Saturday analysis: Solid Gunners, lethal Toffees and Pulis's Palace
How FourFourTwo saw Saturday's games through the analytical prism of Stats Zone...
Every weekend, FourFourTwo follows the Premier League action live with Stats Zone, our constantly updating analytical tool fed by Opta and now available on your browser as well as via an iOS app.
Watching, analysing, tweeting and screensharing, we keep you up to date with the action around the grounds, taking you inside the games with an expert eye. Won't you join us?
Here's some of the things that caught our attention today.
Aston Villa 0-0 Sunderland
Not a game to echo down the ages. Villa had more shots, but each side was wasteful.
The pass total reflect the home side's slight superiority of possession (51.9%).
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Sunderland's brightest sparks were jinky Giaccherini and clearance king Wes Brown.
Aston Villa 0-0 Sunderland: Report • Analysis
Cardiff 0-3 Arsenal
In the first half, Mesut Ozil completed more attacking-third passes than Cardiff. So did Santi Cazorla.
The home side picked up a lot in the second half, though.
However, kudos to Arsenal's dogged defence - as well as those sleek boys further forward.
Cardiff 0-3 Arsenal: Report • Analysis
Everton 4-0 Stoke
The shot count will tickle Toffees fans but petrify Potters supporters.
Stoke attempted more than 400 passes and completed more than 300. They didn't hide - but nor did they create.
Goalscoring loanees Gerard Deulofeu and Romelu Lukaku caught the eye for the home side.
Everton 4-0 Stoke: Report • Analysis
Norwich 1-0 Crystal Palace
A late Palace flurry meant they ended up with more shots, but most of them were blocked.
Palace were very Pulis, with low possession (40.5%) and plenty of tackles, but Norwich played more long balls.
Marouane Chamakh might not strike you as a very Pulis player but he certainly put himself about a bit - no player had more ball recoveries, suffered more fouls or attempted more aerial duels, while only Leroy Fer attempted more tackles. What he needs, though, is a goal - which is just about all Gary Hooper did in the area for Norwich, but Chris Hughton won't mind.
Norwich 1-0 Crystal Palace: Report • Analysis
West Ham 3-0 Fulham
Oh dear, Martin Jol. The supposedly blunt strikeforce of the Hammers managed 12 shots on target, the Cottagers not a single one.
Fulham actually had more possession and passes, but rarely where it worried West Ham.
The 63 aerial duels just about all over the pitch speak volumes for the kind of game it was - again, not that Sam Allardyce will give a hoot.
West Ham 3-0 Fulham: Report • Analysis
Newcastle 2-1 West Brom
The two stripey sides rained in 14 shots apiece, but whereas half of the home side's were accurate, the Baggies only hit the target once - for Chris Brunt's goal. That's right, the White Hart Lane hero Tim Krul didn't make a single save...
Steve Clarke's half-time team-talk obviously worked, because after the break the Baggies were twice as effective in Newcastle's third.
Nobody made more tackles or interceptions than Yohan Cabaye, who was also Newcastle's second busiest passer.
Gary Parkinson is a freelance writer, editor, trainer, muso, singer, actor and coach. He spent 14 years at FourFourTwo as the Global Digital Editor and continues to regularly contribute to the magazine and website, including major features on Euro 96, Subbuteo, Robert Maxwell and the inside story of Liverpool's 1990 title win. He is also a Bolton Wanderers fan.