Stat, Viz, Quiz is the Opta Analyst football newsletter. This week’s edition looks at Trent Alexander-Arnold, Bundesliga bounties, and own goals.
Football continues to surprise us, and this week’s SVQ looks at a couple of firsts.
Liverpool took another leap towards the Premier League title, while also relegating Leicester City. Something occurred in that game for the first time ever at the King Power Stadium, and we’ll reveal all.
You may recall our long-running series ‘Did any home teams win in the Bundesliga this weekend?’ Well, it ran for two weeks, but it was very popular. Anyway, we return to Germany in this week’s SVQ for a record-breaking game that occurred on Saturday between Union Berlin and Stuttgart. Before you ask, no, the home team did not win, but that’s not what we’re interested in.
There’s also our weekly quiz about all things Premier League, while this week’s Ask Opta question looks at the ancient art of own goals.
We begin with the Premier League’s latest ‘it had to be him’ moment…
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As Leicester City tried to find a win to stave off relegation for another week against a Liverpool side hunting down the points needed to secure the Premier League title, a figure emerged from the bench dressed in red.
No, it wasn’t Father Christmas turning up at the wrong time of year. Trent Alexander-Arnold came back from injury amid all the talk during his absence about his future and links to Real Madrid. Almost inevitably, he scored the only goal of the game to send Liverpool within three points of sealing the Premier League title.
While the fact it won Liverpool the game was the most important thing, it was also a notable moment for Alexander-Arnold in that it brought him a rare first in his storied career. It was his first ever professional goal with his left foot (23 total goals, 22 with his right foot).
Looking specifically at the Premier League, it was Alexander-Arnold’s 18th goal in the competition, having scored his previous 17 all with his wand of a right foot (we believe right foots can also be wands).
It got us thinking, now that Trent’s ended his left-foot duck (you’re thinking about a duck with a massive left foot now, aren’t you?), which Premier League players have the most goals all from the same foot?
There are only two players to have scored more goals in the competition exclusively with their right foot. Luka Milivojevic bagged 28 for Crystal Palace, all via his right foot, though it should be mentioned that 22 of them were penalties.
The same goes for Jorginho, whose 21 Premier League strikes have all been right-footed, but all but two of those have come from the spot.
Meanwhile, Stuart Pearce and Dwight McNeil each have 20 Premier League goals to their names that exclusively came via their respective left feet. Nine of Pearce’s were penalties, but none of McNeil’s have been.
If you’re wondering who’s scored the most Premier League goals with all being headers, well that particular top spot belongs to Jamaal Lascelles, whose 10 goals in the competition have all come via his bonce.
Special mention must also go to Ashley Young, who has scored 50 Premier League goals, 49 of which were via his right foot and just the one from his left, a goal for Aston Villa against Fulham in August 2007.
Whether Alexander-Arnold’s right and left feet stay in the Premier League beyond this season is for another day, but he chose a very good time to unleash his left for the first time as far as Liverpool are concerned.
VIZ – Frantic First-Halves
If you have goal notifications on your phone for the Bundesliga, you might have been rather distracted for 45 minutes on Saturday evening.
Union Berlin hosted Stuttgart looking to get closer to them in the table, though both teams were safe from relegation and a fair distance from European qualification. Not quite on the beach, but to watch the first half at the Stadion An der Alten Försterei you would have thought both were fighting for the biggest of prizes.
Union took a quickfire 2-0 lead through Andrej Ilić and Diogo Leite as Stuttgart’s stumbling form looked like it would continue, with Sebastian Hoeneß’s side having only won one of their previous eight league matches (D2 L5).
However, Denis Undav pulled one back before Enzo Millot controlled, cut inside and fired in an excellent equaliser with less than half an hour on the clock.
Leopold Querfeld restored Union’s lead with an even better strike from distance, before Julian Chabot and Chris Führich scored to make it 4-3 to the visitors.
There was time for Ilić to head in another before half-time as the teams went in level 4-4 at the break.
It was the first game in Bundesliga history to see eight goals scored in the first half.
Perhaps because of the manic nature of the opening period, the second half saw both teams calm down and ease to full-time without any further goals scored.
