Archive for February 2010
Nigeria turns to Lagerback
Nigeria dismissed local coach Shaibu Amodu after he finished third at the recent Africa Cup of Nations in favour of a foreign coach.
This is a short term contract as Lagerback will be with Nigeria until the end of the World Cup.
Lagerback was at the last World Cup in Germany as coach of Sweden.
Lagerback has never coached an African team before and this will also be his first time to coach outside Sweden.
He was the coach of Sweden from 1998 to 2009. He took sole responsibility of the team in 2004 and he resigned in 2009 when Sweden failed to reach the World Cup finals.
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Round 24 : Sevilla vs Bilbao
Sevilla is currently in fourth place on the table, four points behind Valencia in third place.
Athletic is six points behind Sevilla and a win here will mean the gap will just be three points.
Looking at recent form, Sevilla has lost two matches in the last six league matches it has played whilst their rivals this weekend have lost three.
The two teams have both drawn just thrice so far this season but none in the last six matches.
At home Sevilla has won seven matches out of 12 and losing just two for a total of 24 points.
On the road Athletic has won four but lost six matches and drawn the other two.
Here is a stats summary for the two teams:
| Sevilla | Athletic Bilbao | |
|---|---|---|
| Form | LWWLWW | WLLWLW |
| Played | 23 | 23 |
| Points | 42 | 36 |
| Drawn | 3 | 3 |
| Won | 13 | 11 |
| Lost | 7 | 9 |
| Goal difference | 11 | 2 |
| Clean sheets | 8 | 7 |
| Failed to score | 4 | 6 |
| Goals scored | 36 | 30 |
| Goals conceded | 25 | 28 |
| Ave. goals scored | 1.6 | 1.3 |
| Ave. goals conceded | 1.1 | 1.2 |
| Biggest win | Athletic Bilbao 0 - 4 Sevilla | Almeria 1 - 4 Athletic Bilbao Athletic Bilbao 4 - 1 Tenerife |
| Biggest loss | Barcelona 4 - 0 Sevilla | Athletic Bilbao 0 - 4 Sevilla |
| Score 3 or more | 4 | 4 |
| Concede 3 or more | 1 | 2 |
| Home matches | ||
| Played | 12 | 11 |
| Points | 24 | 22 |
| Drawn | 3 | 1 |
| Won | 7 | 7 |
| Lost | 2 | 3 |
| Goal difference | 8 | 4 |
| Goals scored | 20 | 18 |
| Goals conceded | 12 | 14 |
| Ave. goals scored | 1.7 | 1.6 |
| Ave. goals conceded | 1.0 | 1.3 |
| Away matches | ||
| Played | 11 | 12 |
| Points | 18 | 14 |
| Drawn | 0 | 2 |
| Won | 6 | 4 |
| Lost | 5 | 6 |
| Goal difference | 3 | -2 |
| Goals scored | 16 | 12 |
| Goals conceded | 13 | 14 |
| Ave. goals scored | 1.5 | 1.0 |
| Ave. goals conceded | 1.2 | 1.2 |
Pompey enters administration
Facing a winding up order on the 1st of March, the team has entered administration so that it can continue to run.
Pompey becomes the first Premiership team to enter administration and relegation is now more of a reality.
Pompey has accumulated a paltry 16 points so far this season and with the nine points to be deducted due to administration, they will be left with just seven points.
At the moment Burnley who is second from the bottom has 23 points and already Pompey is seven points adrift.
In order to stay in the league with just 12 matches(36 points available) left, Pompey will need to win most of the matches in order to have a chance.
Relegation fight : Bolton vs Wolves
Bolton are currently in the relegation zone with 23 points and Wolves are two places up.
The two teams are separated by just one point and so a win here is crucial for both teams.
A win for Bolton will certainly take them out of the relegation zone whatever happens elsewhere whilst a loss could see them slip to second from bottom place.
A win for Wolves will take them further away from the relegation and its crucial given that their next match is a home tie against Manchester United.
Bolton has won just three matches at the Reebok Stadium and lost five and hence its not surprising they are in the relegation zone.
Wolves don't have a great away record either having only won twice away from home and so they can fancy their chances here against a team with a poor home record.
Here are some of the stats for the two teams so far this season:
| Bolton | Wolves | |
|---|---|---|
| Rank | 18 | 16 |
| Played | 26 | 26 |
| Points | 23 | 24 |
| Drawn | 8 | 6 |
| Won | 5 | 6 |
| Lost | 13 | 14 |
| Goal difference | -20 | -23 |
| Clean sheets | 3 | 5 |
| Failed to score | 10 | 11 |
| Goals scored | 29 | 21 |
| Goals conceded | 49 | 44 |
| Ave. goals scored | 1.1 | 0.8 |
| Ave. goals conceded | 1.9 | 1.7 |
| Biggest win | Bolton 3 - 1 West Ham | Wolves 2 - 0 Burnley |
| Biggest loss | Bolton 0 - 4 Chelsea Aston Villa 5 - 1 Bolton | Chelsea 4 - 0 Wolves |
| Score 3 or more | 4 | 0 |
| Concede 3 or more | 6 | 6 |
| Home matches | ||
| Played | 13 | 14 |
| Points | 14 | 15 |
| Drawn | 5 | 3 |
| Won | 3 | 4 |
| Lost | 5 | 7 |
| Goal difference | -6 | -9 |
| Goals scored | 17 | 10 |
| Goals conceded | 23 | 19 |
| Ave. goals scored | 1.3 | 0.7 |
| Ave. goals conceded | 1.8 | 1.4 |
| Away matches | ||
| Played | 13 | 12 |
| Points | 9 | 9 |
| Drawn | 3 | 3 |
| Won | 2 | 2 |
| Lost | 8 | 7 |
| Goal difference | -14 | -14 |
| Goals scored | 12 | 11 |
| Goals conceded | 26 | 25 |
| Ave. goals scored | 0.9 | 0.9 |
| Ave. goals conceded | 2.0 | 2.1 |
Stalemate at Eastlands as Spurs leap into fourth
In the first match at Anfield the teams drew 2-all but this time there were no goals and both teams moved one spot down the ladder.
Spurs leaped to fourth place after beating Wigan 3-nil and Villa stayed in seventh after a 5-2 win over Burnley.
