Premier League Gameweek 8 Statspack: 3 key facts and stats

The Premier League returns after the international break with a fierce London derby and a clash between two of the current top four headlining the bill. Ahead of this weekend's fixtures, we bring you 3+ key facts and stats for all 10 games.

Tottenham Hotspur vs West Ham United: Saturday 12:30pm

Following their 2-1 victory at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in December, West Ham are targeting back-to-back away league wins against their fierce rivals for the first time since 1966.

Across all competitions, the Hammers have won only five of their last 26 visits to Spurs, losing 14.

Last weekend's calamitous 3-2 defeat at Brighton is the 10th time Tottenham have lost a Premier League game in which they've led by two goals, three more than any other side in the competition's history.

Ange Postecoglou's team currently have 10 points on the board after seven games, the club's lowest tally at this stage since 2008.

Brennan Johnson's strike in Sussex means the Welshman has now scored in six successive matches. Since WWII, Clive Allen in 1986 is the only Spurs player to have scored in seven consecutive fixtures.

Manchester United vs Brentford: Saturday 3pm

Manchester United are currently the second-lowest scorers in the Premier League, netting only five times in seven games. This is the club's lowest tally since 1972/73, when they registered a miserly four goals in their opening nine fixtures, ultimately finishing 18th.

Since Erik ten Hag's arrival, the Red Devils have conceded three or more goals on 24 seperate occasions, more than any other club during this period, first doing so during an infamous 4-0 hammering at Brentford in August 2022.

Amazingly though, only two permanent Manchester United managers in history boast a better win % than ten Hag, namely Sir Alex Ferguson and José Mourinho, although the Dutchman would need to win each of his next ten matches to surpass Mourinho and each of his next 14 to overtake Sir Alex; neither seem likely!

Man United are currently winless in five matches across all competitions, most-recently enduring a six-game streak without a victory in December 2015, while this is their worst-ever start to a Premier League season, surpassing the record set last year!

The two meetings between these two clubs last season, a 2-1 home win in Manchester and a 1-1 draw in West London, produced plenty of drama, with four of the five goals being scored after the 90th minute.

Meanwhile, Brentford have now scored inside the opening 90 seconds of four consecutive Premier League matches, unsurprisingly a competition record; the Bees have lost each of their last six visits to Old Trafford, their most recent win there coming in February 1937.

Newcastle United vs Brighton & Hove Albion: Saturday 3pm

Newcastle have won only two of their last 14 meetings with Brighton, dating back to 2017 when the pair were promoted from the Championship together, albeit both of these victories have come at St James' Park.

The Seagulls are winless in three visits to Tyneside despite claiming victory in two of three trips north immediately beforehand.

Having come from 2-0 down to beat Tottenham 3-2 last time out, Brighton are aiming to win back-to-back Premier League fixtures in which they've scored at least three for the first time since September 2023, a streak of three successive such victories that featured a 3-1 win over Newcastle.

Eddie Howe's team are currently winless in three, albeit they've drawn two, with the Toon Army seeking to avoid a four match sequence without a win in the Premier League for the first time since January.

Fulham vs Aston Villa: Saturday 3pm

Aston Villa have won five of their last six meetings with Fulham, including each of the last three, now targeting a fourth consecutive victory over the Cottagers for the first time in the history of this fixture, first contested 119 years ago.

Fulham though have won six of their last eight encounters in West London, albeit Villa have prevailed in two of the last three.

Marco Silva's side are currently unbeaten at Craven Cottage this season; the last time the Whites avoided defeat in their first four home matches of a top-flight campaign was 13 years ago, a sequence that featured a goalless draw with Villa.

The Claret and Blue Army would not settle for a repeat of that because, following stalemates with both Ipswich and Manchester United, they're on the verge of three successive Premier League draws for the first time since November 2014.

Having netted home and away against Fulham last season, another goal here would make Ollie Watkins the first player since Johnny Dixon in 1952 to score in three successive meetings between these two clubs.

Ipswich Town vs Everton: Saturday 3pm

These two sides have not met since 2002; Ipswich have actually won three of their last four encounters with Everton, despite having only claimed one victory in their 14 encounters beforehand.

Their last five clashes at Portman Road have produced a miserly six goals, one fewer than the seven goals witnessed during a 4-3 Everton win in Suffolk just before this streak, so don't expect a goal-fest.

Kieran McKenna's team remained winless upon their Premier League return; the Tractor Boys have not failed to win any of their first eight matches to start a league campaign since 1964.

