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Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers admits he has been impressed by the impact Mario Balotelli has made in training with the Reds this week.
The 24-year-old Italy international is in contention to make his debut for Liverpool in Sunday's Barclays Premier League game at Tottenham following his move from AC Milan.
Rodgers said: "Mario is fine. He has settled in very well and has looked fantastic in training.
"He is a good lad. The focus is very much on his football and he has done very well.
"He is moving to Merseyside. He is engrossing himself into the club and the people, but more importantly into his football. I look forward to seeing that development over the coming years."
Rodgers was, however, keen to stress that no individual is a bigger star than the team at Anfield.
He added: "This is not the Mario Balotelli show. He is a good player, a talented player. But he has got a lot of work to do here.
“We have a number of top-class players and the star of this team will always be the team."
Watch Tottenham face Liverpool at White Hart Lane live on Sky Sports HD1 from 12.30 on Sunday.
Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers admits he has been impressed by the impact Mario Balotelli has made in training with the Reds this week.
The 24-year-old Italy international is in contention to make his debut for Liverpool in Sunday's Barclays Premier League game at Tottenham following his move from AC Milan.
Rodgers said: "Mario is fine. He has settled in very well and has looked fantastic in training.
"He is a good lad. The focus is very much on his football and he has done very well.
"He is moving to Merseyside. He is engrossing himself into the club and the people, but more importantly into his football. I look forward to seeing that development over the coming years."
Rodgers was, however, keen to stress that no individual is a bigger star than the team at Anfield.
He added: "This is not the Mario Balotelli show. He is a good player, a talented player. But he has got a lot of work to do here.
“We have a number of top-class players and the star of this team will always be the team."
Watch Tottenham face Liverpool at White Hart Lane live on Sky Sports HD1 from 12.30 on Sunday.
Liverpool have loaned forward Jordon Ibe to Sky Bet Championship side Derby County for the 2014-15 season.
Ibe, 18, had a spell on loan in the division with Birmingham last season but spent the opening couple of weeks on the bench at Anfield.
He joined Liverpool in 2011 from Wycombe, where he had made his first-team debut at the tender age of 15.
Ibe made his first-team debut on the final day of the 2012-13 season against QPR and made two further appearances last season before heading on loan to St Andrews.
Derby boss Steve McClaren said: “We’re delighted that Liverpool have again chosen to loan us one of their promising young players.
“Jordon Ibe is someone who we’ve been aware of for quite a while and have been impressed whenever we’ve seen him in action.
“He has a lot of potential and we believe that we can help his career development. He is a direct player with plenty of ability and he will certainly strengthen the attacking options we are able to call upon.”
Liverpool have loaned forward Jordon Ibe to Sky Bet Championship side Derby County for the 2014-15 season.
Ibe, 18, had a spell on loan in the division with Birmingham last season but spent the opening couple of weeks on the bench at Anfield.
He joined Liverpool in 2011 from Wycombe, where he had made his first-team debut at the tender age of 15.
Ibe made his first-team debut on the final day of the 2012-13 season against QPR and made two further appearances last season before heading on loan to St Andrews.
Derby boss Steve McClaren said: “We’re delighted that Liverpool have again chosen to loan us one of their promising young players.
“Jordon Ibe is someone who we’ve been aware of for quite a while and have been impressed whenever we’ve seen him in action.
“He has a lot of potential and we believe that we can help his career development. He is a direct player with plenty of ability and he will certainly strengthen the attacking options we are able to call upon.”
Jon Flanagan has revealed that he is in contract talks with Liverpool and is ready to commit his future to the club.
The 21-year-old full-back – a product of the Anfield academy system – has entered the final 12 months of his current deal.
He is, however, considered to be an important part of Brendan Rodgers’ plans, with his versatility marking him out as a useful asset.
Flanagan, who made his senior international debut for England in a pre-World Cup friendly against Ecuador in June, is delighted to have been offered the opportunity to extend his stay on Merseyside and says he will have no hesitation in putting pen to paper once everything is agreed.
He told the Liverpool Echo: “There have been some talks and I should be signing a new contract soon.
“It would be reward for all the hard work I’ve put in. It would be great for me and great for my family as well.
“All I’ve ever wanted is to play for Liverpool and I want to stay here for as long as I possibly can.”
Flanagan is currently being forced to watch on from the sidelines, though, with a knee problem keeping him out of contention.
In his absence, Liverpool have moved to bolster their defensive options, with Javier Manquillo and Alberto Moreno joining the ranks, but Flanagan acknowledges that competition for places is to be expected at a club competing on Premier League and UEFA Champions League stages.
He added: “A massive club like Liverpool are always going to sign top players.
“Moreno and Manquillo play in my position but that will just make me work harder. Having good players around you pushes you on.
“Hopefully I’ll get back in the team. Things went well for me last season and I want to build on that.”
Jon Flanagan has revealed that he is in contract talks with Liverpool and is ready to commit his future to the club.
The 21-year-old full-back – a product of the Anfield academy system – has entered the final 12 months of his current deal.
He is, however, considered to be an important part of Brendan Rodgers’ plans, with his versatility marking him out as a useful asset.
