Premier League top ten: Michael Carrick follows same steps as Solskjaer

2. Spurs’ historic low

Ange Postecoglou and Thomas Frank have each overseen 25 of Tottenham’s past 50 league games — and that period has produced the club’s lowest 50-game points haul since 1913-15, counting three points for a win throughout. Frank has contributed 29 points and Postecoglou 18 to that meagre tally of 47. Sitting only six points above the bottom three, they are the closest to the relegation zone that any “big six” club has languished after 25 games of a campaign since Spurs themselves in 2008-09. Tottenham’s World Cup-winning defender criticised the club’s hierarchy last week but then earned a red card on Saturday that brought accusations of stupidity. Anagram of Cristian Romero: “star ire; moronic”.

3. Late Anfield agony

On New Year’s Eve 1960 Liverpool led Middlesbrough 3-2 at Anfield. But, in the 78th minute, Brian Clough collected a stray back-pass to make it 3-3 and 11 minutes later hit the winner for Middlesbrough from a corner. Then in Gérard Houllier’s first game in sole charge of Liverpool in November 1998 they led 1-0 until Leeds United equalised in the 79th minute and added two more goals. Until this weekend those were the latest cases since the Second World War of Liverpool leading a home league game before going on to lose – but Manchester City won at Anfield despite trailing until the 84th minute. City’s Erling Haaland and Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah have not scored in open play in the league since Christmas and Bonfire Night respectively.

4. Milner mixes it up

Recent tributes to James Milner reveal he has many friends in football — and he’s certainly had ample opportunity to meet people. He is 196 short of Peter Shilton’s record of 848 top-flight appearances (and one behind Gareth Barry’s Premier League landmark), but since the Football League’s formation in 1888 he has had 34 more team-mates than any other player.

Some 242 players have joined Milner in top-flight starting line-ups. Next, on 208, are Lee Chapman (debut 1979) and Richard Dunne (1997), followed by Teddy Sheringham on 205 (1988) and Carlton Palmer on 202 (1985). Milner’s many managers include Sir Bobby Robson at Newcastle United: the latter thus took charge of one player who made his league debut in 1952 (Johnny Haynes, who later played for Robson’s Fulham) and another who is still appearing regularly (Milner).

5. Bookends for months on end

Arsenal, six points clear, and Wolverhampton Wanderers, seven adrift, can make this only the second season in top-flight history when the first and last positions in the table have been unchanged from the seventh game until the end of the campaign.

The only other such duo were Manchester United (champions) and Swindon Town in 1993-94. The most famous song recorded by the Wolves vice-president Robert Plant lasts as many minutes as league points won by Wolves this season: Stairway to Heaven is eight minutes long.

6. Palmer follows Greaves

Cole Palmer is the first player to have scored three first-half hat-tricks in the top flight since 1966. Records of goal times are less comprehensive before then, but another Chelsea player, Jimmy Greaves, did hit three first-half trebles in a 12-month spell from December 1959. Chelsea’s hat-tricks away to Wolves since 2019 have comprised Palmer’s treble, the only top-division hat-trick since 1888 where the scorer also hit an own goal (Tammy Abraham) and one that helped turn a 2-1 deficit into a 6-2 win (Noni Madueke).

7. A match out on its own

The match at Craven Cottage featured own goals by Fulham’s Bernd Leno and a player whose surname contains the letters of “Leno” in order: Everton’s Vitalii Mykolenko. This was the first top-flight fixture since Leeds United met Liverpool in August 1999 where both teams took the lead through an own goal.

8. Fantastic Fletchers

Tyler Fletcher’s debut for Manchester United (following in the footsteps of his brother Jack and father Darren) created the first case since 1888 of twins and their father all having played in the top flight. And which commentator described Tyler’s appearance against Spurs? Another Darren Fletcher.

9. Split personality

Burnley, who have averaged 97 points in their past four Championship seasons, continue to act like a second-tier side. They have won five of their past seven top-flight games against newly promoted clubs but are the first team in league history with only three wins in a run of 60 top-flight games when those against newly promoted opponents are excluded.

10. Hot Summerville

West Ham United’s Crysencio Summerville became the first player for 25 years to score in four consecutive top-flight games having not scored in the previous 27.

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