The team that comes after the fourth place chasing teams is Everton who beat Manchester United 3-1 at Goodison Park.
In consecutive league matches at home, Everton has beaten both Chelsea and Manchester United and now looks so different from a team that conceded six goals in its first home match of the season against Arsenal.
In relegation matters, Portsmouth lost to Stoke despite taking the leading in the first half. That loss leaves them seven points adrift of Burnley who are second from the bottom.
Bolton also lost 3-nil to Blackburn and their situation doesn't seem to be getting any better even with a new manager in place.
Still on matters relegation, here is how the table looks with the relegation teams on top:
| Team | Played | Won | Draw | Lost | For | Against | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Portsmouth | 26 | 4 | 4 | 18 | 21 | 44 | -23 | 16 |
| Burnley | 26 | 6 | 5 | 15 | 27 | 55 | -28 | 23 |
| Bolton | 26 | 5 | 8 | 13 | 29 | 49 | -20 | 23 |
| Hull | 27 | 5 | 9 | 13 | 25 | 54 | -29 | 24 |
| Wolves | 26 | 6 | 6 | 14 | 21 | 44 | -23 | 24 |
| Wigan | 26 | 6 | 7 | 13 | 26 | 52 | -26 | 25 |
| Sunderland | 26 | 6 | 8 | 12 | 32 | 44 | -12 | 26 |
| West Ham | 26 | 6 | 9 | 11 | 35 | 40 | -5 | 27 |
| Blackburn | 27 | 9 | 7 | 11 | 29 | 43 | -14 | 34 |
| Stoke | 26 | 8 | 10 | 8 | 26 | 29 | -3 | 34 |
| Bham City | 26 | 10 | 7 | 9 | 25 | 28 | -3 | 37 |
| Fulham | 27 | 10 | 7 | 10 | 32 | 29 | 3 | 37 |
| Everton | 26 | 10 | 8 | 8 | 38 | 37 | 1 | 38 |
| Aston Villa | 26 | 12 | 9 | 5 | 37 | 21 | 16 | 45 |
| Liverpool | 27 | 13 | 6 | 8 | 43 | 27 | 16 | 45 |
| Man City | 26 | 12 | 10 | 4 | 48 | 33 | 15 | 46 |
| Tottenham | 27 | 13 | 7 | 7 | 48 | 26 | 22 | 46 |
| Arsenal | 27 | 17 | 4 | 6 | 63 | 30 | 33 | 55 |
| Man United | 27 | 18 | 3 | 6 | 63 | 24 | 39 | 57 |
| Chelsea | 27 | 19 | 4 | 4 | 63 | 22 | 41 | 61 |
Penalties decide A-League finals
Gold Coast finished ten points ahead of the Jets and had home advantage and they couldn't use that to reach the next stage of the finals were they were going to host the match.
The Gold Coast/Jets match finished goalless but the first five penalties were all converted.
The Gold Coast then missed then missed the next two whilst the Jets missed just one to earn the right to play the Phoenix.
The Phoenix/Glory match finished one-all but the Glory managed to score just two penalties with the Phoenix not missing any and they will therefore host the next match against the Jets.
The Sydney/Melbourne and Phoenix/Jets matches will be played on the same day. The loser in the Sydney/Melbourne match will meet the winner of the Phoenix/Jets match.
Lets take a look at the goal margins for the 2009/10 A-League season up to the weekend matches. The zero goal margin matches were the draws and here is the table:
| Goal Margin | Frequency |
|---|---|
| 0 | 34 |
| 1 | 53 |
| 2 | 31 |
| 3 | 11 |
| 4 | 7 |
| 5 | 1 |
| 6 | 1 |
Valencia faces Getafe test
In the last round Valencia could only manage a one-all draw against Sporting Gijon but this time the match is being played at home.
Getafe also had a draw in its last match against Almeria and a win will be crucial at the Mestalla in order to keep in contention of the Europa League places.
So far Valencia has lost just once at home but the team has also drawn four times at the Mestalla.
Out of eleven matches away, Getafe has won just three and lost the other eight and so its away record is not as impressive.
Looking at the last six matches Valencia has won three, drawn two and lost one whilst Getafa has won just won once, drawn twice and lost three.
Its interesting to note that in their previous encounter this season, Getafe won 3-1 but their season has not been consistent since then.
So here is a quick look at the stats for the two teams so far this season:
| Valencia | Getafe | |
|---|---|---|
| Played | 22 | 22 |
| Points | 43 | 32 |
| Drawn | 7 | 2 |
| Won | 12 | 10 |
| Lost | 3 | 10 |
| Goal difference | 18 | 2 |
| Clean sheets | 9 | 5 |
| Failed to score | 3 | 8 |
| Goals scored | 39 | 30 |
| Goals conceded | 21 | 28 |
| Ave. goals scored | 1.8 | 1.4 |
| Ave. goals conceded | 1.0 | 1.3 |
| Biggest win | Almeria 0 - 3 Valencia Valencia 4 - 1 Villarreal | Getafe 5 - 1 Xerez |
| Biggest loss | Getafe 3 - 1 Valencia | Zaragoza 3 - 0 Getafe |
| Score 3 or more | 6 | 3 |
| Concede 3 or more | 2 | 3 |
| Home matches | ||
| Played | 10 | 11 |
| Points | 19 | 23 |
| Drawn | 4 | 2 |
| Won | 5 | 7 |
| Lost | 1 | 2 |
| Goal difference | 9 | 8 |
| Goals scored | 19 | 18 |
| Goals conceded | 10 | 10 |
| Ave. goals scored | 1.9 | 1.6 |
| Ave. goals conceded | 1.0 | 0.9 |
| Away matches | ||
| Played | 12 | 11 |
| Points | 24 | 9 |
| Drawn | 3 | 0 |
| Won | 7 | 3 |
| Lost | 2 | 8 |
| Goal difference | 9 | -6 |
| Goals scored | 20 | 12 |
| Goals conceded | 11 | 18 |
| Ave. goals scored | 1.7 | 1.1 |
| Ave. goals conceded | 0.9 | 1.6 |
Man City, Liverpool battle for fourth
Man City are currently in fourth place and have a game in hand and a win here could help cement fourth place against their direct rivals.
Man City is one of just two teams not have lost at home so far this season and that form will them confidence going into this match.
Of its 12 games at home, Man City has won nine and drawn three.