Flanagan, who made his senior international debut for England in a pre-World Cup friendly against Ecuador in June, is delighted to have been offered the opportunity to extend his stay on Merseyside and says he will have no hesitation in putting pen to paper once everything is agreed.
He told the Liverpool Echo: “There have been some talks and I should be signing a new contract soon.
“It would be reward for all the hard work I’ve put in. It would be great for me and great for my family as well.
“All I’ve ever wanted is to play for Liverpool and I want to stay here for as long as I possibly can.”
Flanagan is currently being forced to watch on from the sidelines, though, with a knee problem keeping him out of contention.
In his absence, Liverpool have moved to bolster their defensive options, with Javier Manquillo and Alberto Moreno joining the ranks, but Flanagan acknowledges that competition for places is to be expected at a club competing on Premier League and UEFA Champions League stages.
He added: “A massive club like Liverpool are always going to sign top players.
“Moreno and Manquillo play in my position but that will just make me work harder. Having good players around you pushes you on.
“Hopefully I’ll get back in the team. Things went well for me last season and I want to build on that.”
Mark Holmes challenges Buster Shuffle keyboard player and Liverpool fan Peter Oags in round three of the TEAMtalk Prediction League.
This season, our man Mark will take on someone from the world of music or celebrity to predict the outcome of the 10 Premier League games every weekend.
Every correct result will be worth one point, while every correct scoreline is worth three points. We will keep a tally throughout the season to see how Mark fares against all of our guests.
Mark: Of all the games United have played so far, this is arguably the hardest. Burnley will make it so tough for teams at Turf Moor this season and will be well fired up for this one, but surely United won't go into the international break without a win? 1-2
Peter: Man United are in real trouble so I fancy Burnley to grab a draw. 1-1
Mark: Like United, I've predicted Stoke for two wins so far this season, and they've got none. Unlike United, I don't hold out much hope of them getting that first victory this weekend. Manchester City look stronger than ever. 2-0
Peter: Man City have got even better this season so this should be a walkover. 4-0
Mark: Newcastle are yet to even score a goal in the Premier League this season, but I think they'll do well once their summer signings have settled in. Palace on the other hand look certain to struggle under Neil Warnock. 1-0
Peter: I fancy a bore draw as neither team are looking that inspiring so far. 0-0
Mark: QPR have endured a pretty disastrous start to the season, whereas Sunderland will be pretty happy with theirs. They should have enough in the locker to keep the momentum going into the international break. 1-1
Peter: QPR can't keep playing badly under Harry. They'll get their first three points here, I reckon. 1-0
Mark: West Brom haven't started the season too badly, but I still expect them to be in the relegation mix. Swansea on the other hand are in great form and should be too strong for the Baggies. 2-0
Peter: I fancy Swansea to maintain 100 percent start with home advantage the key factor. 1-0
Mark: West Ham were unlucky to lose to Tottenham on the opening day and then tore Crystal Palace to shreds in a game I watched last weekend. Southampton have looked okay but home advantage should be enough for the Irons. 2-0
Peter: West Ham looked good against Palace but Ronald Koeman knows what he's doing and I fancy Saints to grab a point. 2-2
Mark: Chelsea have cruised through their first two games, but Everton have got a great record against them at Goodison Park. They should have enough to claim a third successive draw. 1-1
Peter: Both teams will be very difficult to break down. Chances will be few and far between. 1-1
Mark: Villa fans were focusing on the two clean sheets at the start of the week but now they're worrying about only one goal scored in three games after the Capital One Cup defeat to Leyton Orient. Hull also look strong in defence but weak in attack so don't expect a thriller. 0-0
Peter: Both of these teams are severely lacking firepower. Defences will rule. 0-0
Mark: Liverpool won 5-0 at White Hart Lane last season but Spurs' performances so far have only strengthened my belief they will seriously challenge for the top four. They'll go into the international break as table-toppers. 2-1
Peter: Spurs look great under their new manager but Liverpool can bounce back with the Mario Balotelli factor possibly the difference. 1-2
Mark: It's no secret that I'm a big Olivier Giroud fan so I do worry for Arsenal without him over these next couple of months. However, they should still have enough attacking talent to take three points from this game. 1-3
Peter: This was always a classic back in the day. Leicester will be buoyed by the history of the fixture. 2-2
Buster Shuffle: Keyboard player Peter Oags this week's guest predictor
How did you come to support your club and what are your favourite memories from your time as a fan?
I cam from a rugby-loving family and grew up in the 80s, plus I was born in Liverpool. Cockney Scouser all the way.
Who have been your biggest heroes during your time supporting the club?
IOne hero. Robbie Fowler. He was nicknamed God for a reason.
What do you make of the current team? What are your hopes for the season?
We've got loads of new players so it could be a transitional season, but we can definitely make the top four again and who knows what'll happen in the Champions League. Maybe we'll win it... the squad's better than in 2005 that's for sure.
Everyone has a soft spot for another team. Who's yours and why?
Probably the Gooners cos they play great football.
What's going on for you at the moment?
