Salah the Old Trafford Tormentor, Haaland’s Race to 100, and Double Yellow Lines

Stat, Viz, Quiz is the Opta Analyst soccer publication. This week’s version consists of numbers on Mohamed Salah, Erling Haaland, and second yellow playing cards.

The primary burst of membership soccer in 2024-25 is completed already and we’re heading into a global break. It does considerably really feel like going to a celebration and being requested to maneuver your automobile simply because the music’s getting good.

Sunday noticed Liverpool have their very own occasion at Outdated Trafford as they beat bitter rivals Manchester United to make it three wins from three for Arne Slot. Mohamed Salah enjoys taking part in there, and on this week’s SVQ we’ll be reviewing simply how spectacular his file at United’s well-known stadium is.

We’ll additionally focus on the newest achievements from Manchester Metropolis’s relentless ahead Erling Haaland, and we even promise to not crowbar any laboured Oasis references in there.

Our Ask Opta query appears to be like on the topical dialog of gamers receiving two yellow playing cards, and there’s in fact a quiz to get your tooth into.

In the event you haven’t achieved so already, you may subscribe under and obtain SVQ each week.

STAT – Salah’s Outdated Trafford File

Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah rose to the event once more on Sunday as Arne Slot’s Liverpool beat Manchester United 3-0, with the ‘Egyptian King’ getting two assists for Luis Díaz earlier than discovering the online himself to finish the scoring.

For Salah’s aim, Alexis Mac Allister gained the ball from Kobbie Mainoo and launched Dominik Szoboszlai, who in flip discovered Salah for a first-time end inside André Onana’s close to submit.

That made it 15 objectives for Salah in opposition to United in all competitions, and 12 within the Premier League, extending his lead because the participant to attain essentially the most objectives in opposition to the Purple Devils within the competitors forward of Alan Shearer (10).

Travelling to Manchester appears to ship Salah up one other degree, although. He has 10 objectives in 9 Liverpool appearances at Outdated Trafford in all competitions, making him solely the second participant to attain 10+ objectives at a single away floor for a Premier League workforce since 1992-93, after Shearer’s 10 at Leeds United’s Elland Highway.

To place Salah’s file at United’s house into context, since 24 January 2021, solely 4 Man Utd gamers have scored extra objectives at Outdated Trafford in all competitions than Salah. The Egyptian has 10 objectives to his title in seven video games on the ‘Theatre of Desires’ in that point, the identical whole as Anthony Martial (10 in 39 video games).

In actual fact, you might have seen Opta’s personal Michael Reid submit on X on the weekend that Salah now has extra objectives at Outdated Trafford than Antony (7), Alejandro Garnacho (7), Rasmus Højlund (7), Edinson Cavani (7), Jadon Sancho (6), Memphis Depay (4) and Alexis Sánchez (3).

Mo Salah has extra objectives for #LFC at Outdated Trafford (10) than Antony (7), Alejandro Garnacho (7), Rasmus Højlund (7), Edinson Cavani (7), Jadon Sancho (6), Memphis Depay (4) and Alexis Sánchez (3) have there for Man Utd.

— Michael Reid (@michael_reid11) September 1, 2024

Salah additionally went to the highest of the desk for assists in opposition to Man Utd at Outdated Trafford within the Premier League with six, overtaking Eyal Berkovic and Bernardo Silva (5 every).

The 32-year-old is within the final 12 months of his contract at Liverpool and hinted that it could possibly be his final. If that’s the case, few might be happier to see the again of Salah than United.

VIZ – Haaland’s Hunt for 100

PL players fastest to 100 goals — Viz by Jonathan Manuel

OK Erling, we’re all very impressed however come on. That is simply getting foolish now.

Sure, the large Norwegian goal-getter was at it once more at London Stadium on Saturday, scoring his second hat-trick in as many weeks and making it seven Premier League objectives already after simply three video games.

Haaland adopted up his opening-matchday aim at Chelsea and his treble in opposition to Ipswich City with all three in Man Metropolis’s 3-1 victory at West Ham, and is now already sitting (presumably cross-legged) 4 objectives forward of Salah, Luis Díaz, Noni Madueke and Bryan Mbeumo (3 every) within the Premier League scoring charts.

At first of the season, we surmised that it was technically potential that Haaland may attain 100 Premier League objectives by the tip of simply his third marketing campaign in England. Out of the blue, it’s beginning to look fairly believable that he’ll get the 37 objectives crucial this season to take action.

