3 eye-catching stats: Hull win again with league-leading defender
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Burnley’s smash-and-grab win over Liverpool and Hull’s second win in succession with a threadbare squad were among the main talking points from the Premier League’s second week.
It should come as little surprise then that both matches feature in our round up of the three most eye-catching statistics from the weekend’s action:
Costly Liverpool errors
Liverpool slumped to a 2-0 defeat against Burnley despite having 80 per cent of the possession and owning four of the top five passers in matchweek two.
However, Burnley’s second-minute opener came after Nathaniel Clyne gifted the ball to the Clarets 25 yards from goal, an error that resulted in a fine Sam Vokes finish.
Sloppy mistakes have been a common theme in Jurgen Klopp’s tenure at Anfield, something highlighted by Opta:
9 – Since Klopp took over, only Villa (12) and West Ham (10) have had more errors leading to goals than Liverpool (9). Pressed.
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) August 20, 2016
Hull’s Davies leading the way
We’ve already highlighted how the Tigers have made a better start to the season than most promoted teams managed in the past. Doing so with just 13 first-team squad members makes their feat all the more impressive.
Central to Hull’s second straight Premier League win was defender Curtis Davies, who made more interceptions than any other player in the second round of games with nine.
The centre-half now has a total of 16 for the season, six more than any other player in the division.
Guzan’s win tally
Brad Guzan made a topsy-turvy debut for Middlesbrough in place of the injured Victor Valdes.
Although the American made four saves, one of them particularly impressive from Patrick van Aanholt, he later put the full-back’s equaliser on a plate having spilled Duncan Watmore’s shot in front of the Dutchman.
It was a happy ending for the former Aston Villa man in the end though, as he matched the win tally he managed in 28 miserable outings for the relegated Midlanders last term in his first Boro appearance.
All Odds and Markets are correct as of the date of publishing.