Our new album, 'Naked', is out on September 15. We're really proud of it, and people are going to love it. We've also got an extensive European tour including places we've never played before like Finland and Sweden, so that's going to be a lot of fun...
Check out single 'Naked' on Shoot Matchday
Attempt to predict the scores of this weekend's games yourself in the comments section below - and be sure to tell Mark next Friday if you better his score.
Bookmark with del.icio.us 
Post to Facebook 
Post to Bebo 
Re-tweet on Twitter 
Save to iGoogle 
Save to My Yahoo! 
Submit to reddit 
Share on StumpleUpon 
Print Article 
Email Article 
A Sky Sports Digital Media property
Accessibility Privacy and Cookies Notice Terms & Conditions Contact Us Links
| TEAMtalk Prediction League 2014-15 | ||||
| Contestant | Points | |||
| Franko Fraize | 10 | |||
| Van McCann | 5 | |||
Mark Holmes | 5 (average) | |||
Mark Holmes challenges Buster Shuffle keyboard player and Liverpool fan Peter Oags in round three of the TEAMtalk Prediction League.
This season, our man Mark will take on someone from the world of music or celebrity to predict the outcome of the 10 Premier League games every weekend.
Every correct result will be worth one point, while every correct scoreline is worth three points. We will keep a tally throughout the season to see how Mark fares against all of our guests.
Mark: Of all the games United have played so far, this is arguably the hardest. Burnley will make it so tough for teams at Turf Moor this season and will be well fired up for this one, but surely United won't go into the international break without a win? 1-2
Peter: Man United are in real trouble so I fancy Burnley to grab a draw. 1-1
Mark: Like United, I've predicted Stoke for two wins so far this season, and they've got none. Unlike United, I don't hold out much hope of them getting that first victory this weekend. Manchester City look stronger than ever. 2-0
Peter: Man City have got even better this season so this should be a walkover. 4-0
Mark: Newcastle are yet to even score a goal in the Premier League this season, but I think they'll do well once their summer signings have settled in. Palace on the other hand look certain to struggle under Neil Warnock. 1-0
Peter: I fancy a bore draw as neither team are looking that inspiring so far. 0-0
Mark: QPR have endured a pretty disastrous start to the season, whereas Sunderland will be pretty happy with theirs. They should have enough in the locker to keep the momentum going into the international break. 1-1
Peter: QPR can't keep playing badly under Harry. They'll get their first three points here, I reckon. 1-0
Mark: West Brom haven't started the season too badly, but I still expect them to be in the relegation mix. Swansea on the other hand are in great form and should be too strong for the Baggies. 2-0
Peter: I fancy Swansea to maintain 100 percent start with home advantage the key factor. 1-0
Mark: West Ham were unlucky to lose to Tottenham on the opening day and then tore Crystal Palace to shreds in a game I watched last weekend. Southampton have looked okay but home advantage should be enough for the Irons. 2-0
Peter: West Ham looked good against Palace but Ronald Koeman knows what he's doing and I fancy Saints to grab a point. 2-2
Mark: Chelsea have cruised through their first two games, but Everton have got a great record against them at Goodison Park. They should have enough to claim a third successive draw. 1-1
Peter: Both teams will be very difficult to break down. Chances will be few and far between. 1-1
Mark: Villa fans were focusing on the two clean sheets at the start of the week but now they're worrying about only one goal scored in three games after the Capital One Cup defeat to Leyton Orient. Hull also look strong in defence but weak in attack so don't expect a thriller. 0-0
Peter: Both of these teams are severely lacking firepower. Defences will rule. 0-0
Mark: Liverpool won 5-0 at White Hart Lane last season but Spurs' performances so far have only strengthened my belief they will seriously challenge for the top four. They'll go into the international break as table-toppers. 2-1
Peter: Spurs look great under their new manager but Liverpool can bounce back with the Mario Balotelli factor possibly the difference. 1-2
Mark: It's no secret that I'm a big Olivier Giroud fan so I do worry for Arsenal without him over these next couple of months. However, they should still have enough attacking talent to take three points from this game. 1-3
Peter: This was always a classic back in the day. Leicester will be buoyed by the history of the fixture. 2-2
Buster Shuffle: Keyboard player Peter Oags this week's guest predictor
How did you come to support your club and what are your favourite memories from your time as a fan?
I cam from a rugby-loving family and grew up in the 80s, plus I was born in Liverpool. Cockney Scouser all the way.
Who have been your biggest heroes during your time supporting the club?
IOne hero. Robbie Fowler. He was nicknamed God for a reason.
What do you make of the current team? What are your hopes for the season?
We've got loads of new players so it could be a transitional season, but we can definitely make the top four again and who knows what'll happen in the Champions League. Maybe we'll win it... the squad's better than in 2005 that's for sure.
Everyone has a soft spot for another team. Who's yours and why?
Probably the Gooners cos they play great football.
What's going on for you at the moment?
Our new album, 'Naked', is out on September 15. We're really proud of it, and people are going to love it. We've also got an extensive European tour including places we've never played before like Finland and Sweden, so that's going to be a lot of fun...
