Bettorlogic Player Pro: Sunderland v Arsenal

Arsenal.com's Nick Teale uses the Bettorlogic form lab to analyse Saturday's game.

After avoiding relegation by just two points last season, Sunderland have made a much better start to the current campaign.
 
Eighth in the Premier League, the Black Cats' success is largely down to their home form - 13 of their 17 points have been picked up at the Stadium of Light.
 
With a crunch match against Chelsea just one week away, Arsenal will be keen not to lose any ground in the title race with a slip-up against Sunderland, who have already beaten Liverpool and drawn at Old Trafford this season.
 
And the Gunners have a strong record when visiting teams occupying a top-half spot in the Premier League.
 
Excluding fixtures against the 'big four', Arsenal have lost just five games away to top-half sides since the start of the 2004/05 season, scoring an average of 1.88 goals per game along the way.
 
But this impressive record is further boosted when Manuel Almunia is in goal. When the Gunners' No 1 starts the match, Arsenal pick up 24 per cent more points than the overall team average - without conceding any more goals.
 
Bacary Sagna, surely on a high after helping France to qualify for the World Cup, also gives Wenger's side a boost according to the stats.
 
When the right back is involved, Arsenal score 41 per cent more goals than the team average and pick up 2.25 points per game, an improvement on the Club's average of 1.81 points since the start of the 2004/05 campaign.
 
Over the same time span, Sunderland have struggled against 'big four' sides. The Black Cats have won just one such match since August 2004 and have lost 22 of 27 games played.
 
However, since Steve Bruce took charge at the Stadium of Light over the summer, Sunderland have enjoyed a revival.
 
Statistics show that since the start of the 2004/05 season, the Black Cats have picked up an average of 0.85 points per game in the Premier League. But since Bruce came in, Sunderland have averaged 1.42 points per game.

[Thursday, November 19, 2009]

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