Liverpool on the other hand lost its last match and that was away to Arsenal. That match is the only match the team has lost in its last six matches.
In the last six matches, Man City has won three, lost two and drawn one and will need to improve on that going to the end of the season.
The match played at Anfield between the two teams ended in a two-all draw and this time a draw may not be a good enough result for either team with matches starting to run out.
Here is some of the stats for the two teams so far this season:
| Liverpool | Man City | |
|---|---|---|
| Rank | 5 | 4 |
| Played | 26 | 25 |
| Points | 44 | 45 |
| Drawn | 5 | 9 |
| Won | 13 | 12 |
| Lost | 8 | 4 |
| Goal difference | 16 | 15 |
| Clean sheets | 11 | 8 |
| Failed to score | 6 | 3 |
| Goals scored | 43 | 48 |
| Goals conceded | 27 | 33 |
| Ave. goals scored | 1.7 | 1.9 |
| Ave. goals conceded | 1.0 | 1.3 |
| Biggest win | Liverpool 6 - 1 Hull | Wolves 0 - 3 Man City Man City 4 - 1 Blackburn |
| Biggest loss | Liverpool 1 - 3 Aston Villa Chelsea 2 - 0 Liverpool Fulham 3 - 1 Liverpool Portsmouth 2 - 0 Liverpool | Tottenham 3 - 0 Man City |
| Score 3 or more | 5 | 8 |
| Concede 3 or more | 2 | 5 |
| Home matches | ||
| Played | 13 | 12 |
| Points | 29 | 30 |
| Drawn | 2 | 3 |
| Won | 9 | 9 |
| Lost | 2 | 0 |
| Goal difference | 20 | 16 |
| Goals scored | 31 | 30 |
| Goals conceded | 11 | 14 |
| Ave. goals scored | 2.4 | 2.5 |
| Ave. goals conceded | 0.8 | 1.2 |
| Away matches | ||
| Played | 13 | 13 |
| Points | 15 | 15 |
| Drawn | 3 | 6 |
| Won | 4 | 3 |
| Lost | 6 | 4 |
| Goal difference | -4 | -1 |
| Goals scored | 12 | 18 |
| Goals conceded | 16 | 19 |
| Ave. goals scored | 0.9 | 1.4 |
| Ave. goals conceded | 1.2 | 1.5 |
4th vs 5th: Phoenix vs Perth Glory
The two teams have got contrasting home and away forms.
The Phoenix lost just one match at home and in the process accumulated 26 points.
The Glory have an even better home record also losing just one match and getting 28 points but unfortunately they are not playing at home in this match.
The Glory's away record was the second worst in the league winning just three matches away and they will need a huge improvement on that to beat the Phoenix.
Here is head-to-head comparison for the two teams:
| Perth Glory | Wellington Phoenix | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Played | 27 | 27 | |||
| Points | 39 | 40 | |||
| Drawn | 6 | 10 | |||
| Won | 11 | 10 | |||
| Lost | 10 | 7 | |||
| Goal difference | 6 | 8 | |||
| Clean sheets | 9 | 10 | |||
| Failed to score | 5 | 6 | |||
| Goals scored | 40 | 37 | |||
| Goals conceded | 34 | 29 | |||
| Ave. goals scored | 1.5 | 1.4 | |||
| Ave. goals conceded | 1.3 | 1.1 | |||
| Biggest win | Perth Glory 4 - 0 Newcastle Jets | Wellington Phoenix 6 - 0 Gold Coast | |||
| Biggest loss | Melbourne Victory 6 - 2 Perth Glory | Melbourne Victory 4 - 0 Wellington Phoenix | |||
| Score 3 or more | 4 | 5 | |||
| Concede 3 or more | 2 | 4 | |||
| Home matches | |||||
| Played | 13 | 13 | |||
| Points | 28 | 26 | |||
| Drawn | 4 | 5 | |||
| Won | 8 | 7 | |||
| Lost | 1 | 1 | |||
| Goal difference | 15 | 18 | |||
| Goals scored | 23 | 25 | |||
| Goals conceded | 8 | 7 | |||
| Ave. goals scored | 1.8 | 1.9 | |||
| Ave. goals conceded | 0.6 | 0.5 | |||
| Away matches | |||||
| Played | 14 | 14 | |||
| Points | 11 | 14 | |||
| Drawn | 2 | 5 | |||
| Won | 3 | 3 | |||
| Lost | 9 | 6 | |||
| Goal difference | -9 | -10 | |||
| Goals scored | 17 | 12 | |||
| Goals conceded | 26 | 22 | |||
| Ave. goals scored | 1.2 | 0.9 | |||
| Ave. goals conceded | 1.9 | 1.6 | |||
| Season | Round | Team | Goals | Team | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2007/8 | 6 | Wellington Phoenix | 4 | Perth Glory | 1 |
| 2007/8 | 11 | Perth Glory | 0 | Wellington Phoenix | 1 |
| 2007/8 | 16 | Wellington Phoenix | 3 | Perth Glory | 0 |
| 2008/9 | 5 | Perth Glory | 1 | Wellington Phoenix | 0 |
| 2008/9 | 10 | Perth Glory | 2 | Wellington Phoenix | 0 |
| 2008/9 | 15 | Wellington Phoenix | 1 | Perth Glory | 1 |
| 2009/10 | 2 | Wellington Phoenix | 2 | Perth Glory | 1 |
| 2009/10 | 14 | Wellington Phoenix | 1 | Perth Glory | 1 |
| 2009/10 | 24 | Perth Glory | 2 | Wellington Phoenix | 0 |
3rd vs 6th : Gold Coast vs Newcastle Jets
The two teams have had very different seasons with the Gold Coast staying at the top for most of the season and the Jets only coming into contention towards the end the season after a series of five consecutive wins.
The wins took the Jets from near the bottom to as high as fourth but another loss of form meant they drifted down to sixth.
