A backs-to-the-walls job in Brazil, long droughts ending in England and on-fire forwards in France and USA feature in FIFA.com’slatest stats review, along with some headline-grabbing debuts.
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shots have been taken at the Sweden goal in their last four games at the Women’s Olympic Football Tournament, but it hasn’t stopped them reaching the final. USA had 64 per cent of possession and had 27 shots to Sweden’s six in their quarter-final, but following a 1-1 draw Pia Sundhage’s side advanced on penalties. Brazil, who thrashed Sweden 5-1 in the group stage, then had 65 per cent possession and 33 shots to their opponents’ six in the semis, but once again the Scandinavians progressed in a shoot-out following a goalless draw. Unusually, not one of the three section winners – Brazil, Canada and USA – will contend Saturday’s decider.
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goals is the figure Bradley Wright-Phillips reached to surpass Juan Pablo Angel and become New York Red Bulls’ record regular-season marksman. The 31-year-old Englishman brought up the milestone with a double in a 3-1 win over Montreal Impact on Sunday. The son of Arsenal legend Ian Wright didn’t find the target in the Red Bulls’ first seven matches in MLS 2016, but has now bagged 14 goals thereafter, leaving him one shy of the competition’s joint-leading scorers, Sebastian Giovinco and David Villa. The Red Bulls, meanwhile, have now won all six of their home games against the Impact in the competition.
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years after three English players scored for Arsenal in a Premier League game, history repeated itself. While Ray Parlour, David Platt and Ian Wright helped the Gunners to a 5-0 thumping of Barnsley, however, Theo Walcott, Alex Oxlaide Chamberlain and Calum Chambers could not prevent a 4-3 defeat to Liverpool on Sunday. Walcott broke the deadlock just 69 seconds after missing a penalty, but a 19-pass move helped Philippe Coutinho complete his brace and inspire Liverpool to become the first team to score four goals against Arsenal at the Emirates since Chelsea in 2009.
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goals on Matchday 1 of Ligue 1 was what Lyon’s Alexandre Lacazette became the first man in nine years to post. Johan Audel had been the last in Valenciennes’ 3-1 defeat of Toulouse. Anthony Lopes set up Lacazette’s second in a 3-0 victory at Nancy on Sunday, meaning he has two of the last three Ligue 1 assists recorded by a goalkeeper. Lacazette has now netted 14 times in his last 11 games in the French top flight, while the 25-year-old’s treble at the Stade Marcel-Picot took him joint-fourth on Lyon’s list of all-time top scorers in the compeititon, level with Juninho (75) and behind Fleury Di Nallo (182), Bernard Lacombe (123) and Serge Chiesa (120).
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times is what the Premier League holders had lost in the opening game of their title defence until Saturday. Arsenal had been the last top-tier champions to lose their curtain-raiser – 4-1 to a Manchester United side featuring Bryan Robson, Lee Sharpe and Mark Hughes in the old First Division in 1989. Leicester City became the next in unexpected fashion – their 2-1 conquerors Hull were newly-promoted, had not scored in over five hours of Premier League action and only had 13 senior players in their squad. With Arsenal also losing, it proved the first time since 1953 that the top two from the previous season both lost their opening fixtures.
Quick hits 713 days after signing for Marseille, Doria debuted for the club. The one-time capped Brazil defender had since represented Marseille B, Sao Paulo and Granada.
112 countries have now been represented in the Premier League after Armenia’s Henrikh Mkhitaryan debuted for Manchester United.
17 years and 204 days made Nice defender Malang Sarr the second-youngest player to score on his maiden Ligue 1 start in the last 25 years, shy only of Bartholomew Ogbeche for Paris Saint-Germain in 2001.
10 matches unbeaten: that is the run Paraguayan sides were on against Chilean opposition until Palestino edged Libertad in the first leg of their Copa Sudamericana clash.
4 consecutive European leagues – Serie A, La Liga, Ligue 1 and the Premier League – is what Zlatan Ibrahimovic has scored on his debut in following his arrowed finish in Manchester United’s 3-1 win at Bournemouth.