Premier League data dive: Tottenham take top spot as Fernandes ends wait for Man Utd home win

Pole position in this unpredictable Premier League season changed hands twice on Saturday as Jose Mourinho’s Tottenham moved to the summit.

Leicester City – not in action until Sunday – started the day on top of the pile, but victories for Chelsea and then Spurs saw the Foxes nudged down to third.

Elsewhere, Manchester United belatedly got up and running at Old Trafford, while Brighton and Hove Albion also triumphed.

We reflect on another topsy-turvy day of top-flight action with the aid of Opta data.

Newcastle United 0-2 Chelsea: Tammy and Timo team up

Chelsea had taken top spot in the day’s early fixture thanks to a 2-0 success at St James’ Park, their 26th Premier League win over Newcastle United.

It was a familiar sinking feeling for Newcastle and Federico Fernandez, who put through his own net for the opener. The former Argentina defender has scored a joint-high five own goals since his 2014 top-flight debut, while this was the Magpies’ fifth home defeat in seven.

Tammy Abraham wrapped up victory with his 23rd goal in all competitions since the start of last season, 11 more than any other Chelsea player.

Timo’s turn of pace, and a ruthless @TammyAbraham finish!

What a goal. #NEWCHE pic.twitter.com/VoWnTN5Qll

— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) November 21, 2020

Timo Werner could not get on the scoresheet despite a host of chances but teed up Abraham’s strike, his 11th goal involvement in his past 10 appearances in all competitions.

Edouard Mendy was scarcely troubled at the other end and kept his seventh Chelsea clean sheet in nine games. The Blues have three in a row away in the Premier League.

Aston Villa 1-2 Brighton and Hove Albion: More Welbeck woe for hosts

Brighton landed their second Premier League win of the season and just their fifth in 27 attempts as Aston Villa went down 2-1 at home.

It should have come as no surprise to see Danny Welbeck break the deadlock, however, as he netted his fifth top-flight goal against Villa, a career high. Only Robbie Fowler (five) has more Premier League strikes at Villa Park as a visiting player than Welbeck’s four.

Ezri Konsa responded, a league-high ninth set-piece goal conceded by Brighton this term, before Solly March’s fine strike earned the points despite Tariq Lamptey’s late red card.

England’s Jack Grealish was the subject of praise during the international break and of Brighton’s attentions on Saturday. He was fouled seven times and has earned at least one foul in each of his past 102 league appearances.

Tottenham 2-0 Manchester City: A night for Spurs to savour from the summit

Tottenham finished a day on top of the Premier League for the first time since August 2014 after beating Manchester City 2-0 at home.

And not since January 1985 had Spurs enjoyed the view from the summit overnight in the top flight after at least nine games of a season.

They were set on their way by Son Heung-min’s fifth goal in his past five games against City in all competitions, arriving after just four minutes and 19 seconds – the earliest City have conceded in the Premier League since Theo Walcott netted after four minutes and six seconds in December 2016.

The second – created by Harry Kane’s ninth assist of the campaign – came courtesy of Giovani Lo Celso, just 35 seconds after his arrival as a substitute. The only other Tottenham player to score within a minute of coming off the bench in the league since 2006-07 was Lucas Moura in August 2019, also against City.

Start your stopwatches…

It only took @LoCelsoGiovani