There was a ten point difference between the two teams but between a finals match anything is possible:
Here are some of the stats for the two teams for the season:
| Newcastle Jets | Gold Coast | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Played | 27 | 27 | |||
| Points | 34 | 44 | |||
| Drawn | 4 | 5 | |||
| Won | 10 | 13 | |||
| Lost | 13 | 9 | |||
| Goal difference | -12 | 4 | |||
| Clean sheets | 4 | 9 | |||
| Failed to score | 8 | 7 | |||
| Goals scored | 33 | 39 | |||
| Goals conceded | 45 | 35 | |||
| Ave. goals scored | 1.2 | 1.4 | |||
| Ave. goals conceded | 1.7 | 1.3 | |||
| Biggest win | Newcastle Jets 2 - 0 NQ Fury Sydney 1 - 3 Newcastle Jets Adelaide Utd 0 - 2 Newcastle Jets Brisbane Roar 0 - 2 Newcastle Jets | Gold Coast 5 - 0 NQ Fury | |||
| Biggest loss | Perth Glory 4 - 0 Newcastle Jets | Wellington Phoenix 6 - 0 Gold Coast | |||
| Score 3 or more | 5 | 3 | |||
| Concede 3 or more | 6 | 5 | |||
| Home matches | |||||
| Played | 13 | 14 | |||
| Points | 21 | 29 | |||
| Drawn | 0 | 2 | |||
| Won | 7 | 9 | |||
| Lost | 6 | 3 | |||
| Goal difference | -2 | 14 | |||
| Goals scored | 20 | 25 | |||
| Goals conceded | 22 | 11 | |||
| Ave. goals scored | 1.5 | 1.8 | |||
| Ave. goals conceded | 1.7 | 0.8 | |||
| Away matches | |||||
| Played | 14 | 13 | |||
| Points | 13 | 15 | |||
| Drawn | 4 | 3 | |||
| Won | 3 | 4 | |||
| Lost | 7 | 6 | |||
| Goal difference | -10 | -10 | |||
| Goals scored | 13 | 14 | |||
| Goals conceded | 23 | 24 | |||
| Ave. goals scored | 0.9 | 1.1 | |||
| Ave. goals conceded | 1.6 | 1.8 | |||
| Season | Round | Team | Goals | Team | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009/10 | 4 | Newcastle Jets | 1 | Gold Coast United | 0 |
| 2009/10 | 18 | Newcastle Jets | 3 | Gold Coast United | 2 |
| 2009/10 | 19 | Gold Coast United | 2 | Newcastle Jets | 0 |
Barca suffer first loss
Barcelona had gone 21 matches unbeaten in the league but the two first half goals were enough for Atletico to register a shock win.
The loss means that Barca's lead at the top is reduced to just two points after Real Madrid won its away match against bottom side Xerez 3-nil with all goals scored in the second half.
Sporting Gijon held Valencia to a one-all draw which means that Valencia now trail Real by 10 points.
Valencia now has a four point lead over Sevilla in fourth place. Sevilla had a narrow 1-nil win over Osasuna.
In a key match insofar as relegation is concerned, Valladolid managed to hold Real Zaragoza to a one-all draw a result which suited Zaragoza more as they keep out of the relegation zone.
There is still one more match to be played between Tenerife and Mallorca.
Below are the different scorelines so far in La Liga after 219 matches:
| Scoreline | Frequency |
|---|---|
| 0 - 0 | 15 |
| 0 - 1 | 10 |
| 0 - 2 | 12 |
| 0 - 3 | 6 |
| 0 - 4 | 3 |
| 0 - 5 | 1 |
| 1 - 0 | 31 |
| 1 - 1 | 28 |
| 1 - 2 | 12 |
| 1 - 3 | 5 |
| 1 - 4 | 3 |
| 2 - 0 | 17 |
| 2 - 1 | 22 |
| 2 - 2 | 10 |
| 2 - 3 | 3 |
| 2 - 4 | 1 |
| 3 - 0 | 7 |
| 3 - 1 | 7 |
| 3 - 2 | 7 |
| 3 - 3 | 1 |
| 4 - 0 | 4 |
| 4 - 1 | 4 |
| 4 - 2 | 4 |
| 5 - 0 | 2 |
| 5 - 1 | 1 |
| 5 - 2 | 1 |
| 6 - 0 | 1 |
| 6 - 1 | 1 |
Sydney crowned premiers
Sydney went into the match needing to win to leap their opponents and the home side was 1 up by half-time.
Sydney has now scored five goals against the defending champions with the defending champions failing to score a single goal.
In third place was Gold Coast who lost 2-1 to the North Queensland Fury. Gold Coast needed to win and Sydney to lose to get second place.
The Fury needed to win in order to avoid the wooden spoon in their first season.
Fourth place went to the Wellington Phoenix who beat the Central Coast Mariners 3-nil in what was Lawrie McKinna's last match as coach of the Mariners.
Perth Glory who have reached their maiden finals this season finished fifth when they beat Brisbane Roar 2-nil. The Roar finished second from the bottom to finish last of the three Queensland sides.
Adelaide's win over Newcastle Jets was not enough to avoid the wooden spoon. Once again like last season the side finishing bottom is going into the Asian Champions League.
So here is the final table:
| Team | Played | Won | Draw | Lost | For | Against | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sydney | 27 | 15 | 3 | 9 | 35 | 23 | 12 | 48 |
| Melbourne Victory | 27 | 14 | 5 | 8 | 47 | 32 | 15 | 47 |
| Gold Coast | 27 | 13 | 5 | 9 | 39 | 35 | 4 | 44 |
| Wellington Phoenix | 27 | 10 | 10 | 7 | 37 | 29 | 8 | 40 |
| Perth Glory | 27 | 11 | 6 | 10 | 40 | 34 | 6 | 39 |
| Newcastle Jets | 27 | 10 | 4 | 13 | 33 | 45 | -12 | 34 |
| NQ Fury | 27 | 8 | 8 | 11 | 29 | 46 | -17 | 32 |
| Central Coast Mariners | 27 | 7 | 9 | 11 | 32 | 29 | 3 | 30 |
| Brisbane Roar | 27 | 8 | 6 | 13 | 32 | 42 | -10 | 30 |
| Adelaide Utd | 27 | 7 | 8 | 12 | 24 | 33 | -9 | 29 |
Sydney, Melbourne fight for premiership
This will be the first time in the history of the A-League for teams to actually play for minor premiership in the last round of the season.
Sydney will need to win this match whilst a draw will do for the Victorians.
In their other two matches this season, Sydney won one of them 3-nil and the other one finished in a goalless draw.
Its important to note that the Victory failed to score against their rivals and that both matches were at the Etihad Stadium.
