Most yellow cards in an EPL game, Sancho stars on CFC debut & more- Analysis from AFCB v Chelsea 2024

Chelsea’s first game after the international break saw them edge Bournemouth 1-0 at the Vitality Stadium on Saturday night. Christopher Nkunku scored a late winner for the Blues on the South Coast. Here are our talking points from the fixture.

Referee Anthony Taylor sets Premier League record for most yellow cards in a match

In terms of quality of football, this game wasn’t the greatest, but it will go down in the history books as the fixture with the most YC’s in Premier League history. Anthony Taylor issued a total of 14 yellow cards (six to Bournemouth, eight to Chelsea).

The bookings started in the 18th minute, with the first yellow card in this Bournemouth v Chelsea game going to Ryan Christie, and the last one to Semenyo in second-half stoppage time.

Players booked for Bournemouth: Smith, Senesi, Christie, Cook, Tavernier, Semenyo
Chelsea yellow cards v AFCB: Sanchez, Cucurella, Fofana, Colwill, Veiga, Jackson, Felix, Madueke

Anthony Taylor yellow cards 14 Chelsea Bournemouth

Sancho stars on Chelsea league debut

There were plenty of Chelsea fans with reservations when the Blues announced Jadon Sancho’s signing towards the end of the transfer window- another winger in a squad that has plenty of options in that position. The former Dortmund star made his CFC debut here as a half-time substitute for Pedro Neto and was a constant threat down the left flank after the interval.

He gave both Adam Smith and Julian Araujo a real working over, and most importantly, assisted Nkunku for the match winner.

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Record EPL Anfield attendance of 60,344 in game | xG stats from Liverpool vs Nottingham Forest 2024

LIV vs NFFC 2024

Here is a look at the xG (expected goals) stats from Liverpool vs Nottingham Forest (official crowd attendance of 60,344 at Anfield on September 14, 2024). This is a new record Premier League attendance for a Premier League game at Anfield, but it saw the Reds slump to their first defeat under Arne Slot- LFC were unbeaten and hadn’t conceded a goal at the end of Week 3.

Some interesting stats from the game

Nottingham Forest had 0 xG in the first half- no shots whatsoever from NFFC till half time.

Coming into the game, NFFC had registered the most shots of all PL teams till GW3 (53)

The first shot of the game came from LFC in the 17th minute (through Luis Diaz)

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Pundit Predictions for Spurs v Arsenal 2024- Mark Lawrenson, Paul Merson, Alan Shearer & others

The North London derby takes place this weekend, with Jarred Gillett set to referee Spurs v Arsenal at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Sunday afternoon.

Here is a look at the pundit predictions for this GW4 league fixture.

Paul Merson

Merson says he’s “worried for Arsenal” and adds that Rice (suspended) and Odegaard (injured) will be big misses for the Gunners. Has gone for a 1-1 draw, but “more in hope” because he says Spurs could’ve been higher up the table if not for some “naive” play at the back.

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