Check out single 'Naked' on Shoot Matchday
Attempt to predict the scores of this weekend's games yourself in the comments section below - and be sure to tell Mark next Friday if you better his score.
Bookmark with del.icio.us Post to Facebook Post to Bebo Re-tweet on Twitter Save to iGoogle Save to My Yahoo! Submit to reddit Share on StumpleUpon Print Article Email Article
A Sky Sports Digital Media property
Accessibility Privacy and Cookies Notice Terms & Conditions Contact Us Links
| TEAMtalk Prediction League 2014-15 | ||||
| Contestant | Points | |||
| Franko Fraize | 10 | |||
| Van McCann | 5 | |||
Mark Holmes | 5 (average) | |||
Manchester United's crossing problems and Everton's strong home record against Chelsea feature in our look at the stats ahead of the weekend.
Tottenham, Chelsea, Manchester City and Swansea City will all hope to maintain their 100% records in the Premier League this weekend, while Manchester United, Everton, Southampton and Stoke City are among the teams hoping to record a first win.
We take a look at the key Opta statistics ahead of the latest round of games.
Burnley v Manchester United
Burnley's only previous Premier League home game against Manchester United saw them win 1-0 thanks to a goal from Robbie Blake.
Manchester United have won five of their last six encounters with Burnley, keeping a clean sheet in each victory.
Manchester United have won only two of their last six Premier League games in August (D2 L2).
United have the lowest cross completion rate in the Premier League so far this season (5% - excl. corners).
Angel Di Maria has assisted 11 goals in his last 11 league appearances.
Robin van Persie has failed to hit any sort of shot in each of his last two Premier League appearances - the first time that this has happened in his United career.
Burnley have played Manchester City, Liverpool, Tottenham, Chelsea and now Manchester United in their last five Premier League games at Turf Moor.
Burnley have kept only three clean sheets in 40 Premier League games, but one of them came at home to Manchester United in August 2009.
The Clarets are one of two teams (along with Barnsley) never to draw a Premier League game 0-0.
Of the seven ever-present teams in the Premier League, Manchester United have played in the lowest proportion of 0-0 draws (5.5%).
Manchester City v Stoke City
Manchester City have conceded just five goals in 12 Premier League encounters with the Potters.
Stoke have won just one of their 12 Premier League games against Manchester City, and none of the last 10.
Manchester City have scored at least once in 69 of their last 70 Premier League home games.
Sergio Aguero has played only 29 minutes this season but is the league's joint-top scorer with two goals.
Manchester City have scored at least two goals in each of their last 10 Premier League games.
The Premier League record for scoring 2+ goals in consecutive games is held by Manchester City (14 games in 2011).
Stoke have conceded exactly one goal in each of their last six Premier League games (W2 D2 L2)
Stoke have played 12 Premier League games in Manchester (City & United combined) and lost all 12.
Stoke have not kept a clean sheet in a Premier League away game since last December (at Hull City).
Stevan Jovetic has scored three goals in his last three Premier League appearances, this after scoring two in his previous 12.
Newcastle v Crystal Palace
Newcastle have won each of their last four league games against Crystal Palace, keeping a clean sheet in each match.
The Eagles have conceded in second-half stoppage time on each of their last two trips to St James Park.
Newcastle scored a goal in the closing five minutes in both games against Palace last season.
Newcastle United are one of only two teams yet to score this season, along with QPR.
Palace enforcer Mile Jedinak made more tackles (133) than any other player last season and already leads the way in 2014-15 with 15.
The Magpies have failed to score in seven of their last 10 Premier League games.
Crystal Palace have won just two points from their last five Premier League games (D2 L3), this after winning 15 out of 15 in their previous five.
Newcastle have scored only 14 Premier League goals in 2014, fewer than any other ever-present side.
Since the start of last season, no team has picked up more red cards in the Premier League than the Magpies (7 - level with Sunderland).
Crystal Palace have conceded two or more goals in each of their last five Premier League matches.
Queens Park Rangers v Sunderland
Loic Remy scored his first Premier League goal at Loftus Road in this fixture two seasons ago.
Wes Brown scored the winning goal (in the 89th minute) the last time Sunderland won a league game at QPR (December 2011).
QPR have yet to score a league goal this season and have scored just once in their last eight Premier League games overall.
Harry Redknapp has won just two of his 14 Premier League home games as Rangers boss (D5 L7).
QPR have scored 37 goals in 39 Premier League home games since August 2011.
Loic Remy has made a league-high 18 touches in the opposition box this season, one more than Swansea have in total.
Harry Redknapp won four of 22 Premier League games in his ill-fated spell at Southampton; so far he has won four of 27 in the top flight with QPR.
The players to feature for QPR this season have a combined 2307 Premier League appearances; only Everton (2896) and Manchester United (2334) have more.
Loic Remy has scored QPR's last three Premier League goals, but the most recent one came in May 2013.
After scoring five goals in three Premier League games, Connor Wickham has now gone five Premier League appearances without one.
Swansea City v West Bromwich Albion
Swansea have won four of their six previous Premier League clashes with the Baggies (L2).