Victory are currently the form team having accumulated 12 points from their last six matches whilst Sydney have amassed 10.
Because of the significance of this match I will this week also give all the A-League results between the two teams from season one up to today below:
| Melbourne Victory | Sydney | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Form | LWWWLW | WDLWLW | |||
| Played | 26 | 26 | |||
| Points | 47 | 45 | |||
| Drawn | 5 | 3 | |||
| Won | 14 | 14 | |||
| Lost | 7 | 9 | |||
| Goal difference | 17 | 10 | |||
| Clean sheets | 9 | 10 | |||
| Failed to score | 6 | 9 | |||
| Goals scored | 47 | 33 | |||
| Goals conceded | 30 | 23 | |||
| Ave. goals scored | 1.8 | 1.3 | |||
| Ave. goals conceded | 1.2 | 0.9 | |||
| Biggest win | Melbourne Victory 4 - 0 Gold Coast Melbourne Victory 4 - 0 Wellington Phoenix Melbourne Victory 6 - 2 Perth Glory | Melbourne Victory 0 - 3 Sydney Sydney 4 - 1 NQ Fury | |||
| Biggest loss | Melbourne Victory 0 - 4 Central Coast Mariners | Perth Glory 2 - 0 Sydney Sydney 1 - 3 Newcastle Jets | |||
| Score 3 or more | 8 | 6 | |||
| Concede 3 or more | 4 | 1 | |||
| Home matches | |||||
| Played | 14 | 13 | |||
| Points | 25 | 30 | |||
| Drawn | 4 | 0 | |||
| Won | 7 | 10 | |||
| Lost | 3 | 3 | |||
| Goal difference | 10 | 10 | |||
| Goals scored | 28 | 21 | |||
| Goals conceded | 18 | 11 | |||
| Ave. goals scored | 2.0 | 1.6 | |||
| Ave. goals conceded | 1.3 | 0.8 | |||
| Away matches | |||||
| Played | 12 | 13 | |||
| Points | 22 | 15 | |||
| Drawn | 1 | 3 | |||
| Won | 7 | 4 | |||
| Lost | 4 | 6 | |||
| Goal difference | 7 | 0 | |||
| Goals scored | 19 | 12 | |||
| Goals conceded | 12 | 12 | |||
| Ave. goals scored | 1.6 | 0.9 | |||
| Ave. goals conceded | 1.0 | 0.9 | |||
| Season | Round | Team | Goals | Team | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006/7 | 2 | Melbourne Victory | 3 | Sydney FC | 2 |
| 2006/7 | 9 | Sydney FC | 1 | Melbourne Victory | 2 |
| 2006/7 | 16 | Melbourne Victory | 0 | Sydney FC | 0 |
| 2005/6 | 1 | Sydney FC | 1 | Melbourne Victory | 1 |
| 2005/6 | 8 | Melbourne Victory | 5 | Sydney FC | 0 |
| 2005/6 | 15 | Sydney FC | 2 | Melbourne Victory | 1 |
| 2007/8 | 7 | Sydney FC | 0 | Melbourne Victory | 1 |
| 2007/8 | 12 | Melbourne Victory | 0 | Sydney FC | 0 |
| 2007/8 | 21 | Sydney FC | 2 | Melbourne Victory | 2 |
| 2008/9 | 1 | Sydney FC | 0 | Melbourne Victory | 0 |
| 2008/9 | 9 | Melbourne Victory | 0 | Sydney FC | 2 |
| 2008/9 | 17 | Melbourne Victory | 3 | Sydney FC | 2 |
| 2009/10 | 10 | Melbourne Victory | 0 | Sydney FC | 3 |
| 2009/10 | 20 | Melbourne Victory | 0 | Sydney FC | 0 |
Wolves push Spurs aside
Wolves won by a similar scoreline earlier in the season and once again they defeated their more fancied rivals who are fighting for the Champions League places.
Arsenal are now back on track for the title after beating Liverpool 1-nil and seeing Manchester United draw at Villa Park and Chelsea lose at Goodison.
After losing their last two matches, the Gunners win extended the gap with their rivals to 8 points and from here should finish third or better.
In other results, West Ham eased their relegation worries by beating Birmingham City with goals in each half at Upton Park. The result saw the Hammers leave the relegation zone.
Dropping into the relegation zone this time are Hull and Burnley who both lost their fixtures to Blackburn and Fulham respectively.
I think its to once again have a look at the form table and see which team has performed well in the last six matches:
| Team | P | W | D | L | For | A | GD | Pts | Streak |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Man United | 6 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 17 | 3 | 14 | 14 | DWWWWD |
| Chelsea | 6 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 16 | 6 | 10 | 13 | WWWDWL |
| Everton | 6 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 9 | 4 | 5 | 13 | DWWWLW |
| Man City | 6 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 12 | 5 | 7 | 12 | WWLWLW |
| Liverpool | 6 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 6 | 2 | 4 | 11 | DWDWWL |
| Arsenal | 6 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 8 | 7 | 1 | 10 | WWDLLW |
| Blackburn | 6 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 6 | 8 | -2 | 10 | LWWDLW |
| Stoke | 6 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 8 | 5 | 3 | 9 | LWDDWD |
| Bham City | 6 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 5 | 8 | -3 | 8 | WDLDWL |
| Aston Villa | 6 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 7 | LDDWDD |
| Fulham | 6 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 6 | -2 | 7 | LLLWDW |
| West Ham | 6 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 4 | 5 | -1 | 6 | LDDDLW |
| Tottenham | 6 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 4 | -1 | 6 | DLWDDL |
| Hull | 6 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 9 | -4 | 6 | DLDDWL |
| Wigan | 6 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 10 | -5 | 5 | LWLLDD |
| Wolves | 6 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 9 | -5 | 5 | LLDDLW |
| Sunderland | 6 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 6 | 13 | -7 | 4 | DLLDDD |
| Bolton | 6 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 3 | 10 | -7 | 4 | LLWLDL |
| Burnley | 6 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 3 | 12 | -9 | 3 | LLLLWL |
| Portsmouth | 6 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 14 | -11 | 2 | LDLLLD |
3rd vs 4th : Arsenal vs Liverpool
Liverpool are enjoying a good run of form at the moment having drawn two and four of their last six matches. In those six matches the team has scored seven goals and conceded just once.
