Try not to look at the following stats first, and hazard a guess regarding which player scored the most opening goals in Premiership matches last year.
Before making a rash judgement, consider the fact that the top Arsenal scorer in this sector was Thierry Henry who scored the first goal of the game on just five occasions.
Do not consider this as a negative Arsenal statistic however, as the figure merely prove that the Gunners goals were being scored by several different players, which is often the most positive sign a team can offer. Chelsea are the best example, as no less than five of their players scored the first goal of the game on at least three occasions.
The top first goalscorers in matches for the following clubs were scored by:
Arsenal: Henry (5)—Arsenal scored the first goal in 22 matches
Aston Villa: Baros (4) —Villa scored the first goal in 15 matches
Blackburn: Pedersen (5) —Rovers scored the first goal in 19 matches
Bolton: Nolan (5) —Bolton scored the first goal in 22 matches
Charlton: Darren Bent (8) —Charlton scored the first goal in 12 matches
Chelsea: Lampard (5) —Chelsea scored the first goal in 27 matches
Everton: Beattie (7) —Everton scored the first goal in 19 matches
Fulham: McBride (4) & John (4) —Fulham scored the first goal in 19 matches
Liverpool: Fowler (5) —Liverpool scored the first goal in 17 matches
Manchester City: Vassell (3) —City scored the first goal in 13 matches
Manchester United: Van Nistelrooy (7) —United scored the first goal in 24 matches
Middlesbrough: Viduka (3) & Yakubu (3) —Boro scored the first goal in 13 matches
Newcastle: Solano (5) —Newcastle scored the first goal in 16 matches
Portsmouth: O'Neill (5) —Portsmouth scored the first goal in 15 matches
Tottenham: Keane (7) —Tottenham scored the first goal in 19 matches
West Ham: Harewood (5) —West Ham scored the first goal in 15 matches
Wigan: Roberts (5) —Wigan scored the first goal in 20 matches
How many of you guessed that Darren Bent topped the chart? This is another reason why you should be looking to avail yourself of as many facts and stats as possibly, in order to equip yourself with as much information as possibly in your quest to beat the old enemy.
The full list of first goalscorers for each team can be found via the subscription service of Goals Galore at GG.com
