English Premier League 2008/09 Season Review

Sky Sports has published these stats from another memorable season of the English Premier League. Opta stats report for the 2008/09 season,

942 - The final goal tally was the second lowest in Premier League history.

14 - Manchester United set a new Premier League record of 14 consecutive clean sheets between November 2008 and February 2009.

167 - There have been 167 headed goals scored this season.

22 - Liverpool have recouped the most points from losing positions this season.

23 - Sunderland dropped the most points from winning positions this season.

31 - There were just 31 goals scored at White Hart lane - fewer than at any other stadium.

59 - The Hawthorns saw more goals than any other this season.

117 - Kevin Davies conceded the most fouls this season. He has topped this ranking in five of the last six Premier League seasons.

5 - Danny Murphy has scored five Premier League goals this season - all penalties.

37 - Cristiano Ronaldo has scored 37 goals in his last 33 Premier League games at Old Trafford.

100 - Kanu made his 100th appearance as a substitute in the Premier League when he came off the bench away at Blackburn on 9th May, becoming the first player to reach this landmark.

100 - Nicolas Anelka, Frank Lampard and Emile Heskey all netted their 100th Premier League goals this season to make it 16 players to reach this landmark.

11 - Chelsea set a new Premier league record of 11 consecutive away wins between April and December 2008.

248 - Chelsea fired in the most shots on target this season.

566 - Hull committed the most fouls in the Premier League.

73 & 5 - Stoke City picked up the most cards - 73 yellow and five red.

24 - Manchester United kept the most clean sheets.

50 - Man Utd had the best home record picking up 50 points.

44 - Chelsea had the best away record winning 44 points.

57 - Frank Lampard had more shots on target than any other player.

10 - Frank Lampard and Robin van Persie were joint-top of the assists ranking.

167 - Lee Cattermole made 167 tackles during the season - a league high.

14 - Marouane Fellaini picked up the most yellow cards in the top flight.

7 - Seven Premier League players were sent off twice in this season's Premier League.

80% - Mark Schwarzer of Fulham was the league's best shot-stopper saving 80% of shots on target faced.

149 - Jussi Jaaskelainen made more saves than any other goalkeeper.

6-0 - Man City's win over Portsmouth at home was the season's biggest winning margin.

7 - Peter Crouch scored more headed goals than any other player.

18% - Headed goals accounted for 18% of all strikes this season.

1 - Middlesbrough scored fewer headed goals than any other team.

7 - Bolton conceded more headed goals than any other side.

20 - Hull took 20 points from their opening nine games but just 15 from their last 29 matches.

10 - Hull scored the most goals from corners in the Premier League.

9 - Newcastle gave away a league high nine penalties in 2008-09.

34 - Manchester City have used more players than any other team in the Premier League this season.

21 - Aston Villa have called upon the least amount of players in the PL this season.

7 - Blackburn won a joint-high seven penalties along with Man City.

3 - Blackburn missed three penalties - more than any other team.

10 - Bolton scored 10 goals from free-kicks - the most in the Premier League.

51% - Hull scored the highest percentage of their goals from set plays.

20% - Spurs scored the lowest percentage of goals from set pieces.

12 - Hull conceded 12 goals from corners - a league high.

38% - Everton conceded the highest proportion of goals from set plays in the top division.

9 - Spurs, Man Utd and Liverpool all had nine goals netted by subs - a joint-league high.

61 - Aston Villa used the fewest substitutes.

109 - Hull, Stoke and Liverpool made the most substitutions.

6 - Cristiano Ronaldo scored six goals from outside the box - more than any other player.

26 - Premier League champions, Manchester United, have used the most number of players as substitutes.

4 - Bolton have had more players featuring in every game of the season than any other PL outfit.

3 - Liverpool have the most players who have accrued 10 or more goals this season.

5 - Newcastle used the most penalty takers in this season's PL.

5 - Sunderland only had five players who netted more than once this season.

7 - Liverpool had more opponents sent off than any other side in the top flight.

29 - The opposition hit the woodwork more often against relegation survivors Hull City than any other team.

345 - English players scored 345 goals in 2008-09, accounting for just 37% of goals.

15% - Aston Villa were the league's most clinical teams scoring with 15% of their shots.

81% - Chelsea were the most accurate passers in the league this term.