On the other hand Arsenal has just lost its last two matches against Manchester United and Chelsea conceding five goals in the process.
In the last six matches the Gunners have drawn two, lost two and won two and scored nine goals. Interesting the team has also conceded nine goals.
A win for the Gunners will keep them in third place but more importantly it will make sure that its rival on the day is further behind.
A win for Liverpool will close the gap between them and the Gunners to just two points making third place a realistic possibility.
In their earlier meeting this season ten rounds ago the Gunners triumphed 2-1 at Anfield and will there attempt to complete a double against their rivals for the Champions League places.
Here is a quick summary for the two teams so far this season:
| Liverpool | Arsenal | |
|---|---|---|
| Form | WDWDWW | DWWDLL |
| Played | 25 | 25 |
| Points | 44 | 49 |
| Drawn | 5 | 4 |
| Won | 13 | 15 |
| Lost | 7 | 6 |
| Goal difference | 17 | 30 |
| Clean sheets | 11 | 8 |
| Failed to score | 5 | 4 |
| Goals scored | 43 | 60 |
| Goals conceded | 26 | 30 |
| Ave. goals scored | 1.7 | 2.4 |
| Ave. goals conceded | 1.0 | 1.2 |
| Biggest win | Liverpool 6 - 1 Hull | Everton 1 - 6 Arsenal |
| Biggest loss | Liverpool 1 - 3 Aston Villa Chelsea 2 - 0 Liverpool Fulham 3 - 1 Liverpool Portsmouth 2 - 0 Liverpool | Arsenal 0 - 3 Chelsea |
| Score 3 or more | 5 | 11 |
| Concede 3 or more | 2 | 3 |
| Home matches | ||
| Played | 13 | 12 |
| Points | 29 | 28 |
| Drawn | 2 | 1 |
| Won | 9 | 9 |
| Lost | 2 | 2 |
| Goal difference | 20 | 21 |
| Goals scored | 31 | 35 |
| Goals conceded | 11 | 14 |
| Ave. goals scored | 2.4 | 2.9 |
| Ave. goals conceded | 0.8 | 1.2 |
| Away matches | ||
| Played | 12 | 13 |
| Points | 15 | 21 |
| Drawn | 3 | 3 |
| Won | 4 | 6 |
| Lost | 5 | 4 |
| Goal difference | -3 | 9 |
| Goals scored | 12 | 25 |
| Goals conceded | 15 | 16 |
| Ave. goals scored | 1.0 | 1.9 |
| Ave. goals conceded | 1.3 | 1.2 |
McKinna to step aside for Arnold
McKinna has been coach of the Mariners from the beginning and he will now take the role of football operations manager.
His departure means that only Melbourne Victory's Ernie Merrick will remain the only surviving foundation coach from season 1.
McKinna's Mariners have had an interesting season nearing the top of the ladder at one stage and then plummeting down but after winning against the Newcastle Jets the team will no longer finish bottom of the table.
Here is a quick overview of the Mariners season with just one game to go:
| Category | McKinna's Mariners |
|---|---|
| Played | 26 |
| Points | 30 |
| Won | 7 |
| Drawn | 9 |
| Lost | 10 |
| Goal difference | 6 |
| Clean sheets | 9 |
| Failed to score | 10 |
| Goals scored | 32 |
| Goals conceded | 26 |
| Ave. goals scored | 1.2 |
| Ave. goals conceded | 1.0 |
| Biggest win | Melbourne Victory 0 - 4 Central Coast Mariners NQ Fury 1 - 5 Central Coast Mariners |
| Biggest loss | Central Coast Mariners 0 - 3 Melbourne Victory |
| Scored 3 or more | 5 |
| Conceded 3 or more | 3 |
| Home matches | |
| Played | 13 |
| Points | 16 |
| Won | 3 |
| Drawn | 7 |
| Lost | 3 |
| Goal difference | 1 |
| Goals scored | 14 |
| Goals conceded | 13 |
| Ave. goals scored | 1.1 |
| Ave. goals conceded | 1.0 |
| Away matches | |
| Played | 13 |
| Points | 14 |
| Won | 4 |
| Drawn | 2 |
| Lost | 7 |
| Goal difference | 5 |
| Goals scored | 18 |
| Goals conceded | 13 |
| Ave. goals scored | 1.4 |
| Ave. goals conceded | 1.0 |
Zaragoza too good for Sevilla
With Real Mallorca winning against Villareal the loss meant that Sevilla slipped back to fifth on the ladder in what was the most surprising result of the weekend.
Valencia had a 2-nil over Valladolid and therefore cemented their third place on the ladder where they trail Real Madrid in second place by 8 points and Barcelona in first by 13 points.
Real Madrid scored its half-century of goals in this round as well in the 3-nil against Espanyol to maintain the the 5 point gap behind Barcelona.
Xerex were leading at half-time against Athletic Bilbao but conceded two goals in the second half to lose 3-2 and so the team still anchors the table.
Zaragoza's win meant they went out of the relegation zone to be replaced by Valladolid.
51 matches out of 210 have finished in draws so far in La Liga and so below I will show the drawing trend:
| Trend | Frequency | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Draw at half time, draw at full time | 36 | 70.6 |
| Home team leading at half time, draw at full time | 9 | 17.6 |
| Away team leading at half time, draw at full time | 6 | 11.8 |
| Drawn matches | 51 | 24.3 |
Sydney beats Perth to stay on track
Round 26 started with three teams with a chance to land the minor premiership but now only two teams, Sydney and Melbourne Victory are left in the running.
Sydney had to win in order to still have a chance of overhauling Melbourne whom they meet in the final round of the season.
Gold Coast United who started the round in contention lost to their bogey team Wellington Phoenix and now the best they can get in their debut A-League season is second place.
Brisbane Roar's chances of reaching the finals ended with a loss to Adelaide United who were already out of the finals.
Brisbane joins the Central Coast Mariners and North Queensland Fury who are also out of the finals.
In the postponed match between the Mariners and the Newcastle Jets, the Mariners won 3-nil which means they can no longer bottom of the ladder.
The Mariners now have 30 points and Adelaide can only get to 29 points if they also beat Newcastle Jets in the last round.
