Stats: Chelsea become third Premier League side to win 1,000 points at home
When Chelsea beat Hull City in the Premier League on Sunday night, they not only extended their lead at the top but also reached a new landmark. The Blues became only the third side in Premier League history to accumulate 1,000 points in games played at home.
This is the 25th season of the Premier League and Chelsea have played a total of 467 games at Stamford Bridge to win 1,002 points. They are behind only Manchester united and Arsenal for most points won at home.
With 55 points, Chelsea’s lead at the top is now eight points after 22 games. Their 13-match winning run saw Antonio Conte’s side move from eighth place after Gameweek 6 to top of the table by Gameweek 11 – a position they have not relinquished ever since.
Conte’s change in tactics following consecutive losses to Liverpool and Chelsea has worked wonders. Switching to a three-man defence saw the Blues keep 10 clean sheets in that winning run. This is only the fourth time a side has won 55 points after 22 games – Chelsea have done it thrice now with Jose Mourinho’s first stint seeing his side do it twice in 2004/05 and 2005/06.
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Manchester United and Arsenal lead the way
In top spot is England’s most successful team – Manchester United. Under Sir Alex Ferguson, the Red Devils won 13 Premier League titles, even winning it three times in a row on two occasions.
In the past two decades, Old Trafford used to be one of the toughest venues to travel to when the Scottish manager was in charge and teams rarely won there when he was in charge. It is no wonder then that they have won a total of 1,116 points at home in 467 games since 1992 – a tally no club can even come close to surpassing in the next few seasons.
In second place is Arsenal who did not really become a dominant force in England until the arrival of Arsene Wenger. After last winning two league titles in 1989 and 1991, the Gunners did not win the Premier League until 1998.
Under Wenger, the side went on to win three league titles at Highbury before moving to the Emirates in 2006. Adding their years at Highbury and the ten years at the Emirates, the north London side have won 1,019 points. They, too, crossed the 1,000-point mark this season when they beat Swansea 3-2 in October.
Can Liverpool breach the 1000-point barrier this season?
Liverpool have never won the Premier League title but the Merseyside club was considered to be one of the traditional ‘Big Four’ before Manchester City changed the English football landscape. The Reds are currently on 975 points from 466 games at Anfield.
Jurgen Klopp’s side need 25 points from the nine home games left this season; which means they need to win at least eight games and win a point in the remaining fixture to reach 1,000 Premier League points at Anfield.
But 2017 has not been kind to Liverpool so far. They have won only one game in all competitions and are yet to win in the league. However, to make the challenge even tougher, they play Chelsea, Tottenham and Arsenal in the next three home games.
While they haven’t lost a game against the other sides in the top six this season, it is their lack of points against teams in the bottom half that has come under scrutiny. Will they improve their record and get back in the title race? Only time will tell.
| # | CLUB | POINTS AT HOME |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Manchester United | 1116 |
| 2 | Arsenal | 1019 |
| 3 | Chelsea | 1002 |
| 4 | Liverpool | 975 |
| 5 | Tottenham Hotspur | 848 |
| 6 | Everton | 784 |
| 7 | Newcastle | 755 |
| 8 | Aston Villa | 703 |
| 9 | Manchester City | 680 |
| 10 | West Ham | 618 |