Features

* In the first instalment of a new weekly Monday column, Tell Me Why, the Independent’s brilliant man in the north-west, Ian Herbert, asks why Manchester United needed to unveil a statue of their remarkable manager, Sir Alex Ferguson, even before Fergie has left the building. What does it tell us about Sir Alex, and […]

By Brian Sears 23 November 2012  West Bromwich Albion’s remarkable start to the season has earned them 23 points from their first 12 Premier League games – the best start they have ever had in the revamped top division by far. In six previous seasons in the Prem, their best tally after 12 games before […]

By Brian Sears SI chief statistician (94.86% of the time) 16 November 2012 The team that scores first in the Premier League wins almost 70 per cent of the time. That’s what this season’s statistics tells us, but the rule is turned on its head if we’re talking about Manchester United, Manchester City or Everton. […]

* England haven’t won a series in India for 27 years. The last time they won one was thanks to double centuries scored by Graeme Fowler and Mike Gatting in the midst of a series marred by political turmoil following the assassination of Indira Ghandi and then the British Deputy High Commissioner. England have only […]

By Brian Sears 9 November 2012 Fulham’s away record in London derbies in the Premier League era is woefully bad: they have won just four out of 50, and not one of those at Arsenal, where they play this weekend. Their wins on the road within the capital are so infrequent we can quickly list […]

By Brian Sears 2 November 2012 Liverpool will start the weekend in 12th place in the Premier League with 10 points and a goal difference of minus two, three points behind Newcastle in 10th, on 13 points and with the same goal difference. Liverpool host Newcastle on Sunday at Anfield, so a win would see […]

By Brian Sears 26 October 2012 It’s been a sorry season for Southampton fans so far, with just one win and a draw from eight matches since their return to the Premier League. They’e squandered leads against Manchester City, Manchester United, Everton and Fulham. Yes, they’ve scored in every league game, but then they’ve also […]

By Janine Self 24 October 2012 First, a scene-setter. One jumbo-sized sofa (red), one TV studio, one journalist-broadcaster-author with a vision. Despite Boris Johnson’s nudge-wink post-Olympic speech, the BT Life’s a Pitch sofa tends not to witness too much in the way of paroxysms of tears and joy. But, thanks to Michael Calvin, a whole […]

By Alex Miller and Nick Harris SJA Internet Sports Writer of the Year 8 October 2012 Manchester United and Liverpool have the most lucrative kit supplier deals in the Premier League this season, earning a guaranteed £25.4m and £25m respectively from Nike and Warrior – but still trail the sums earned by Spanish giants Real Madrid […]

By Brian Sears 4 October 2012 Only five different clubs have gone an entire Premier League season unbeaten at home – the traditional ‘big four’ of Manchester United (three times), Arsenal (three times), Liverpool (once) and Chelsea (four times), plus Manchester City, last season. The longest unbeaten home run in the Premier League era belongs […]