With no draws in the last two rounds lets take a look at the number of draws each team has had after 26 rounds of A-League football:
| Team | Played | Goals For | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wellington Phoenix | 26 | 8 | 10 |
| Central Coast Mariners | 26 | 5 | 9 |
| Adelaide United FC | 26 | 9 | 8 |
| North Queensland Fury FC | 26 | 10 | 8 |
| Brisbane Roar | 26 | 8 | 6 |
| Perth Glory | 26 | 5 | 6 |
| Gold Coast United | 26 | 5 | 5 |
| Melbourne Victory | 26 | 6 | 5 |
| Newcastle Jets | 26 | 4 | 4 |
| Sydney FC | 26 | 0 | 3 |
Chelsea completes double over Arsenal
The West London club had earlier in the season beaten their rivals from North London 3-nil.
Also completing a double was Liverpool with their 1-nil win against Everton with 10 men.
Everton had gone 12 matches unbeaten but they met a Liverpool which is beginning to find its form and even with ten men, Liverpool managed to secure all three points.
Manchester United had the biggest win of the round winning 5-nil against bottom club Portsmouth. That loss means that Pompey are now six points from the team in second from bottom position, Wolverhampton Wanderers.
There was some movements in the relegation zone with Bolton and Burnley moving and they were replaced by Wolves and West Ham.
In the relegation dog-fight, Burnley beat West Ham to get out of the drop zone and Wolves lost in the West Midlands derby to Birmingham City despite scoring first.
The 5-nil drubbing of Portsmouth by Man Utd was the eighth time a team has won by a goal margin of five goals and here is a table showing the rest of the goal margins for all matches so far this season:
| Goal Margin | Frequency |
|---|---|
| 0 | 63 |
| 1 | 80 |
| 2 | 55 |
| 3 | 24 |
| 4 | 11 |
| 5 | 8 |
| 8 | 1 |
The standout 8 goal margin was Spur's 9-1 win over Wigan.
In-form Everton face Liverpool
Everton last lost in the league in a match against against Liverpool at the November, 2009. Since then Everton has played the likes of Chelsea and Arsenal away and avoided defeated.
The nine match unbeaten run has enabled Everton to climb the ladder from near the relegation zone to ninth at the moment.
A win for Liverpool who are currently fifth could see them rise to fourth depending on other results but a loss could see them drop to seventh.
A win for Everton will see them possibly gain one place whilst a loss at worst will see them drop just one place.
Here are some of the stats for the two teams so far this season:
| Liverpool | Everton | |
|---|---|---|
| Rank | 5 | 9 |
| Form | WWDWDW | DWDWWW |
| Played | 24 | 23 |
| Points | 41 | 32 |
| Drawn | 5 | 8 |
| Won | 12 | 8 |
| Lost | 7 | 7 |
| Goal difference | 16 | -1 |
| Clean sheets | 10 | 6 |
| Failed to score | 5 | 3 |
| Goals scored | 42 | 33 |
| Goals conceded | 26 | 34 |
| Ave. goals scored | 1.8 | 1.4 |
| Ave. goals conceded | 1.1 | 1.5 |
| Biggest win | Liverpool 6 - 1 Hull | Everton 3 - 0 Blackburn |
| Biggest loss | Liverpool 1 - 3 Aston Villa Chelsea 2 - 0 Liverpool Fulham 3 - 1 Liverpool Portsmouth 2 - 0 Liverpool | Everton 1 - 6 Arsenal |
| Score 3 or more | 5 | 2 |
| Concede 3 or more | 2 | 5 |
| Home matches | ||
| Played | 12 | 12 |
| Points | 26 | 20 |
| Drawn | 2 | 5 |
| Won | 8 | 5 |
| Lost | 2 | 2 |
| Goal difference | 19 | 3 |
| Goals scored | 30 | 18 |
| Goals conceded | 11 | 15 |
| Ave. goals scored | 2.5 | 1.5 |
| Ave. goals conceded | 0.9 | 1.3 |
| Away matches | ||
| Played | 12 | 11 |
| Points | 15 | 12 |
| Drawn | 3 | 3 |
| Won | 4 | 3 |
| Lost | 5 | 5 |
| Goal difference | -3 | -4 |
| Goals scored | 12 | 15 |
| Goals conceded | 15 | 19 |
| Ave. goals scored | 1.0 | 1.4 |
| Ave. goals conceded | 1.3 | 1.7 |
Sydney in crunch match against Glory
A minor premiership means the team will represent Australia in the Asian Champions League and so its pretty important to Sydney as it also to Gold Coast United and Melbourne Victory the other two teams who can win it.
However, if Perth Glory wins their last two matches and Sydney loses both theirs then the Glory side will secure third place on the ladder which will be handy going into the finals.
Glory are currently fourth on the ladder and to be guaranteed of that fourth place the Glory needs at least four points from their last two matches and so a draw may not a very bad result in this encounter for them.
Sydney has the second best home form having collected 27 points at home this season whilst Glory's away form is the second worst and in order for Glory to get a result that will have to be changed.
Both their previous two matches this season were played at ME Bank Stadium and the home team came out with four points. In those two matches Sydney failed to find the net.
So here is some of the stats for the two teams so far this season:
| Perth Glory | Sydney | |
|---|---|---|
| Rank | 4 | 3 |
| Played | 25 | 25 |
| Points | 36 | 42 |
| Drawn | 6 | 3 |
| Won | 10 | 13 |
| Lost | 9 | 9 |
| Goal difference | 5 | 9 |
| Clean sheets | 8 | 10 |
| Failed to score | 5 | 9 |
| Goals scored | 36 | 30 |
| Goals conceded | 31 | 21 |
| Ave. goals scored | 1.4 | 1.2 |
| Ave. goals conceded | 1.2 | 0.8 |
| Biggest win | Perth Glory 4 - 0 Newcastle Jets | Melbourne Victory 0 - 3 Sydney Sydney 4 - 1 NQ Fury |
| Biggest loss | Melbourne Victory 6 - 2 Perth Glory | Perth Glory 2 - 0 Sydney Sydney 1 - 3 Newcastle Jets |
| Score 3 or more | 4 | 5 |
| Concede 3 or more | 1 | 1 |
| Home matches | ||
| Played | 12 | 12 |
| Points | 25 | 27 |
| Drawn | 4 | 0 |
| Won | 7 | 9 |
| Lost | 1 | 3 |
| Goal difference | 13 | 9 |
| Goals scored | 21 | 18 |
| Goals conceded | 8 | 9 |
| Ave. goals scored | 1.8 | 1.5 |
| Ave. goals conceded | 0.7 | 0.8 |
| Away matches | ||
| Played | 13 | 13 |
| Points | 11 | 15 |
| Drawn | 2 | 3 |
| Won | 3 | 4 |
| Lost | 8 | 6 |
| Goal difference | -8 | 0 |
| Goals scored | 15 | 12 |
| Goals conceded | 23 | 12 |
| Ave. goals scored | 1.2 | 0.9 |
| Ave. goals conceded | 1.8 | 0.9 |
Round 25: Home teams take advantage
Most of the victories in this round were also very significant as they meant reaching the finals for the first time for Perth Glory, for example.
