Stats, Stats and Some More Stats

Stats, Stats and Some More Stats

As some of you know, I moved to the US last year from the UK. As an FPL enthusiast of many a year, one of the first things I noticed was just how huge the fantasy sports industry is over here. There are several fantasy sports programs on TV and there are regular sports programs (on the main sports channels) with sections dedicated solely to the fantasy side of the game. Imagine Gary Lineker taking 15 minutes out of Match of the day to talk about the players you should bring into your fantasy teams for the following week.
Another thing that grabbed my attention was just how into statistics Americans are when it comes to their sports, and fantasy sports in particular. American Football, Baseball, Basketball, it doesn’t matter.

Two of my favourite things in life are ‘Sports’ and ‘Spreadsheets filled with sports data’. I was in heaven, and I needed to be part of things. I signed up into a friend’s American fantasy football league, despite the fact I had no idea what I was doing. I relied on researching the data from the previous season to guide my team selection. One of the first articles I came across was a piece titled “100 Fantasy Facts”, written by one of the most recognized of fantasy experts over here, ESPN’s Matthew Berry. It did exactly what it said on the tin. It was a long list of factual snippets, to help readers decide who to recruit for their fantasy teams. I loved the format and always thought it would make an interesting option for a FPL article.

And so here we are. My tribute to a much more established and knowledgeable fantasy writer than I will ever be. And my attempt to bring you, the FF247 community, some of those trends and quirks within FPL stats that might have passed you by. I wondered if I could get to 247 facts, but that was too ambitious. 100 facts seemed to boring. So the only logical conclusion was to stop at 133. Well, why not?

My disclaimer: Facts can be found to support almost any argument. I haven’t gone into this to talk up (or talk down) any particular player. Instead, I’ve cut the data from last season (and in some cases the last few seasons) many different ways and made observations along the way. Ignore what you want. Use what you want. Just remember, you can’t argue with the facts. You just can’t. That’s why they’re called ‘Facts’.
I hope you enjoy it.

1. Only 3 players played every minute of every game last season.
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2. …They were… Terry, Ivanovic and Cresswell (West Ham)

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3. Man City had the most attempts at goal last season (Over 17 per game).

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4. …Sunderland had the least (Under 11 per game)

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5. Man City hit the woodwork the most times last season (15 times).

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6. …Sunderland hit it the least (5 times).

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7. Sunderland did top one chart though… They scored the most own goals. (5). Tied with Leicester.

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8. The team awarded the most corners was Man City (over 7 per game).

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9. 15 teams were awarded more corners than West Brom last season.

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10. …But no team scored more goals than West Brom direct from a corner (14)

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11. No team scored less goals direct from a corner than Stoke (3).

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12. Everton had more attempts at goal from a direct free kick (35) than any other team.

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13. …Spurs had the next most (30).

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14. …Crystal Palace had the fewest attempts (14).

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15. No team scored more goals from direct free kicks than… Crystal Palace. (Tied with Spurs, on 4 goals each.)

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16. …Everton scored 1 goal from a direct free kick.

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17. In 2 of the last 3 seasons, a Sunderland goalkeeper has finished with the highest saves per game ratio.

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18. …Including last season, when Pantilimon averaged 4 saves per game.

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19. In 2 of the last 3 seasons, a West Ham goalkeeper has finished in the top 2 of most saves per game.

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20. Only three of this seasons EPL keepers saved more than one penalty last season…

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21. …They were… Adrian (3), Mignolet (2), Speroni (2)

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22. Bony scored 8 goals in 13 games when both he and Aguero started the match.

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23. .. but only managed 1 goal in 5 games when Aguero didn’t start.

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24. In the last 2 seasons 42 players have scored 10+ PL goals.

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25. …19 (45%) of them were players from the top 4 teams.

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26. Of the 15 newly promoted teams in the last 5 seasons, only 4 have finished the season without a 10+ goals scorer.

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27. …and 5 times, one of the newly promoted teams finished with one of the league’s top 10 goal scorers.

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28. In last 5 seasons, 12 players have scored 10+ goals away from home in a single season.

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29. …only 4 of them still play in the EPL – Aguero, Kane, Rooney and Dzeko

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30. Last season, 3 players became top 10 goal scorers in consecutive seasons

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31. …They were… Aguero, Giroud and Rooney.

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32. Of all the players that scored 10+ goals last season, 2 of them scored more than 90% of their goals at home.

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33. …They were… Rooney and Pelle. (Both scored 11 out of 12 goals at home)

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34. The highest % of goals scored away… Eriksen, with 70% of his 10 goals scored away from WHL.

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35. 3 players scored more than 10 goals last season with a 50/50 Home:Away ratio..