In fairness, the lack of goals could partly have been down to a lower quality of finishing, as the eight goals in the first half had come from just 1.56 expected goals (xG). There was only a collective 0.7 xG in the second half, but that still would have seen at least three if not four more goals at the rate they were scored in the first.
Had eight first-half goals ever been scored before in Europe’s top five leagues, though? We’ve delved into the records to find out.
And yes, it has.
It’s occurred twice in Serie A, first when Torino and Inter drew 5-5 in January 1941, with the hosts 5-3 up at half time.
The only other time it has happened in Italy’s top flight was in September 1992, when Milan beat Pescara 5-4, with the game tied at 4-4 at the break.
It’s also occurred twice in Ligue 1, but not since February 1958 when Sedan beat Béziers 8-4, having been 6-2 up at half-time. Prior to that, Montpellier defeated Stade Français 6-2 in September 1947, with all eight goals coming in the first half.
So, let that be a lesson to those of you who turn up late, or go for a toilet break or beer before the first half ends. They might be full of action, or in Union and Stuttgart’s case, all the action.
QUIZ – Mbeumo’s Openers, Martinelli’s Half-Century, and Leicester’s Relegations
We dive into some of the best Opta facts from this weekend’s Premier League action to test you this week. Answers at the bottom of the page.
1. Bryan Mbeumo’s first goal in Brentford’s 4-2 win over Brighton was his eighth opening goal in the Premier League. Who is the only player to score more in the competition this season?
2. How many goals has Newcastle United’s Harvey Barnes been involved in in his last six league games?
3. Gabriel Martinelli scored his 50th goal for Arsenal across all competitions in their 4-0 win at Ipswich Town, becoming the fourth-youngest player in the Premier League era to reach this milestone for the Gunners (23y 306d). Name any of the three who achieved it at a younger age for the club.
4. After their late loss to Chelsea, Fulham have dropped 25 points from winning positions in the Premier League this season. Who are the only team to have dropped more?
5. Leicester have been relegated from the Premier League for the fifth time (1994-95, 2001-02, 2003-04, 2022-23, and 2024-25), level with West Bromwich Albion (also five relegations). Who are the only team with more?
Ask Opta
This week’s question comes from Omar Butler, who asks: “I am curious to know the teams in the Premier League who have scored the most own goals?”
Do you have a stats-based football question you want to Ask Opta? If so, send it to editors@theanalyst.com and we’ll do our best to provide you with the answer in a future edition of SVQ.
Answer:
We’re not sure if you mean this season, Omar, or overall, but we’ll give you the answers for both anyway.
This season, six teams have conceded three own goals: Tottenham Hotspur, Crystal Palace, West Ham, Brentford, Wolves and Leicester City.
In Premier League history, though, the team to have conceded the most own goals are Everton, who have put through their own net 61 times. That’s ahead of Aston Villa (57), West Ham (51) and Spurs (49).
Interestingly, Cardiff City are the only team in Premier League history to have never conceded an own goal, despite spending two seasons in the English top flight since the competition began in 1992.
Our Opta data hubs have detailed team and player stats, predictions, expected league tables and much more. Click below to start your own data investigations.
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1. Bryan Mbeumo’s first goal in Brentford’s 4-2 win over Brighton was his eighth opening goal in the Premier League. Who is the only player to score more in the competition this season?
Chris Wood (9)
2. How many goals has Newcastle United’s Harvey Barnes been involved in in his last six league games?
Seven goals, as many as in his previous 26 appearances
3. Gabriel Martinelli scored his 50th goal for Arsenal across all competitions in their 4-0 win at Ipswich Town, becoming the fourth-youngest player in the Premier League era to reach this milestone for the Gunners (23y 306d). Name any other the other three who achieved it at a younger age for the club.
Bukayo Saka (22y 159d), Cesc Fàbregas (23 y 134d), and Theo Walcott (23y 235d)
4. After their late loss to Chelsea, Fulham have dropped 25 points from winning positions in the Premier League this season. Who are the only team to have dropped more?
Ipswich Town (27)
5. Leicester have been relegated from the Premier League for the fifth time (1994-95, 2001-02, 2003-04, 2022-23, and 2024-25), level with West Bromwich Albion (also five relegations). Who are the only team with more?
Norwich City (6)
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Stat, Viz, Quiz: Trent Alexander-Arnold’s Other Foot Opta Analyst.
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