Premier League: The Best Stats of the 2018/19 Season

Manchester City are champions. Liverpool aren't. Tottenham Hotspur are one of the two best teams in Europe (yeah, no one is sure how that's happened). Ole is at the wheel, but can't drive. Cardiff City have been relegated. Fulham are surprisingly awful. Huddersfield Town might be the worst team in Premier League history. 

It's been a pretty interesting season of Premier League football. 

We've had thrills (Vincent Kompany's wonder goal against Leicester City), spills (Jordan Pickford's blunder against Liverpool), and the top two teams combining for a total of 195 points (the most by the top two clubs in the league's history). 

So yeah, pretty interesting. 

And with such an interesting season, comes a myriad of interesting stats, courtesy of the lovely people at ​Opta


Bournemouth's Dream Duo

​Bournemouth duo Ryan Fraser and Callum Wilson combined for 12 Premier League goals – only Alan Shearer and Chris Sutton (13 for Blackburn Rovers in 1994-95) have ever combined for more in a single campaign.

Callum Wilson,Ryan Fraser

Name a more iconic duo than Ryan Fraser and Callum Wilson, we'll wait...

"Alan Shearer and Teddy Sheringham."


"Thierry Henry and Dennis Bergkamp."


"Dwight Yorke and Andy Cole."


"John Lennon and Paul McCartney."


"Tom Cruise and the Scully Box he stood on in Valkerie to make him look taller."


Pogba's Mixed Season

​Paul Pogba reached double figures for league goals in a season for the first time in his top-flight career. He also registered more goal involvements (22) than he has in any previous campaign in the top five European leagues.

Paul Pogba

If we're going to go on stats alone, Paul Pogba had the best season of his career. If we go on literally everything else, Paul Pogba had the worst season of his career. 


King Salomon

Salomón Rondón has been involved in 44% of ​Newcastle United’s Premier League goals this season (11 goals, seven assists), the highest percentage by a Magpies player since Alan Shearer in 2003-04 (50%).

Salomon Rondon

Top five most unexpected things that happened during the 2018/19 Premier League season: 

1) Salomón Rondón was great.

2) Salomón Rondón was great.

3) Salomón Rondón was great.

4) Salomón Rondón was great.

5) Salomón Rondón was great.


Party Like it's 1999

Against Spurs in May, Bournemouth keeper Mark Travers became the first teenager goalkeeper to start a Premier League game since Joe Hart for Man City vs Sheffield United in October 2006.

Mark Travers

Mark Travers was born in 1999. 

1999. 

Therefore, Mark Travers is too young to remember Hey Arnold!, too young to remember Skechers, too young to remember the Gameboy Colour, too young to remember Limp Bizkit (which is probably a good thing). 

Mark Travers is annoyingly young.


Joy of Six

​Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang became the sixth Arsenal player to score 20+ goals in a Premier League season. No side has seen more different players achieve this (Liverpool and Man Utd also six).

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang

Aubameyang may have scored 20+ goals this season, but all we remember is THAT penalty miss at Wembley Stadium against Tottenham Hotspur. 


Mind the Gap

Arsenal have now failed to finish in the top four of the top-flight in three consecutive seasons, their longest such run since a run of four campaigns between 1982-83 and 1985-86.

AND 

​Tottenham have finished in the top four of the Premier League for the fourth consecutive season – their best run of finishes in the top-flight since a run of five consecutive top four finishes between 1959-60 and 1963-64.

Lucas Torreira

What's worse: the fact that Arsenal haven't finished in the top four in three seasons, or the fact that finishing in the top four in five consecutive seasons is Tottenham's best run of finishes since The Beatles formed? 

Who knows! 


Generous Defending

Between January and April, ​Fulham conceded at least twice in 13 consecutive Premier League games, a record for a team within a single top-flight campaign.

Alfie Mawson

When Fulham spent over £100m on new players in the summer, it seemed like a good thing. It seemed like they had ambitions of not just staying up, but finishing in the top half of the Premier League. Right? 

No. 

Because a fifth of that money was spent on Alfie Mawson, who may be the worst footballer in human history. He's one of the very few footballers that your granny is actually better than. 


Roy the Boy

​Crystal Palace manager Roy Hodgson became the oldest ever manager to take charge of a Premier League game. He was aged 71y 276d against Bournemouth on the final day (his most recent game).

Roy Hodgson

You're 71 until you're 72 Roy. 


At the Wheel

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer became the first Manchester United manager in history to win their first six league games in charge of the club.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer

It all started so well for Ole. 

He got into the car, put on his seat belt, started the engine, checked his mirrors, got into reverse, let go of the hand brake, and pulled out of a parking spot expertly. 

Then, as he drove down the main road a wild raccoon jumped out in front of the car, forcing Ole to spin off the road and into a MASSIVE ditch. 


Not So Long Wait

Southampton’s Shane Long scored the fastest goal in Premier League history, netting after just 7.69 seconds against Watford in April.

Shane Long

Shane Long scores goals...sometimes. 


Three Boots

The Premier League had three joint-highest scorers (Aubameyang, Mane, Salah) for the first time since the 1998/99 campaign (Yorke, Owen, Hasselbaink).

Mohamed Salah,Sadio Mane

This stat reminds me of one key thing: how good Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink was. 

What. A. Player. 


Sheep in Wolves Clothing

In their game against ​Brighton in April, ​Wolves became the first team since 2003/04 to not commit a single foul in a Premier League match.

FBL-ENG-FACUP-WATFORD-WOLVES

If this season has taught us anything, it's that Wolves are just really nice guys. Great bunch of lads. Salt of the earth.


All Change

Manchester United made the most starting XI changes with a whopping 131 this season; 15 more than any other club. 

Luke Chadwick of Manchester United and Fabian Wilnis of Ipswich Town

This season, Man Utd were seemingly always about two weeks away from bringing Luke Chadwick out of retirement and starting him out the left.

​For more on United, ​here's a full stats roundup on their season from hell.



Source : 90min