We are preparing for another busy weekend of Premier League football as Arsenal look to bounce back, Liverpool aim to snap out of their winless league run, and Manchester United hope to continue firing on all cylinders under new boss Michael Carrick.
There are some cracking clashes on the cards, including Liverpool’s game at home to Newcastle on Saturday night, and Manchester City’s trip to Tottenham on Sunday afternoon. So, without further ado, here’s our pick of the potential stats for gameweek 24.
Stats you might see
Rice ready for 300
- Declan Rice could become the fifth youngest player to make 300 Premier League appearances.
Declan Rice is currently the odds-on favourite to win the PFA Player of the Year award, and rightly so; he’s enjoyed a superb campaign so far.
The Englishman is now in line for his 300th Premier League appearance away to Leeds on Saturday. If he plays, he will become the fifth youngest player to reach the milestone – 27 years and 17 days – after Wayne Rooney (26y 58d), James Milner (26y 117d), Gareth Barry (26y 247d), and Raheem Sterling (26y 348d).
Barry’s scoring surge
- Thierno Barry could become Everton’s first debut-season player since Romelu Lukaku to score in three consecutive Premier League away games.
Thierno Barry has begun to find his rhythm after a frustrating start to life at Everton. The forward failed to score in his first 14 Premier League appearances for the club but has been purring of late, netting five goals in his last nine matches, including four in his last five.
Barry has also scored in each of Everton’s last two away fixtures – victories over Nottingham Forest and Aston Villa – and another goal away to Brighton on Saturday would see him become the first Everton player to score in three consecutive away games in his debut Premier League season since Romelu Lukaku in October 2013.
Red mist at Molineux
- A red card in Wolves vs Bournemouth would equal – in terms of reds per game – Aston Villa vs Portsmouth as the most ill-disciplined Premier League fixture.
There have been five red cards in 11 Premier League clashes between Bournemouth and Wolves, which is an average of one sending off every 2.2 games.
Another red card this weekend would see the fixture draw level with Aston Villa vs Portsmouth as the most ill-disciplined Premier League matchup played more than 10 times, with an average of one red card every two games.
Rosenior on the rise
- Liam Rosenior could become only the fourth English manager to win his opening three Premier League matches.
Liam Rosenior has made a flying start at Chelsea, claiming five wins in six games, which includes masterminding a 3-2 Champions League triumph over Napoli and their former Blues boss Antonio Conte.
Rosenior has won both Premier League matches in charge of Chelsea, and a victory at home to West Ham on Saturday would see him become only the fourth English manager to win his first three Premier League games after Bobby Gould (1992), Sam Allardyce (2001), and Craig Shakespeare (2017).
Salah the Toon tormenter
- Mo Salah could become the first player in Premier League history to record double figures for both goals and assists against a single opponent.
Mo Salah scored his first Liverpool goal since November in Liverpool’s 6-0 midweek thrashing of Qarabag in the Champions League.
The Egyptian King has an assist in each of his last two Premier League games, and if he records another assist at home to Newcastle on Saturday night, he’ll become the first player in Premier League history to reach double figures for both goals (currently 19) and assists (currently 9) against an opponent.
Meanwhile, if Liverpool avoid defeat it will be their 19th successive unbeaten game against Newcastle, dating back to 2015, who themselves haven’t won at Anfield in a staggering 29 league games. However, a failure to win would mark the Reds’ first six-game winless streak in the league since 2002-03.
Carrick’s hat-trick
- Michael Carrick will equal Ruben Amorim’s longest winning run (3 games) if Manchester United beat Fulham.
Michael Carrick has enjoyed one of the best starts to a new job in recent memory, having collected back-to-back wins against Manchester City and Arsenal. A victory on Sunday at home to Fulham would see him match Ruben Amorim’s longest winning streak – of three games – during his entire 47-game tenure.
Counting Carrick’s previous stint as caretaker, when he picked up four points from two league games, a win would also make him only the fifth English manager to earn 13+ points from his first five Premier League matches after Frank Clark (13 in 1994), Roy Hodgson (13 in 1997), Tim Sherwood (13 in 2013-14), and Craig Shakespeare (15 in 2017).
As for Fulham, a win or draw would mean they avoid defeat in both Premier League meetings with Manchester United for the first time since 2003-04.
Watkins chasing Wright
- Ollie Watkins can become only the second Englishman to score 10+ goals in each of his first six Premier League campaigns.
Aston Villa’s Ollie Watkins had a slow start to the season, scoring only once in 13 league games, but the forward has since burst into life with seven goals in his last 10, which includes two braces.
If Watkins, who is now on eight goals for the campaign, scores two or more goals at home to former club Brentford on Sunday, he will become only the second Englishman to score 10+ goals in each of his first six Premier League campaigns after Ian Wright (1992-93 to 1997-98).
He can draw on a fantastic record against the Bees, with six goals in seven Premier League starts against his old side.
Forest seek Eagles dozen
- Nottingham Forest can extend their unbeaten run against Crystal Palace to 12 Premier League matches.
Nottingham Forest have never lost to Crystal Palace in the Premier League, going 11 games unbeaten against the Eagles, which is the most amount of games they’ve gone undefeated against an opponent in the competition.
Forest have hit form with seven points from their last three games; however, Palace are having a real stinker at the moment, registering two points from the last 24 on offer, with their last win dating back to early December.
Spurs’ Semenyo deja vu
- Antoine Semenyo could become only the third player to score against Tottenham for two different clubs within the same season.
Antoine Semenyo’s fairytale finish at Bournemouth saw him net a last-gasp winner in a 3-2 win at home to Tottenham.
Semenyo, who has since switched to Manchester City, has five goals in his last eight Premier League games. If he scores against Spurs on Sunday, he’ll become only the third player in history to score against the north London club for two different teams in a single season after Eric Cantona (1992-93, Leeds & Man Utd) and Benito Carbone (1999-00, Sheff Wed & Aston Villa).
Stadium of Light
- Sunderland can extend their Premier League unbeaten streak to 12 home games.
Sunderland are still yet to be beaten at the Stadium of Light since they returned to the Premier League. They have gone 11 home games without defeat during that run, winning six and drawing five. They are the only club yet to lose in front of their own fans.
The Black Cats will be expected to extend that run at home to Burnley on Monday, with the Clarets currently in the midst of a 14-game winless run.
The only promoted side to have a longer home unbeaten streak in a Premier League season is Birmingham City back in 2009-10 (15) – a record Sunderland will be aiming to soon surpass.
