The opening day fixtures make good reading for Arsenal, Chelsea and Wolves

Six Premier League fixture-list related trends and statistics

1. The last five newly-promoted teams to kick their season off at home all avoided defeat, which is good news for Wolves who open against West Ham.

2. However, the last four to start away from home have all lost. That doesn’t bode well for Birmingham and Burnley, who start at Man United and Stoke.

3. Chelsea have won their opening game in each of the last seven seasons and this year they kick-off their campaign at home to Hull.

Posted: June 17th, 2009 by Michael Lintorn | Add Comment

Starting the season at home doesn’t actually help Arsenal

Countering a popular North London conspiracy theory

The fixtures for the 2009-10 season are released on Wednesday and the luck of the draw can have a significant impact on a team’s fortunes.

Cynical? Well take the example of Stoke, who faced the Big Four seven times in their opening 22 fixtures last season. By the end of that period they were in the relegation zone with 21 points but it mean that they had 15 successive games against tiring, less intimidating teams before facing Arsenal on the final day. They took 24 points from those games, guaranteeing safety with two games to spare and rendering a 4-1 loss at the Emirates irrelevant.

There’s a popular conspiracy theory among Tottenham fans that the fixture generators favour Arsenal and neglect them, which is backed up by the fact the Gunners have started 13 of their 17 Premier League campaigns at home, while Spurs have kicked off just four of theirs at White Hart Lane.

Those figures suggest that they have a case, although they don’t take into account that Arsenal actually fare better when they start on the road.

Posted: June 15th, 2009 by Michael Lintorn | 2 Comments

Stats for all of this weekend’s Premier League matches

For Man Utd/Arsenal stats, check out our Correct Score wizard

Baffled by Sky’s decision to broadcast a nothing match between Chelsea and Blackburn over games that will have a huge impact on the relegation battle and the race for seventh, we’ve decided to instead publish a stat for every league match taking place this weekend:

Bolton v Hull
Gary Megson’s side are unbeaten at home to sides below them in the table and have won their final league game at the Reebok in three of the last four years.

Everton v West Ham
The Toffees have lost just one of their last 13 home games in all competitions while West Ham haven’t beaten a top-six side all season.

Middlesbrough v Aston Villa

Posted: May 15th, 2009 by Michael Lintorn | Add Comment

Paddy Power offer Stoke fans free ice cream for staying up

Bookmakers make amends for “relegating” Stoke after one game

Paddy Power paid out on Stoke being relegated after they lost their first Premier League match 3-1 at Bolton, justifying the decision by saying that “if you’re getting tonked by Bolton on the opening day you’re going to struggle”.

However, after being proven spectacularly wrong they have decided to head down to the Britannia Stadium for the Potters’ final home game of the season against Wigan to serve 8,000 scoops of “humble pie flavoured” ice cream.

Click here to claim a £25 bet with Paddy Power. Stoke fans can back their side to win the league next season at 3000/1, although we don’t see them paying out early on that one!

Posted: May 14th, 2009 by Michael Lintorn | Add Comment

Arsenal and Chelsea tear up the Big Four form book

Six stats about this weekend’s football

1. Chelsea’s 4-1 win over Arsenal yesterday was their first against a fellow Big Four side in the league all season, while it was the Gunners’ first loss. It also ended their 21-match league unbeaten run.

2. Arsenal lost just one home match in their first two seasons at the Emirates but they have been beaten there four times in this campaign. It was the first time since October 2002 that they have lost successive home games.

3. Hull have taken just eight points from their last 20 games, winning just once. Stoke have taken 23 over the same period and even West Brom have managed 19.

Posted: May 11th, 2009 by Michael Lintorn | Add Comment

Liverpool get another chance to go top against West Ham

WHU/Liverpool, Sat 5.30pm, Setanta Spts 1, Free Bets, Best Odds

This is the closest Liverpool have ever come to winning the Premier League and the TV schedulers seem to enjoy torturing them. Once again the Reds play before Manchester United, offering them the chance to experience being top with just two games to go, only to probably have it cruelly snatched away from them a day later. West Ham won’t be a pushover though - even if odds of 23/4 with 888sport suggest otherwise:

Key Trends

» West Ham have lost all five of their home games against teams above them in the league.

» Liverpool have the best record against top-half teams in the Premier League and haven’t lost to any of the top nine clubs.

» In only one of West Ham’s previous 13 Premier League seasons (2000-01) have they failed to beat any of the Big Four - this is their last chance to win against one of them this year.

Posted: May 8th, 2009 by Michael Lintorn | Add Comment