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36. …they were Aguero, Giroud and Lukaku
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37. Pelle scored 9 goals in 15 games when both he and Shane Long started the game.

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38. …but only 3 in 22 when Long didn’t start.

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39. Nobody made more Clearance / Blocks / Interceptions / Recoveries (CBIR) last season than Ashley Williams of Swansea (19 per game)

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40. The most represented team in the top 20 players for CBIRs… Crystal Palace, with 3 players.

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41. Only 1 defender played 10+ games and had a Clean sheets/Appearances ratio of 50%+…

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42. …That player? West Brom’s Gareth McAuley.

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43. …The next best were… Azpilicueta and Mangala (48%)

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44. Leighton Baines created the most goal scoring chances (70) of any defender last season, despite playing in 7 less games than his nearest competitor.

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45. Leighton Baines has topped the defenders ‘crosses attempted’ charts in 2 of the last 3 seasons. (And came second in the season he didn’t come top)

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46. Last season, only 3 defenders created more chances than Sunderland’s Patrick Van Aanholt (35)

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47. …and only Baines created more chances per game. 2.3 vs Van A’s 1.3.

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48. Last season, only two teams had full backs that both attempted over 100 crosses….

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49. …They were… West Hams Jenkinson (154) and Creswell (124), and Southampton’s Clyne (117) and Bertrand (120)

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50. One player attempted more crosses than Jenkinson and Creswell combined.

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51. …That player? Trippier of Burnley. (Trippier now plays for Tottenham)

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52. On a ‘crosses per appearance’ basis, the most attacking pair of full backs was Newcastle’s Ryan Taylor and Janmaat. Attempting 10.4 crosses per game between them.

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53. The favourite opponent for fantasy forwards last season was Newcastle (149 Goals and Assist points conceded to fwds) An average of 3.9 points per game.

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54. The top 4 teams (of those not relegated) for fantasy points conceded to forwards were Newcastle, Villa, Everton and Spurs.

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55. Last season, only 5 teams conceded more than 3 goals to the same striker.

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56. …They were… Spurs (conceded 5 to Aguero), QPR (conceded 5 to Aguero), Swansea (conceded 5 to Costa), Leicester (conceded 4 to Kane), and Newcastle (conceded 4 to Giroud)

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57. Only one forward managed to score against each of the top 4 teams last season.

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58. …That man…? Steven Naismith. (That stat was for you Init)

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59. The least favourite opponent for fantasy forwards was Chelsea (61 points / 1.6 points per game conceded to fwds)

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60. The bottom 3 teams for fantasy points conceded to forwards were Chelsea, City, Arsenal and Southampton.

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61. Only 4 players scored more than one goal last season against the team they face on this season’s opening weekend.

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62. …They are… Costa (scored 5 against Swansea), Ings (scored 2 against Stoke), Diouf (scored 2 against Liverpool) and Pelle (scored 2 against Newcastle)

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63. In the last 3 seasons newly promoted teams’ aggregate score on opening day of the season: 7-15 (that’s an average score of 0.8 – 1.7)

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64. In the last 3 seasons top 4 teams aggregate score on opening day of the season: 21 – 10 (that’s an average score of 1.8 – 0.8)

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[highlight_blue]EDITOR’S NOTE: Time for some half-time oranges! FFS!![/highlight_blue]

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65. Only 3 teams average more than 2 goals scored on opening day over the last 3 years.

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66. …They are… Chelsea (2.3), Man City (3) and…. Swansea (2.7)

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67. Only 2 teams average more than 2 goals conceded on opening day In the last 3 years.

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68. ..They are… Norwich (3.5) and Newcastle (2.3)

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69. Ozil played 22 games last season and created 70 goal scoring chances. (Only 10 players created more).

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70. If that ratio had continued and he played all 38 games, he would have created 121 chances.

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71. Hazard played every game last season and his 100 chances created was the most in the league.

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72. Of the players that made 20+ appearances, only 3 players created a chance every 30 minutes or less…

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73. …They were Ozil, Silva and Navas.

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74. Alexis Sanchez had more shots than any other midfielder last season (121)

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75. …and scored more goals than any other midfielder (16)

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76. Only 2 midfielders in the Top 10 ‘shots at goal’ list, didn’t manage to finish in the top 20 midfield goals scorers.

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77. …They were… Coutinho and Bolasie

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78. In the last 3 seasons, only 2 midfielders have taken 90+ shots on goals in more than one season. Cazorla and Coutinho.

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79. …and only Coutinho has taken 90+ shots in each of the last two seasons.

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80. Out of the top 10 midfield goal scorers last season, only Christian Eriksen scored more goals from outside the area (6) than he did inside (4)

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81. Other than Eriksen, only 2 midfielders scored more than 3 goals from outside the area.