We don’t anticipate the 24-year-old to hold on at his present fee of two.33 objectives per sport, in any other case he’ll finish the season with virtually 90 league objectives, however on the identical time there may be all the time a slight reluctance to doubt him attaining something.

As you may see from this week’s viz, Haaland is effectively on the right track to beat Alan Shearer’s file because the quickest to 100 Premier League objectives. The previous Southampton, Blackburn and Newcastle striker took simply 124 video games to web his century within the competitors. As issues stand, Haaland has 70 objectives in 69 video games, so has one other 54 appearances to attain his subsequent 30. On his present trajectory, he’ll get to 100 objectives earlier than he reaches 100 video games.

This was Haaland’s eighth Premier League hat-trick, which means he’s simply 4 shy of Metropolis legend Sergio Agüero’s file tally of 12. He has averaged a hat-trick each 8.6 appearances within the competitors, and his whole has already seen him go degree with Premier League legends Thierry Henry, Harry Kane and Michael Owen.

Together with his second hat-trick of the marketing campaign already beneath his belt, Haaland additionally grew to become the primary participant to attain a treble in two of his workforce’s first three league video games of a season in England’s high 4 tiers since Paul Jewell did so for Bradford Metropolis in Division Two (the third tier) in 1994-95.

Have all of the objectives and medals you need, that stat will little doubt be framed and held on a Haaland household wall someplace.

The query is, can anybody cease him (Haaland, not Jewell)? Brentford would be the subsequent to have a go after the worldwide break, and we’re arguably at some extent the place limiting him to 2 objectives in a sport could possibly be thought-about one thing of successful for the opposition.

QUIZ – Premier League Matchday 3

After a lot motion in England’s high flight once more on the weekend, we’ve discovered 5 trivia inquiries to see how a lot you realize about it. Solutions on the backside of the web page.

1. Amadou Onana grew to become simply the third participant to attain in every of his first two away Premier League appearances for Aston Villa. One of many different two did so solely final season, who was it?

2. Bournemouth’s outstanding late 3-2 comeback win at Everton on Saturday was simply the second time the Cherries have gained regardless of being 2+ objectives down in a Premier League away sport (W2 L55), following a 3-2 victory in opposition to whom in September 2022?

3. What number of personal objectives has Rúben Dias scored within the Premier League since arriving at Man Metropolis in 2020?

4. Eberechi Eze’s aim at Chelsea was his fifth from outdoors within the field within the Premier League in 2024, the joint-most of any participant within the competitors in that point together with which Man Metropolis participant?

5. Liverpool’s Arne Slot grew to become simply the third supervisor/head coach to win every of his first three Premier League video games with out conceding. Title both of the opposite two.

Ask Opta

This week’s query comes from Silvestar Bistrović, who asks: “Given the ridiculous [Declan] Rice purple card, are you able to give us some attention-grabbing numbers on two yellow playing cards vs direct purple playing cards?”

Do you’ve a stats-based soccer query you wish to Ask Opta? If that’s the case, ship it to editors@theanalyst.com and we’ll do our greatest to give you the reply in a future version of SVQ.

Reply:

It was the important thing speaking level of the weekend when Declan Rice was despatched off for 2 yellow playing cards in Arsenal’s 1-1 draw with Brighton & Hove Albion. We’re not right here to debate whether or not he ought to have seen purple or not, however we are able to certainly present some attention-grabbing numbers on two yellows vs straight reds in Premier League historical past.

Rice’s dismissal on Saturday was the thirty second time an Arsenal participant has been despatched off for 2 bookable offences in a Premier League sport on file (since 2000-01), essentially the most of any workforce by not less than three.

So far as straight purple playing cards go, Everton have acquired essentially the most with 79, forward of Newcastle and Arsenal, on 72 every.

On the subject of particular person gamers, three have been given their marching orders for 2 yellow playing cards on 4 separate events; Lee Cattermole, Nemanja Vidic and Steven Pienaar.

The person with essentially the most straight purple playing cards won’t be a lot of a shock. Duncan Ferguson acquired eight straight reds in his Premier League profession, forward of Roy Keane, Vinnie Jones and Richard Dunne, with seven every.

A shout out to Christian Negouai, whose red-cards-per-minute fee will certainly by no means be crushed. The French midfielder was despatched off with a straight purple simply three minutes into his one and solely Premier League look for Manchester Metropolis away at Everton in December 2004.