Both Premier League fixtures between Swansea and West Brom last season were won by the team playing away from home.
Wilfried Bony has hit more shots on target (4) than any other Premier League player this season.
Bony has scored 12 Premier League goals this year; only Daniel Sturridge (13) has scored more.
Swansea have made fewer touches in the opposition box than any other team (17) this season yet have taken maximum points from their two games.
WBA drew more games (15) than any other Premier League side in 2013-14 and have started the current season with two more.
West Brom remain the only team to score a penalty in the Premier League this season.
Swansea have scored three goals this season, and Gylfi Sigurdsson has been involved in all three (one goal, two assists).
Nathan Dyer became only the third player to make 100 Premier League appearances for Swansea last weekend, and only Michu (24) has been involved in more goals than he has for the Swans in the PL (23 - 15 goals, 8 assists).
West Brom have failed to score in their last three Premier League away games (L2 D1).
West Ham United v Southampton
West Ham have lost only two of their last 11 Premier League games against Southampton and are unbeaten in the last five.
Saints have scored exactly one goal in five of their last six Premier League games against West Ham.
None of West Ham's last 17 Premier League games have ended level (W8 L9)
The Hammers have conceded only eight goals in their last nine Premier League home games.
Saints have taken only four points from their last five Premier League away games (W1 D1 L3).
Shane Long has scored only two goals in his last 14 Premier League appearances.
Last weekend, Carlton Cole scored in his 12th separate Premier League campaign.
Southampton have claimed 30 points in 2014, just one fewer than Manchester United.
West Ham have drawn only one of their 21 Premier League games in 2014 so far.
Southampton have used only 14 players this season; only Swansea have used as few.
Everton v Chelsea
Everton have won four of their last five Premier League home games against Chelsea.
Since the 2009-10 season, Chelsea have lost four times to Everton; only Manchester City (5) have beaten them more often in that period.
If games had ended at half-time this season Everton would be top, Chelsea fifth.
If games just encompassed the second half then Everton would be bottom with zero points.
Chelsea have conceded just nine goals in 2014, fewer than any other ever-present PL side.
Everton new boy Samuel Eto'o scored nine Premier League goals for Chelsea in 2013-14 but all of them came at Stamford Bridge.
Chelsea have not lost their third game of the season since succumbing 2-0 to Middlesbrough in 1995.
Diego Costa has had two shots on target this season and scored with both.
Cesc Fabregas has assisted at least one goal in his last four Premier League appearances (five assists overall), a personal record for the Spaniard.
Eden Hazard has embarked on more dribbles than any other Premier League player this season (22 - eight more than any other player).
Aston Villa v Hull
Andreas Weimann scored two goals in four minutes in this fixture last season.
Hull have failed to score in eight of their last nine games against Aston Villa.
Seven different Villa players have been booked this season in the Premier League, more than at any other club.
Villa have mustered just one shot on target this season, fewer than any other Premier League side.
Villa have never kept clean sheets in their opening three Premier League games of the season before.
The last time the Villans shut the opposition out in their opening three top-flight games was 1900-01.
Hull have made more defensive clearances (95) than any other Premier League team this season.
If Hull score it will be the first time they've scored in five successive Premier League away games since September 2009.
Steve Bruce's Premier League win percentage at Hull is 28%, the same as it was at Birmingham and Sunderland (it was 32% at Wigan).
Steve Bruce has presided over 99 draws as a Premier League manager.
Tottenham v Liverpool
Liverpool's 5-0 win at White Hart Lane in December last season ended a run of five consecutive Premier League home wins for Spurs against the Reds.
Liverpool won six points against Tottenham in the Premier League last season with an aggregate score of 9-0.
Liverpool's defeat at Manchester City last Monday was their first away from home in the Premier League in 2014 (W7 D2 L1).
Tottenham have won five of their last six Premier League games (L1).
Eric Dier is the first defender in Premier League history to score in his first two appearances.
Etienne Capoue has made more passes (196) than any other Premier League player this season.
Liverpool have scored 60 Premier League goals in 2014, seven more than any other side.
After assisting only one goal in his first 10 PL appearances for Tottenham, Erik Lamela assisted two goals in the space of seven first-half minutes against QPR last weekend.
Daniel Sturridge has only scored in two of his last eight Premier League games.
Liverpool have not lost back to back games in the Premier League since December 2013.
Leicester City v Arsenal
Leicester won their first Premier League home game against Arsenal (2-1 in November 1994), but none of the subsequent seven games saw them claim three points.
The last time Arsenal played Leicester was the 38th and final game of the unbeaten 2003-04 Premier League campaign.
Leicester's players to have featured so far have a combined total of 550 Premier League appearances, fewer than any other team this season.
Arsenal's Alexis Sanchez has conceded more fouls (7) without getting booked than any other Premier League player this season.
Arsenal have only won three of their last nine Premier League away games (D2 L4).
Injured hitman Olivier Giroud has been involved in 25 goals since the start of last season, level with Manchester City's Sergio Aguero.
Mesut Ozil has assisted only one goal in his last nine Premier League games.
