikel Arteta. 95:47 Southampton's goal at 95:47 is also the latest that Manchester United have conceded a game-altering goal in their Premier league history. 2 Here's a gloriously absurd stat, courtesy Opta. David McGoldrick and Oli McBurnie are only the second duo with the surname prefix 'Mc' to score in the same PL season for the same side, since James McArthur and Callum McManaman for Wigan in May 2013. 3 Raheem Sterling is just the third player in PL history to score a hat trick via this specific combination - two headers, one outside-the-box shot. The others are Gary Speed vs. Southampton, Nov. 1996 and Georginio Wijnaldum vs. Norwich, Oct. 2015. 4 Michail Antonio is the first West Ham player to score four goals in a league match since David Cross against Spurs in September 1981. 5 Norwich City have become the first team to be relegated from the PL on five separate occasions. 76% Sometimes, possession isn't the king. Chelsea had 76% of it in their defeat at Sheffield United. Since 2003-04, when full possession data is available, this is the biggest margin of defeat for a team that held that much possession in a PL game. 14 Andrew Robertson is the 14th Liverpool player to score a league goal at Anfield this season. The only time Liverpool have had more (different) players score at home in a PL campaign is 1992-93 (15, excluding own goals). 773 And one for a departed legend. Jack Charlton, the England World Cup winner who died on Friday, made more appearances (773) for Leeds United than any other player in the club's storied history. La LigaReal Madrid saw off a stiff challenge at Granada to keep the gap between them and Barca at 4 points, with just two games to go. A win against Villareal on the 16th, and Madrid will be crowned champions of Spain. 8 Atletico Madrid clinched their eighth straight Champions League berth with their defeat of Real Betis. To put this into context, before Diego Simeone came in as manager in 2011, they had qualified to just eight European Cups in their history. 13 Sevilla's 2-0 win over Mallorca has seen them extend their unbeaten run to 13 La Liga games (W7 D6). This is their longest streak without a defeat in the competition. 15 A fascinating tidbit: Granada's Roberto Soldado scored his first La Liga goal, 15 years ago, thanks to an assist from Zinedine Zidane. 34.8% With eight goals from 23 shots, Barcelona's Arturo Vidal has the best shot conversion rate in La Liga this season (minimum 20+ shots). This is also the third highest conversion rate in Europe's top five leagues this season, after Borussia Dortmund wunderkind Erling Haaland's 38.2% (13 in 34) and Genoa skipper Domenico Criscito's 35% (seven in 20). 36 Alvaro Morata has been caught offside more often than any other player in La Liga this season. Rather more adventurous than what one would expect from a Simeone forward, eh? 550 With his 550th appearance in Real Betis' loss, Joaquín Sánchez equalled Raúl González with the second-highest appearances in La Liga history. Only Andoni Zubizarreta has made more (622). Serie AAtalanta held Juventus to an eventful 2-2 draw, but a loss for second-placed Lazio earlier in the day (2-1 to Sassuolo) means Juve remain eight points clear at the top of the table, with just six games to go. Lazio, in fact, need to look behind them now -- Atalanta are now just a point behind. AS Roma, meanwhile, beat Brescia 3-0. 2 This is only the third Serie A season where two players have scored at least 28 goals in the opening 32 match days -- after Istavan Nyers and Gunnar Nordahl (1950/51), and Antonio Angelillo and Jose Altafini (1958/59). This season, Ciro Immobile has 29, Cristiano Ronaldo 28. 3x15 Atalanta are the only team among Europe's top five leagues with three players who have scored 15+ goals this season (Luis Muriel 17, Josip Ilicic and Duvan Zapata 15). In fact, they are the first team with three players on 15+ goals in a single Serie A season since Juventus in 1951/52 (Ermes Muccinelli, Giampiero Boniperti and John Hansen).  Ronaldo-Messi watchLionel Messi's assist got Barcelona three points, while Cristiano Ronaldo's two goals (from the spot) salvaged Juventus a point. 20/20 Messi is only the second player to score 20+ goals (he has 22) and assist another 20 in a single season in the Europe's top five leagues in the 21st century, after Thierry Henry. Henry scored 24 and assisted 20 in 2002/03 for Arsenal. Also 20 Messi's 20th assist makes him the first player to reach 20 assists in a single La Liga season since Xavi Hernandez made 20 in 2008/09. 11 Messi has been directly involved in 11 league goals since play resumed -- the most by any player in Europe's top five leagues in that period. 11/11 Ronaldo has now converted 11 of 11 penalty kicks in Serie A this season. This ties Roberto Baggio's 1997/98 record for most penalty goals scored without missing in a single Serie A season. This, of course, assumes he won't miss for the remainder of the season. 28 Ronaldo's second penalty was his 28th league goal of the season. This puts him within touching distance of Felice Borel's Juventus single-season record for goals scored in Serie A (32 in 1933-34). He has six games to get there. 125 v 89 Considering Ronaldo's two goals came via penalties this weekend, you might be wondering what percentage of his goals have actually come via penalties? And how does it compare to Messi? Well, Ronaldo has scored 17.1% (125 of 732) of his career goals from the penalty spot (all competitions with club and country). Messi is at 12.7% (89 of 700). (Stats courtesy: ESPN Stats and Information Group)
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