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The Weekend in Numbers: Will gameweek 13 be unlucky for some?

It's gameweek 13 in the Premier League, but there are certainly a few teams that will be hoping t...
Newstalk
Newstalk

14.28 20 Nov 2015


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The Weekend in Numbers: Will g...

The Weekend in Numbers: Will gameweek 13 be unlucky for some?

Newstalk
Newstalk

14.28 20 Nov 2015


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It's gameweek 13 in the Premier League, but there are certainly a few teams that will be hoping that it brings them more luck than they have had so far this season. 

With a new man in charge, Liverpool will hope to get a big win against Manchester City, while Chelsea face the team who sit just above them in the table. 

An even record

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The growing rivalry between these two sides over recent years has been fueled by the fact that they seem to be pretty evenly matched, at least according to the stats. 

Since 2010, the sides have met 12 times in all competitions, which has seen Manchester City win four times, Liverpool win four times, and produced four draws. 

The record only slightly favours Klopp as a manager, as he had the last laugh in the Champions League in his only previous meeting against Manuel Pellegrini right before the final whistle, as Dortmund claimed a controversial winner, which lead to some great scenes of celebration from manager and players alike.

This time around, there's no doubt as to who the better team has been however, as City sit top of the table having scored twice as many goals as Liverpool. 

Although Daniel Sturridge may feature, the problem for Liverpool is at the back, where Lovren is set to start, despite looking very shaky so far this season. He didn't feature in Klopp's first few games in charge and is clearly second choice behind the injured Sakho, and with the possibility of Aguero returning, along with the vision of their previously beloved Raheem Sterling speeding through the defence, there's a serious cause for concern at the back, not least because Lovren has played at least 45 minutes in all three of Liverpool's defeats this season. 

Is Mourinho's luck about to turn around?

At the start of the season, no one would have believed you if you'd said that by the time Norwich and Chelsea meet this weekend, the Canaries would be ahead in the league table, but that's exactly the situation here as Alex Neil's side can boast a one point advantage over Mourinho's men. 

Strangely enough, both sides have the same (poor) goal difference: Norwich have scored 16 and allowed 23, as have Chelsea. That's not the only similarity either, as both sides have only won three times this season and both can only boast one win in the last five, but for the first time since the middle of October, Chelsea didn't lose a game last weekend...mainly because they weren't playing. 

Cheap gags aside, Chelsea have a midweek game in the Champions League, followed by a trip to White Hart Lane, so things won't get any easier as the weeks go on. This isn't a six-pointer just yet, but if it doesn't happen for Jose this weekend, it's hard to see where the next result will come from. 

Lukaku or Vardy?

It's a question many fantasy football owners might be asking themselves today, as both strikers have been in great form of late. Jamie Vardy could come up against a porous Newcastle defence that has already conceded 22 goals and only got a win against Bournemouth before the break by pure fluke, and the heroics of Rob Elliot. 

Vardy is looking for 10 in 10, which would equal Ruud Van Nistelrooy's amazing scoring record (although the Dutchman actually got his haul across two seasons) but with an injury putting his chances of playing at a slight risk, he might be overtaken as the form striker by Romelu Lukaku this weekend.  

With five in the last six, the Belgian is clearly hitting his stride, and despite Aston Villa being a bit more solid at the back under Rémi Garde (they got only their second clean sheet of the season against City in his first game), Lukaku has proven in the past that he loves playing against Villa and has scored every time he's played them in the top flight. 

He's also closing on an amazing feat: scoring 50 Premier League goals before the age of 23, which has only been done by Robbie Fowler, Michael Owen, Wayne Rooney and Cristiano Ronaldo before him. Not bad going...

United could find goals hard to come by

Manchester United are suffering from a number of injuries as they come into this game against Watford this weekend, and having struggled for goals before the break scoring only three in five, they won't find life any easier as they deal with the loss of Wayne Rooney and Anthony Martial, while James Wilson won't be fit enough to start. 

Watford, on the other hand, have proven to be very well disciplined and have already got five clean sheets to their name so far this season. Van Gaal's side have the best defence in the league however, and if they can neutralise Ighalo, who has scored seven of his side's 11 goals, then they should be able to see this one out.

Either way, don't expect a goalfest. 

West Ham's historic start

Despite some very poor performances at home, West Ham are in the middle of their best ever start to a season in the Premier League, and Slaven Bilic will be looking to keep up his magic touch away from home (they've only lost one in six this season) as they visit White Hart Lane. 

Image: Andrew Matthews / PA Wire/Press Association Images

For Spurs, it's another London derby (they faced Arsenal just before the break) as they welcome the Hammers, but they have looked a different team under Mauricio Pochettino. Along with Leicester, they are the only team who haven't lost more than one game this season, and they are looking dangerous in front of goal, having scored nine in their last three. 

However, West Ham have only conceded four goals away from home, and will certainly set up to frustrate Spurs this weekend, so this could be a tight affair.


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