Five key stats from Week 19 in the Premier League

Results At A Glance Joe Cole got the weekend’s football action off to a bang, scoring inside the opening four minutes of West Ham United’s 3-3 draw with West Bromwich Albion at Upton Park. Nicolas Anelka’s brace in the final five minutes of the first half, allowed the Frenchman to become only the ninth player to score for six different Premier League clubs. Manchester United were forced to batten down the hatches versus a feisty Norwich City side, completing a total of 90 defensive actions throughout the match – 17 interceptions, four blocked shots and 69 clearances – as the Canaries knocked at the door in search of a goal. Man United stood strong however, picking up a 1-0 victory in the hunt for the prized Champions League positions. Crystal Palace resisted a whirlwind of Manchester City pressure at the Etihad, as the hosts poured forward in search of a goal. Manuel Pellegrini’s men could only breach Palace’s seemingly impenetrable human wall on one occasion, securing an unexceptional win courtesy of Edin Džeko. George Boyd and Matty Fryatt both scored their first Premier League goals during Hull City’s 6-0 demolition of Fulham at The KC Stadium. Fellow team-mate Tom Huddlestone was another of the players to get his name on the score sheet, ending the self-imposed charity haircut ban that’s lasted since 2011. Aston Villa and Swansea City’s 1-1 draw gave both teams a share of the spoils, while a single point was also awarded to Cardiff City and Sunderland. The Bluebirds had looked on course to win the match 2-0, but Steven Fletcher and Jack Colback had other ideas, scoring two late goals to level the match in the final 12 minutes. Sunday’s action began with Arsenal’s trip to the North East to take on Newcastle United. Olivier Giroud’s eighth goal of the campaign claimed a crucial 1-0 victory for the Gunners, allowing them to travel the lengthy trip back to London in the knowledge that first place in the Premier League was theirs once more. Southampton’s 2-1 loss to Everton at Goodison Park saw Adam Lallana achieve the lowest Performance Score (-46) of any outfield player to play the full 90 minutes. And finally, Tottenham Hotspur thrashed a lacklustre Stoke City 3-0, while Chelsea defeated fellow rivals Liverpool 2-1, aided by 78% pass completion and 51% possession.

Five key stats from Week 19 in the Premier League

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