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82. …They were… Yaya Toure (5) and Jason Puncheon (4)

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83. No team scored 10 goals against the same opponent last season.

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84. …But Southampton managed 9 vs Sunderland, and Chelsea scored 9 against Swansea

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85. Chelsea play Swansea in Gwk 1

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86. There are 4 match ups this year that averaged more than 5 goals per game last season.

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87. …They are… Chelsea vs Swansea (5.5 goals per game), Chelsea vs Spurs (5.5 goals per game), Man Utd vs Leicester (6 goals per game), and Southampton vs Sunderland (5.5 goals per game)

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88. Chelsea vs Spurs, and Man Utd vs Leicester both take place in Gwk 14

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89. In the last 5 seasons Man City average the most penalties awarded per season. (7.3)

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90. The team with most penalties awarded last season? Man City, with 8.

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91. West Ham have had no penalties awarded away from home since they returned to the league in 2012/13

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92. 11 pens were saved last season

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93. …The only player to save 3…. Adrian (West Ham)

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94. The total number of pens awarded has declined every season for the last 6 years. (111 in 09/10 down to 83 last season.)

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95. Only Liverpool, Chelsea (twice) and Man Utd have been awarded 10+ pens in a single season in the last 6 years.

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96. Based on the last 3 seasons, newly promoted teams average just 1 CS in their opening 4 games

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97. …averaging 6.7 goals conceded, and 3.2 goals scored.

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98. …Over the same time period, Top 4 teams average just 1.7 CS in their opening 4 games.

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99. …averaging 7.9 goals scored and 3.8 goals conceded

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100. Over the first 4 games of the last 3 seasons, the best attack outside of the top 4? Swansea. Averaging 7.7 goals scored in their first 4 games. (only Man City and Chelsea start faster)

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101. The worst two defenses over the first 4 games in the last 3 seasons? Palace and Newcastle.

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102. …Newcastle’s first 4 opponents this season include Swansea, Man Utd and Chelsea.

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103. Last season, 10 forwards created more than 1 goal scoring chance per game.

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104. …Only 9 of them were not called Bojan.

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105. Bojan tops the forwards list of “chances created for others per game” at 1.6 chances per game.

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106. Only Wayne Rooney has featured in the top 4 ‘chances created per game’ list in each of the last 3 seasons.

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107. …He’s averaged 1.7 chances created per game over the last 3 seasons.

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108. Only 2 forwards racked up more assists than Lukaku (5) last season.

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109. ..They were Aguero, and Vardy. Both with 8 assists.

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110. In home games, only 5 players had a better mins:goal/assist ratio than Mame Biram Diouf

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111. …Mane was 7th best with a goal or assist every 116 mins.

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112. No teams’ forwards scored more goals from outside the box than West Ham last season. Enner Valencia (2), Zárate (2)

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113. Only one forward has scored more headed goals than Giroud (12) in the last 3 years.

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114. ..That player is… Benteke, with 13.

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115. Out of the 6 worst forwards for ‘minutes per goal ratio’, 3 of them played for Newcastle.

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116. ..The other 3 were Aluko, Balotelli and Soldado. Each averaging roughly 1 goal every 900 minutes played.

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117. Out of all the forwards with 20+ appearances, 5 players had better ratio than 2 goals every 270 mins (3 games)…

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118. …They were… Aguero Costa, Cissé, Kane and Remy.

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119. 282 players picked up total of 2,169 bonus points last season.

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120. 731 (34%) of the bonus points went to players from the top 4 teams.

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[highlight_blue]EDITOR’S NOTE: Hope you are not feeling like me right about now.[/highlight_blue]

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121. 7 of the top 10 bonus point scorers were Midfielders.

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122. 1 of the top 100 bonus point scorers was a Goalkeeper.

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123. 47% of GK bonus points came from a bottom 10 team.

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124. 13 teams scored an own goal last season.

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125. …Only 3 teams scored more than 2 own goals.

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126. …They were… Man City, Sunderland and Leicester. (Each scored 3)

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127. Only player scored more than 1 OG last season… Morgan of Leicester (2)

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128. Only two forwards featured in all 38 EPL games last season…

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129. …They were Berahino and Pellè

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130. The players from the top 4 teams that featured in the most games were Aguero and Rooney. Both with 33 appearances.

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131. Of all the forwards that scored 10+ goals last season, only 2 managed it in less than 25 appearances….

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132. …They were… Cissé 11 goals in 22 games, and Sakho 10 goals in 23 games.

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133. Willian started 14 games last season away from Stanford bridge. He was subbed off early in all of them.

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Stats, Stats and Some More Stats. This article was written by Chins and Bellies

Follow @chinsandbellies