David Nugent has not scored a Premier League goal since playing for Burnley in 2009-10. His last effort came in March 2010.
Leicester have scored at least once in each of their last 16 league games at home.
Arsenal have scored at least two goals in their last three Premier League away games.
Manchester United's crossing problems and Everton's strong home record against Chelsea feature in our look at the stats ahead of the weekend.
Tottenham, Chelsea, Manchester City and Swansea City will all hope to maintain their 100% records in the Premier League this weekend, while Manchester United, Everton, Southampton and Stoke City are among the teams hoping to record a first win.
We take a look at the key Opta statistics ahead of the latest round of games.
Burnley v Manchester United
Burnley's only previous Premier League home game against Manchester United saw them win 1-0 thanks to a goal from Robbie Blake.
Manchester United have won five of their last six encounters with Burnley, keeping a clean sheet in each victory.
Manchester United have won only two of their last six Premier League games in August (D2 L2).
United have the lowest cross completion rate in the Premier League so far this season (5% - excl. corners).
Angel Di Maria has assisted 11 goals in his last 11 league appearances.
Robin van Persie has failed to hit any sort of shot in each of his last two Premier League appearances - the first time that this has happened in his United career.
Burnley have played Manchester City, Liverpool, Tottenham, Chelsea and now Manchester United in their last five Premier League games at Turf Moor.
Burnley have kept only three clean sheets in 40 Premier League games, but one of them came at home to Manchester United in August 2009.
The Clarets are one of two teams (along with Barnsley) never to draw a Premier League game 0-0.
Of the seven ever-present teams in the Premier League, Manchester United have played in the lowest proportion of 0-0 draws (5.5%).
Manchester City v Stoke City
Manchester City have conceded just five goals in 12 Premier League encounters with the Potters.
Stoke have won just one of their 12 Premier League games against Manchester City, and none of the last 10.
Manchester City have scored at least once in 69 of their last 70 Premier League home games.
Sergio Aguero has played only 29 minutes this season but is the league's joint-top scorer with two goals.
Manchester City have scored at least two goals in each of their last 10 Premier League games.
The Premier League record for scoring 2+ goals in consecutive games is held by Manchester City (14 games in 2011).
Stoke have conceded exactly one goal in each of their last six Premier League games (W2 D2 L2)
Stoke have played 12 Premier League games in Manchester (City & United combined) and lost all 12.
Stoke have not kept a clean sheet in a Premier League away game since last December (at Hull City).
Stevan Jovetic has scored three goals in his last three Premier League appearances, this after scoring two in his previous 12.
Newcastle v Crystal Palace
Newcastle have won each of their last four league games against Crystal Palace, keeping a clean sheet in each match.
The Eagles have conceded in second-half stoppage time on each of their last two trips to St James Park.
Newcastle scored a goal in the closing five minutes in both games against Palace last season.
Newcastle United are one of only two teams yet to score this season, along with QPR.
Palace enforcer Mile Jedinak made more tackles (133) than any other player last season and already leads the way in 2014-15 with 15.
The Magpies have failed to score in seven of their last 10 Premier League games.
Crystal Palace have won just two points from their last five Premier League games (D2 L3), this after winning 15 out of 15 in their previous five.
Newcastle have scored only 14 Premier League goals in 2014, fewer than any other ever-present side.
Since the start of last season, no team has picked up more red cards in the Premier League than the Magpies (7 - level with Sunderland).
Crystal Palace have conceded two or more goals in each of their last five Premier League matches.
Queens Park Rangers v Sunderland
Loic Remy scored his first Premier League goal at Loftus Road in this fixture two seasons ago.
Wes Brown scored the winning goal (in the 89th minute) the last time Sunderland won a league game at QPR (December 2011).
QPR have yet to score a league goal this season and have scored just once in their last eight Premier League games overall.
Harry Redknapp has won just two of his 14 Premier League home games as Rangers boss (D5 L7).
QPR have scored 37 goals in 39 Premier League home games since August 2011.
Loic Remy has made a league-high 18 touches in the opposition box this season, one more than Swansea have in total.
Harry Redknapp won four of 22 Premier League games in his ill-fated spell at Southampton; so far he has won four of 27 in the top flight with QPR.
The players to feature for QPR this season have a combined 2307 Premier League appearances; only Everton (2896) and Manchester United (2334) have more.
Loic Remy has scored QPR's last three Premier League goals, but the most recent one came in May 2013.
After scoring five goals in three Premier League games, Connor Wickham has now gone five Premier League appearances without one.
Swansea City v West Bromwich Albion
Swansea have won four of their six previous Premier League clashes with the Baggies (L2).
Both Premier League fixtures between Swansea and West Brom last season were won by the team playing away from home.
Wilfried Bony has hit more shots on target (4) than any other Premier League player this season.
Bony has scored 12 Premier League goals this year; only Daniel Sturridge (13) has scored more.
Swansea have made fewer touches in the opposition box than any other team (17) this season yet have taken maximum points from their two games.
WBA drew more games (15) than any other Premier League side in 2013-14 and have started the current season with two more.
West Brom remain the only team to score a penalty in the Premier League this season.