337 - Stoke took the most long throw ins this season.

267 - Rory Delap took 189 more long throws than any other player this season.

9 - Stoke scored the most goals from throw in situations this season.

8 - Eight different Liverpool players scored with shots from outside the box this season.

13 - Spurs picked up the most points in London derbies this season.

8 - West Ham picked up the fewest in capital clashes.

30 - Liverpool garnered 30 points against their north west rivals.

1 - Bolton won just one match against another team from the north west this season.

8 - Sunderland took the most points in north east derbies this season.

77 - Liverpool were the league's top scorers with 77 goals.

83 - Shaun Wright-Phillips made more successful dribbles than anyone else in the PL this term.

4 - Anton Ferdinand and Hermann Hreidarsson both received four yellow cards for dissent, more than any other players in the year the FA's 'Respect' campaign was launched.

10 - Stoke have collected only 10 of their 45 points on the road this season.

5 - Aston Villa have benefited from five own goals this season - more than any other team in the division.

6 - Jamie Carragher and Richard Dunne now hold the Premier League record for own goals with six apiece.

6 - Middlesbrough scored six own goals - more than any other team.

24 - Gareth Bale has played 24 league games for Spurs and never been on the winning side.

2 - Liverpool became the first team in top-flight history to lose only two games and not win the title.

63 - Spurs have not won away at any of the big four since August 1993 - a run of 63 games.

86 - Liverpool's tally of 86 points is the highest of any team not winning the league in a 38-game Premier League season.

10 - It is 10 seasons (1998-99) since the Premier League top scorer ended the campaign with fewer than 20 goals.

82 - Stewart Downing had more shots (including blocked attempts) than any other player who did not score.

110 - Liverpool allowed their opponents fewer shots on target than any other team.

141 - Hull were flagged offside more than any other team this season.

61 - Djibril Cisse was caught offside more than any other player.

6 - Six players scored hat-tricks this season.

4 - Andrey Arshavin was the first player to score four goals in a Premier League and not end on the winning side.

13 - Mike Dean awarded more penalties than any other referee.

8 - Mike Dean sent off more players than any other official.

63 - There were 63 red cards shown this season.

13.5 - Mark Halsey was the league's most lenient official, showing a card on average for every 13.5 fouls.

5.8 - Rob Styles was the strictest referee dishing out a card for every 5.8 fouls committed.

More statistics on individual performers are available here also at the Sky Sports website.

You can also find all the great goals here at Soccer Mania.

For me, this has been a season defined specifically by ten incidents.
1. Liverpool coming up short in the title challenge

Lessons learnt eh Rafa?

Valiant effort but Liverpool have missed El Nino

2. United becoming champions due to two goals from a teenager

Stunning strike from Kiko Macheda against Villa

Image from PA Sport: Flukey winner from Kiko Macheda against Sunderland

3. Arshavin scoring four at Anfield

Arshavin telling Liverpool fans that Manchester United will win the title by 4 points

4. The Zola-Clarke combination transforming West Ham United

The right team to propel West Ham United into Europe next season

5. Robinho signing for the wrong Blues and Stephen Ireland playing like "Kaka" since the signing

Wait a minute - you mean Man City is NOT Chelsea??

Getty Images: Ireland-Robinho partnership, how odd is that?

6. Newcastle having three managers in a season, Keegan's walkout, Kinnear's four letter expletive and Shearer's managerial deficiencies

Keegan walked out...Kinnear took over but pressure was too great

The fans thought he could save them...

He couldn't because he opted to hire Iain Dowie

In the end, Shearer was in tears as Newcastle was relegated

7. Steven Gerrard's camera kiss after scoring the penalty against United at OT

You could tell he has done it before!

8. Frank Lampard's stellar season which was overlooked by all

Getty Images
12 goals, 10 assists, 5 match winning goals - a complete midfielder

Associated Press Image
Last game of the season - Lampard made space to score the matchwinning goal with a left footed drive

9. Barcelona crushing Manchester United in the UCL final

Getty Images
The greatest team of the decade? 154 goals this season and the unique treble

and finally,
10. Chelsea winning the FA Cup for Guus Hiddink

Getty Images

Goodbye Guus - Thank you for putting Chelsea back on track

Can't wait for next season to start...