The Glory scored the highest number of goals when three first half goals were enough to dispatch once table toppers Central Coast Mariners.
Mariners are now in real danger of finishing bottom of the ladder after dropping to second from bottom place.
Wellington Phoenix also won against Adelaide to set themselves on course for the finals as well whilst Gold Coast United needed just one goal to claim second place on the ladder on goal difference behind Melbourne Victory.
The Phoenix needs at least two points to be sure of a maiden finals place.
Brisbane Roar kept themselves in finals contention with a crucial win over Sydney FC.
In the last match of the round the North Queensland Fury are also in the finals hunt after a win over Newcastle Jets.
Below are the second half scorelines for the A-League matches this season:
| Scoreline | Frequency |
|---|---|
| 0 - 0 | 34 |
| 0 - 1 | 18 |
| 0 - 2 | 6 |
| 0 - 3 | 3 |
| 1 - 0 | 19 |
| 1 - 1 | 18 |
| 1 - 2 | 3 |
| 1 - 3 | 2 |
| 2 - 0 | 9 |
| 2 - 1 | 6 |
| 2 - 2 | 1 |
| 3 - 0 | 3 |
| 4 - 0 | 2 |
| 5 - 0 | 1 |
Its interesting to see that in 34 of the matches, no goals were scored in the second half.
Algeria concedes the most
In just two matches against Malawi and Egypt, Algeria conceded seven goals but then conceded three goals in the other remaining five matches.
Burkina Faso played the least number of matches of all the teams following the withdrawal of Togo in Group B and hence conceded just one goal.
Here is a chart showing the number of goals conceded by each team:
Egypt tops goal scoring charts
In total the Pharaohs scored 15 goals and in second place was Mali who didn't even reach the knockout stages with seven.
The total number of goals scored in the tournament was 71.
Here is the chart showing the goal scored by each team:
It should be noted that the teams did not play the same number of matches with Burkina Faso just playing two.
Egypt wraps up third title in a row
Egypt becomes the first time to do and this started with their victory at home in 2006 and was followed by another win in Ghana in 2008.
They scored far many more goals than everybody else- 15 in total and conceded just two.
Interestingly Egypt beat four of the World Cup bound teams and the team they did not play was Ivory Coast.
Apart from Ghana they scored three or more goals against teams destined for South Africa.
Here are the different margins for the matches in the Angola tournament.:
| Goal Margin | Frequency |
|---|---|
| 0 | 8 |
| 1 | 11 |
| 2 | 7 |
| 3 | 2 |
| 4 | 1 |
Sevilla overcomes Valencia in crunch tie
Sevilla won 2-1 to be within three points of their rivals. This has been a big turnaround for a team that had lost three matches in a row in January.
Once again there were no changes at the top as both Barcelona and Real Madrid won. Barca had an uncharacteristic 1-nil win over Sporting Gijon whilst Real Madrid dispatched Real Zaragoza 3-1.
Bottom club Xerez had a surprise win over Malaga despite trailing 1-nil at half time.
This was Xerez's only second win of the season and the club now has 11 points, six adrift of Tenerife which is second from bottom position.
Xerez is only the fifth team to be trailing at half time to win the match at full time as the table below shows:
| Trend | Frequency | Percentage(%) |
|---|---|---|
| Home team leading at half time, home team winning at full time | 53 | 35.1 |
| Away team leading at half time, away team winning at full time | 35 | 23.2 |
| Home team trailing at half time, home team winning at full time | 5 | 3.3 |
| Away team trailing at half time, away team winning at full time | 1 | 0.7 |
| Draw at half time, home team winning at full time | 39 | 25.8 |
| Draw at half time, away team winning at full time | 18 | 11.9 |
| Matches ending in result | 151 | 75.5 |
Man Utd outclass Arsenal
Before this match Arsenal had lost just once in the league at home, a 3-nil to Chelsea but Man Utd were 2-nil by half time and scored a further goal before the Gunners got their consolation.
The result leaves the Gunners in third place but United are now just one point behind league leaders Chelsea who have a game in hand.
Chelsea won its match against Burnley 2-1 to remain top whilst the loss for Burnley means the team remains in the relegation zone.
In the battle for fourth place there were wins for Manchester City, Aston Villa and Liverpool whilst Tottenham drew.
The draw was costly to Spurs and even though they are still in fourth place, they are only one point ahead of Liverpool and Man City.
The round will finish with a match between Sunderland and Stoke.
Its been a while since I looked at the draws and so this week here is the draws table:
| Team | Played | Goals For | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| West Ham | 23 | 11 | 9 |
| Everton | 23 | 12 | 8 |
| Hull City | 23 | 9 | 8 |
| Manchester City | 22 | 13 | 8 |
| Aston Villa | 23 | 5 | 7 |
| Birmingham City | 23 | 5 | 7 |
| Blackburn | 24 | 3 | 7 |
| Stoke City | 21 | 7 | 7 |
| Bolton | 22 | 10 | 6 |
| Fulham | 23 | 7 | 6 |
| Tottenham | 24 | 6 | 6 |
| Wolverhampton Wanderers | 23 | 7 | 6 |
| Burnley | 23 | 7 | 5 |
| Liverpool | 24 | 5 | 5 |
| Sunderland | 22 | 8 | 5 |
| Arsenal | 24 | 5 | 4 |
| Wigan | 22 | 5 | 4 |
| Chelsea | 23 | 4 | 3 |
| Portsmouth | 22 | 2 | 3 |
| Manchester United | 24 | 3 | 2 |