Swansea have scored three goals this season, and Gylfi Sigurdsson has been involved in all three (one goal, two assists).
Nathan Dyer became only the third player to make 100 Premier League appearances for Swansea last weekend, and only Michu (24) has been involved in more goals than he has for the Swans in the PL (23 - 15 goals, 8 assists).
West Brom have failed to score in their last three Premier League away games (L2 D1).
West Ham United v Southampton
West Ham have lost only two of their last 11 Premier League games against Southampton and are unbeaten in the last five.
Saints have scored exactly one goal in five of their last six Premier League games against West Ham.
None of West Ham's last 17 Premier League games have ended level (W8 L9)
The Hammers have conceded only eight goals in their last nine Premier League home games.
Saints have taken only four points from their last five Premier League away games (W1 D1 L3).
Shane Long has scored only two goals in his last 14 Premier League appearances.
Last weekend, Carlton Cole scored in his 12th separate Premier League campaign.
Southampton have claimed 30 points in 2014, just one fewer than Manchester United.
West Ham have drawn only one of their 21 Premier League games in 2014 so far.
Southampton have used only 14 players this season; only Swansea have used as few.
Everton v Chelsea
Everton have won four of their last five Premier League home games against Chelsea.
Since the 2009-10 season, Chelsea have lost four times to Everton; only Manchester City (5) have beaten them more often in that period.
If games had ended at half-time this season Everton would be top, Chelsea fifth.
If games just encompassed the second half then Everton would be bottom with zero points.
Chelsea have conceded just nine goals in 2014, fewer than any other ever-present PL side.
Everton new boy Samuel Eto'o scored nine Premier League goals for Chelsea in 2013-14 but all of them came at Stamford Bridge.
Chelsea have not lost their third game of the season since succumbing 2-0 to Middlesbrough in 1995.
Diego Costa has had two shots on target this season and scored with both.
Cesc Fabregas has assisted at least one goal in his last four Premier League appearances (five assists overall), a personal record for the Spaniard.
Eden Hazard has embarked on more dribbles than any other Premier League player this season (22 - eight more than any other player).
Aston Villa v Hull
Andreas Weimann scored two goals in four minutes in this fixture last season.
Hull have failed to score in eight of their last nine games against Aston Villa.
Seven different Villa players have been booked this season in the Premier League, more than at any other club.
Villa have mustered just one shot on target this season, fewer than any other Premier League side.
Villa have never kept clean sheets in their opening three Premier League games of the season before.
The last time the Villans shut the opposition out in their opening three top-flight games was 1900-01.
Hull have made more defensive clearances (95) than any other Premier League team this season.
If Hull score it will be the first time they've scored in five successive Premier League away games since September 2009.
Steve Bruce's Premier League win percentage at Hull is 28%, the same as it was at Birmingham and Sunderland (it was 32% at Wigan).
Steve Bruce has presided over 99 draws as a Premier League manager.
Tottenham v Liverpool
Liverpool's 5-0 win at White Hart Lane in December last season ended a run of five consecutive Premier League home wins for Spurs against the Reds.
Liverpool won six points against Tottenham in the Premier League last season with an aggregate score of 9-0.
Liverpool's defeat at Manchester City last Monday was their first away from home in the Premier League in 2014 (W7 D2 L1).
Tottenham have won five of their last six Premier League games (L1).
Eric Dier is the first defender in Premier League history to score in his first two appearances.
Etienne Capoue has made more passes (196) than any other Premier League player this season.
Liverpool have scored 60 Premier League goals in 2014, seven more than any other side.
After assisting only one goal in his first 10 PL appearances for Tottenham, Erik Lamela assisted two goals in the space of seven first-half minutes against QPR last weekend.
Daniel Sturridge has only scored in two of his last eight Premier League games.
Liverpool have not lost back to back games in the Premier League since December 2013.
Leicester City v Arsenal
Leicester won their first Premier League home game against Arsenal (2-1 in November 1994), but none of the subsequent seven games saw them claim three points.
The last time Arsenal played Leicester was the 38th and final game of the unbeaten 2003-04 Premier League campaign.
Leicester's players to have featured so far have a combined total of 550 Premier League appearances, fewer than any other team this season.
Arsenal's Alexis Sanchez has conceded more fouls (7) without getting booked than any other Premier League player this season.
Arsenal have only won three of their last nine Premier League away games (D2 L4).
Injured hitman Olivier Giroud has been involved in 25 goals since the start of last season, level with Manchester City's Sergio Aguero.
Mesut Ozil has assisted only one goal in his last nine Premier League games.
David Nugent has not scored a Premier League goal since playing for Burnley in 2009-10. His last effort came in March 2010.
Leicester have scored at least once in each of their last 16 league games at home.
Arsenal have scored at least two goals in their last three Premier League away games.
With the end of the summer transfer window edging ever closer, Henry Jackson rounds up the latest news affecting Liverpool over the last couple of days.
JON FLANAGAN
Liverpool’s Jon Flanagan celebrates scoring the third goal against Tottenham Hotspur during the Premiership match at White Hart Lane. (Pic by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)
The Echo reported on Thursday evening that Flanagan is close to agreeing a new long-term deal at Anfield.
