Fact Check: Best stats from this weekend's (4-5 Feb) European Footballing Action

Another thrilling weekend of European Football came to a close, throwing plenty of surprises and interesting stats our way. The big-five European leagues were in action this weekend, and the race for top-four places and relegation battles is gradually taking shape as we enter the second half of the season.

In England, both Arsenal and Manchester City were handed defeats away from home. Chelsea and Liverpool, who look destined to finish outside the Champions League places, both dropped points as well. Only Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur from the ‘big-six’ won their matches, which could prove pivotal come May.

In Spain, Real Madrid’s inconsistent form post the World Cup saw them fall eight points behind Barcelona. Barca thrashed relegation-battling Sevilla, while Atletico Madrid, Villareal, and Real Betis all dropped points in their race for the Champions League spots.

In Italy, Napoli continued their march towards the Serie A title by thrashing Spezia. Meanwhile, Inter piled more misery on their local rivals AC Milan. Roma kept themselves in the hunt for a top-four finish with a win over Empoli. Lazio currently occupy the fourth position, level on points with fifth-placed Atalanta.

In Germany, Bayern finally returned to winning ways after three draws, winning 4-2 against Wolfsburg. Union Berlin and Borussia Dortmund won their respective encounters to keep the pressure on Bayern. RB Leipzig could only manage a draw while Eintracht Frankfurt beat Hertha Berlin.

In France, Lionel Messi’s world-class goal saw PSG extend their lead at the top of Ligue 1 to eight points. Both Marseille and Lens dropped points in their pursuit of an elusive Ligue 1 crown, which is PSG’s to lose, yet again.

Here's a look at the best stats from this weekend’s football action:

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Best Stats from this Weekend’s Footballing action (League wise)

Premier League

• Under Pep Guardiola, Manchester City have lost six games against Tottenham Hotspur, more than they have against any other side in the English top flight. They are yet to score at Spurs' new stadium.
• Harry Kane scored his 267th goal for Spurs in all competitions against City. In the process, he overtook Jimmy Greaves (266) to become the highest goalscorer in the history of the club.
• Eight of the 10 shots that Crystal Palace took against Manchester United came after Casemiro’s red card. Stats that clearly show the impact of Casemiro in United's turnaround this season.
• Graham Potter has won only 20 points in his first 15 games with Chelsea. Only Glenn Hoddle (13) and Gianluca Vialli (19) have accrued fewer points than Potter for Chelsea in their first 20 games.
• The defeat against Everton was Arsenal’s second this season. The Gunners have lost only to Manchester United and Everton in the league.

LaLiga

• Barcelona’s lead over Real Madrid currently stands at eight points. The last time the Blaugrana had a lead this large at the top of the table, they went on to win the title (2018-19). Even stats are now backing the Blaugrana in the title race.
• Vinicius Jr. was fouled ten times against Mallorca- the most of any player in a single La Liga game this season.
• Real Madrid’s game against Mallorca saw 43 fouls committed- the most of any La Liga game this season.
• Atletico Madrid’s unbeaten streak against Getafe is now up to 21 games, second only to the club’s unbeaten run against Malaga between 1954 and 1979 (23 games).
• Sevilla are winless in their last 19 away games against Barcelona. Their last win at Camp Nou came in 2002.

Serie A

• Napoli have kept 25 clean sheets since the arrival of Luciano Spalletti in the 2021-22 season. No other Serie A team has a better defensive record than Napoli in that period.
• In the three-points-per-game era, only Juventus (2013-14 & 2005-06) and Inter (2006-07) have won at least 18 of their first 21 games in Serie A.
• AS Roma have won three Serie A games without conceding a goal for the first time since May 2019.
• Lautaro Martinez has scored 70 goals for Inter, becoming their 12th player to do so and only their third foreign player to reach that stat after Mauro Icardi and Nyers.
• AC Milan lost their fourth consecutive game in all competitions, their worst streak since February 2017 under Vincenzo Montella.

Bundesliga

• Joshua Kimmich’s red card against Wolfsburg was his first in professional football, coming after 220 games in the German top flight.
• Bayern are unbeaten in their last 16 top flight appearance against Wolfsburg since January 2015 (W14, D2).
• Randal Kolo Muani has contributed to 19 goals during this Bundesliga season, only behind Haaland (28), Neymar (22) and Messi (20) in Europe’s top five leagues.
• After recording a top speed of 36.65 km/h (22.77mph), Karim Adeyemi now holds the record for the fastest sprint ever in Bundesliga. Astonishing stats indeed.

Ligue 1

• PSG won their seventh straight top-flight games against Toulouse, outscoring them 18-3 during that time.
• PSG have not lost their last 33 home league games (28W, 5D), the best current run in Europe’s top five leagues.
• Only six teams have scored 35 or more goals in Ligue 1 till now. On the other hand, Messi, Neymar and Mbappe have scored 35 goals in Ligue 1 this season! These are terrifying stats for any side wanting to claim Ligue 1 this season.

Stats Courtesy of ESPN & WhoScored