Having held Leicester to a draw during their most-recent away game, Sean Dyche's team are aiming to avoid defeat in back-to-back Premier League away games for the first time since December.

Southampton vs Leicester City: Saturday 3pm

As the pair were promoted from the Championship together last season, Leicester did the double over Southampton, smashing them 4-1 and then 5-0, now seeking three successive victories in this fixture for the first time since 2000.

Of course, the Foxes' most famous visit to the South Coast came almost exactly five years ago to the day, smashing the Saints 9-0 in the pouring rain. This, unsurprisingly, remains Southampton's heaviest ever home defeat, the previous record was 6-1, while it's also Leicester's record away win.

Russell Martin's team are still winless this season; the Saints have not failed to win any of their first eight fixtures to start a campaign since 1998, yielding just two points from their opening nine fixtures, but still managing to beat the drop back then.

Steve Cooper's side did beat Bournemouth at home last time out, but the Foxes are still without a win in 11 Premier League away games, the club's longest barren run in the top flight since May 2016-February 2017 (15 matches). None of the four scorers at Villa Park during that most recent victory in February 2023, James Maddison, Kelechi Ịheanachọ, Tetê and Dennis Praet, are with the club anymore.

Bournemouth vs Arsenal: Saturday 5:30pm

Bournemouth's sole win over Arsenal in 16 attempts came in January 2018, prevailing 2-1, with the Gunners claiming victory in eight of their nine encounters subsequently, scoring at least thrice in all four of their clashes since the Cherries' return to the Premier League.

Bukayo Saka's first Arsenal goal in England came at Bournemouth during an FA Cup tie in January 2020; he also broke the deadlock during both encounters with the Cherries last season.

Meanwhile, Kai Havertz's first goal for Arsenal came in Dorset last September; he's now scored 20 times for the Gunners, including six so far this season.

In another milestone, Mikel Arteta's very first match as Arsenal manager was a 1-1 draw at Bournemouth in December 2019; this will be his 236th match in charge, leapfrogging Harry Bradshaw on the all-time list, meaning only nine men have led the Gunners on more occasions, six of which did so in 1956 or earlier.

Three of the Gunners' last four away Premier League defeats have come in fixtures kicking off at 5:30 (local time) on a Saturday.

Wolverhampton Wanderers vs Manchester City: Sunday 2pm

With only 1 point on the board after seven games, this is Wolverhampton Wanderers' worst start to a season since 1964/65, winning their eighth game back then, beating West Ham 4-3, but still going on to suffer relegation.

Manchester City have won seven of their last eight encounters with Wolves, although they were beaten 2-1 at Molineux a year ago, seeking to avoid back-to-back defeats in the Black Country for the first time in four decades.

The Sky Blues are currently unbeaten in 30 Premier League fixtures; should they avoid defeat here, they'd break their own club record set between April 2017 and January 2018.

Erling Braut Håland has scored eight goals in just four appearances against Wolves, only bagging more goals against RB Leipzig (8 in 12) in his career.

Liverpool vs Chelsea: Sunday 4:30pm

Liverpool are currently unbeaten in nine meetings with Chelsea, defeating them in three seperate cup finals during this period, their longest unbeaten streak in this fixture since an 11-game unbeaten run between 1985 and 1990.

In front of supporters at Anfield, Chelsea are winless in seven Premier League visits, dating back to 2014, albeit they have claimed victory in a League Cup tie and a behind-closed-doors league fixture during the intervening decade.

Victory for the Reds would see them claim three successive victories over the Blues, excluding penalty shootouts, for the first time in 13 years.

Enzo Maresca's side have scored at least once in ten successive matches; the Blues last scored in 11 consecutive fixtures in March/April 2022 under Thomas Tuchel (14-game streak).

Nottingham Forest vs Crystal Palace: Monday 8pm

Crystal Palace have failed to win any of their first seven fixtures to start a season for the first time since 2017. Back then, they did win their eighth fixture, meaning Palace haven't gone eight games into a campaign without claiming a victory since 1992/93, suffering relegation under Steve Coppell back then.

Nottingham Forest are currently unbeaten in seven meetings with Palace, with the Eagles victorious in only five of their 27 visits to the City Ground across the last five decades.

Nottingham Forest are unbeaten in eight Premier League home games played on Mondays, winning one and drawing the other seven, dating back to October 1996.

Along a similar vein, Crystal Palace have won only two of their last 13 Premier League fixtures played on a Monday, their most recent such away win that famous smash-and-grab against Brighton in February 2021.