The 21-year-old enjoyed a terrific season last year, becoming a regular at full-back as the Reds finished second, and he has confirmed that a new contract is in place.
“There have been some talks and I should be signing a new contract soon,” he said.
“It would be reward for all the hard work I’ve put in. It would be great for me and great for my family as well. All I’ve ever wanted is to play for Liverpool and I want to stay here for as long as I possibly can.”
Flanagan has missed the start of the season because of a knee injury picked up in pre-season, but when he returns in the next few weeks he will be an integral part of Brendan Rodgers‘ plans.
ALEX SONG
According to the Mirror , Barcelona midfielder Song is keen on a move to Liverpool, and the club may be interested in bringing him in.
With Lucas Leiva likely to join Napoli on loan before the end of the transfer window, Rodgers will need to strengthen in defensive midfield by Monday. The 26-year Cameroon international would be a shrewd acquisition, and would strengthen an area of the pitch the Reds sometimes look a little light in.
Song has made 65 appearances in two seasons for Barcelona, but has invariably been kept out of the side by the likes of Sergio Busquets and Xavi.
EDER BALANTA
Liverpool have been given the go-ahead to sign River Plate centre-back Balanta, according to Metro .
The 21-year-old has been on the radar of the club for a while now, and while they were initially unconvinced by the £8m price tag slapped on the Colombian, River Plate’s president Rodolfo D’Onofrio has confirmed the club have now lowered the asking price.
“We value him now at £4.3million,” he said.
“The most important thing is that we can get the money now. We don’t want a loan or pay a small amount now. This is not possible for us.”
Rodgers’ reported interest in Balanta once again raises doubts over the future of Daniel Agger, who has been rumoured to be on his way out of Anfield all summer.
JACK ROBINSON
Having been strongly linked earlier in the week, Robinson has officially joined QPR on a permanent deal, bringing an end to his time at Liverpool.
The 20-year-old has joined the west London club for an undisclosed fee, and has been immediately loaned out to Championship side Huddersfield. Rs manager Harry Redknapp clearly sees him as a long-term option rather than a current one, saying:
“He’ll continue his development at Huddersfield, where I’m sure he’ll do well.”
Robinson made six first-team appearances for the Reds, including two in the Europa League in 2012/13.
Have your say on the current transfer situation in the comments section below.
With the end of the summer transfer window edging ever closer, Henry Jackson rounds up the latest news affecting Liverpool over the last couple of days.
JON FLANAGAN
Liverpool’s Jon Flanagan celebrates scoring the third goal against Tottenham Hotspur during the Premiership match at White Hart Lane. (Pic by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)
The Echo reported on Thursday evening that Flanagan is close to agreeing a new long-term deal at Anfield.
The 21-year-old enjoyed a terrific season last year, becoming a regular at full-back as the Reds finished second, and he has confirmed that a new contract is in place.
“There have been some talks and I should be signing a new contract soon,” he said.
“It would be reward for all the hard work I’ve put in. It would be great for me and great for my family as well. All I’ve ever wanted is to play for Liverpool and I want to stay here for as long as I possibly can.”
Flanagan has missed the start of the season because of a knee injury picked up in pre-season, but when he returns in the next few weeks he will be an integral part of Brendan Rodgers‘ plans.
ALEX SONG
According to the Mirror , Barcelona midfielder Song is keen on a move to Liverpool, and the club may be interested in bringing him in.
With Lucas Leiva likely to join Napoli on loan before the end of the transfer window, Rodgers will need to strengthen in defensive midfield by Monday. The 26-year Cameroon international would be a shrewd acquisition, and would strengthen an area of the pitch the Reds sometimes look a little light in.
Song has made 65 appearances in two seasons for Barcelona, but has invariably been kept out of the side by the likes of Sergio Busquets and Xavi.
EDER BALANTA
Liverpool have been given the go-ahead to sign River Plate centre-back Balanta, according to Metro .
The 21-year-old has been on the radar of the club for a while now, and while they were initially unconvinced by the £8m price tag slapped on the Colombian, River Plate’s president Rodolfo D’Onofrio has confirmed the club have now lowered the asking price.
“We value him now at £4.3million,” he said.
“The most important thing is that we can get the money now. We don’t want a loan or pay a small amount now. This is not possible for us.”
Rodgers’ reported interest in Balanta once again raises doubts over the future of Daniel Agger, who has been rumoured to be on his way out of Anfield all summer.
JACK ROBINSON
Having been strongly linked earlier in the week, Robinson has officially joined QPR on a permanent deal, bringing an end to his time at Liverpool.
The 20-year-old has joined the west London club for an undisclosed fee, and has been immediately loaned out to Championship side Huddersfield. Rs manager Harry Redknapp clearly sees him as a long-term option rather than a current one, saying:
“He’ll continue his development at Huddersfield, where I’m sure he’ll do well.”
Robinson made six first-team appearances for the Reds, including two in the Europa League in 2012/13.
Have your say on the current transfer situation in the comments section below.
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