26 January MW21 Part 2
SYMMETRY
The five matches over the weekend yielded 18 goals with Saturday’s games involving five goals each, Sunday’s four each and Monday’s none. Arsenal’s 5-0 thrashing of Palace match not as evenly distributed as Brentford’s 3-2 victory over Forest. Substitute Gabriel Martinelli’s late brace came in added time with the first Arsenal’s 200th by a sub in the Premier League. Only Manchester United and Chelsea have reached that landmark previously.
Sunday’s games featured the latest goal in Premier League history, courtesy of Oli McBurnie’s 103rd minute penalty in Sheffield United’s dramatic 2-2 draw with West Ham. Incredibly McBurnie’s record may not have lasted more than a minute as West Ham were convinced they should have had a penalty when Jarrod Bowen seemed to be hauled down in the penalty area. Five of the ten latest Premier League goals have been scored this season, underlining the view that all the additional time being awarded is leading to more goals.
GOALLESS SEAGULLS
After Brighton had not kept a clean sheet for 23 matches before their 0-0 with West Ham in MW20, they made it two in a row against Wolves in their second successive goalless draw. Their previous goalless draw was back in October 2022, some 45 matches ago.This pair of goalless games follow on swiftly from their record run of 20 consecutive matches in which both teams scored.
After only three goalless draws in the first 160 matches of the season there have now been four in the last 48 games but the overall total of seven, still points towards the fewest 0-0s in a season which stands at 21.
The Football Mine 