Sunday Takeaway
NEWCASTLE UNITEDWEST HAM UNITED
*West Ham have five ex-Newcastle players in their squad, but while
Lee Bowyer, Nobby Solano, Craig Bellamy and Scott Parker might
feature, broken leg victim Kieron Dyer will not.
*Glenn Roeder, the former Newcastle boss, is also an ex-Wes Ham
manager.
*Bobby Zamora is the Premier League player to have committed most
fouls without a card so far (11).
*West Ham are the team to have been caught offside the most
(27).
*Newcastle are enjoying their best start to a Barclays Premier
League campaign since 2000/01 despite losing to Derby last
Monday.
*The Magpies have not lost in seven games against West Ham.
*West Ham have the best defensive record away from home this season
they havent conceded in two away games.
* The Hammers last two visits to Newcastle have ended in draws,
and they havent won at St James since October 1998 - a 3-0
victory.
ASTON VILLA EVERTON
*Evertons Joleon Lescott was born in Birmingham and is a Villa
fan.
*Aston Villas five goals in five games so far this season have all
been scored at Villa Park.
*Everton have already won on the road at Tottenham and Bolton this
season.
*Gabriel Agbonlahor rescued a point for Villa at Villa Park last
season in a 1-1 draw, but Villa won this fixture 4-0 two years ago,
Milan Baros scoring two and Mark Delaney and Juan Pablo Angel one
apiece.
*Evertons Andy Johnson is the Premier League with most shots on
target so far this season (16), while John Carew is the one with
most shots off target (16). Carew has also had most shots without
scoring (21). Evertons Mikel Arteta has won the most free-kicks
(25).
*Steve McMahon, Derek Mountfield, John Gidman, Bruce Rioch and
Martin Keown played for both clubs.
BLACKBURN ROVERS PORTSMOUTH
*It is 11 games since Blackburn last lost in the League.
* Mark Hughes Rovers are unbeaten at Ewood Park this season and
have already taken points from Chelsea and Arsenal in an impressive
start to the campaign.
*When these two teams met in the League last season it finished 3-0
in favour of the home side on both occasions.
*Although Pompey have only been beaten by Chelsea and Arsenal this
season, they have been unable to carry their
solid home form into their away games.
*Portsmouths last win at Ewood Park was in March 2004.
*Blackburn have committed more fouls than any other Premier League
team this season (89), and before the start of the weekend had
collected the most yellow cards (17, the same as Middlesbrough) as
well as the most red cards (2, the same as Reading).
*Jim Smith has managed both clubs.
BOLTON WANDERERSTOTTENHAM HOTSPUR
*Bolton have lost five of their six games but will leap-frog Spurs
if they beat them in this early season relegation 6-pointer.
*Bolton have won their last five home League games against
Spurs.
*Spurs manager Martin Jol has used 21 players already this season
and has not won at the Reebok in seven
league visits.
*Tottenham have hit the woodwork more times than any other club so
far this season (4).
MANCHESTER UNITEDCHELSEA
*The first meeting of Englands big 2 clubs this season sees only a
single goal (in Uniteds favour) separating them on the 11 points
mark. This match signals the start of the Avram Grant era at
Chelsea following the departure of the Special One.
* United have not beaten Chelsea in any of the last four meetings
in all competitions, but did win the Community Shield in a penalty
shoot-out in August.
* Chelsea have not won at Old Trafford in their last two visits but
have lost just once to United in their last 12 meetings in all
competitions.
* Manchester United go into this game suffering a bit of a goal
drought, with just four Premiership goals to their credit so far
this season - the second worst total of the 20 Barclays Premier
League clubs.
* Chelsea have jointly conceded the most goals among teams in the
top half of the Premier League. That, and a strike
rate of just 1.1 goals per game, has produced just 11 points in six
games Chelseas worst start to a season since 2001/02.
*Manchester United have had most Shots On Target (49), most Shots
Off Target (55), most Shots Per Goal. (26.00) and most Corners (51)
so far his season.
*Alex Stepney, Mark Hughes, Juan Sebastian Veron, Mal Donaghy
played for both clubs, while Tommy Docherty and Dave Sexton managed
both.
