The statistician’s idea of perfection: Everton at home to Fulham

By Brian Sears

26 April 2012

Everton meeting Fulham in the Premier League is a statistician’s delight. It happens for the 22nd time this Saturday and although it’s a mid-table battle (Fulham trail Everton by just two points) and of little consequence at the top or bottom of the league, it has intriguing statistical interest.

Ten times in the Premier League, Fulham have travelled to Goodison and 10 times they have returned south pointless.

Four times Fulham have been unable to score and on the other six occasions the one goal they have scored has been insufficient to gain any reward. It’s worth listing those 10 games, and they appear in the graphic below, along with Everton’s all-time Premier League home record by opponent.

Everton have far from dominated Fulham at Craven Cottage. Indeed Everton were defeated in each of their first seven Premier League visits to the ground by the Thames and only in the last four seasons have Everton gained their two victories there, most recently 3-1 in October.

The one drawn Premier League game between the two clubs in their 21 encounters was a goalless affair at Craven Cottage in September 2010.

So there’s everything to play for on Saturday … statistically.

After Everton’s 100 per cent home record over Fulham at Goodison, their next most profitable opponents from multiple home meetings are Sunderland (eight wins and two draws from 11 games), Southampton, West Brom and Manchester City.

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