Big Data Matrix: Blades in the Premier League

Phil Whitaker digs through the data and picks out the records of previous Premier League seasons.

Ahead of our sixth season in the Premier League, I wanted to see what the data tells us about our history in the modern top flight. It tells us a lot, posing some interesting questions and identifying which records could be broken next season.

For the trivia fans among you, I’ve included a few statistical teasers throughout: find the answers at the bottom of the article.

Overall Record

The Blades walk into a moment of minor history on the opening day. Our first game versus Crystal Palace will be our 100th Premier League game at Bramall Lane. After that, our visit to the City Ground will be our 100th away game and 200th game in the Premier League. Our record before that time is as follows:

We were founder members of the Premier League and will be the only team competing in the league for the sixth season. With Luton gaining promotion, 51 teams will have played in the Premier League with The Blades sitting 39th in the list of longest-serving members. 

Quiz Question 1: Which two founder members of the Premier League in 1992-93 will have played fewer seasons in the Premier League than United’s 6? 

Season Records

In terms of our achievements in the PL, our best seasons were 1992/93 and 2019/20 when we won 14 games (ten home and four away). In 92/93 and 93/94 we played 42 games instead of 38, so although we won more points and scored more goals in 92/93, we finished higher in 19/20.

Unfortunately, all the other three seasons ended in relegation with our last season sweeping the board for the worst records. Daniel Jebbison’s goal at Goodison Park did at least means we equalled the eight goals scored away from home in Warnock’s relegation season in 2006/07. 

Beating the record of 14 wins next season will be a tough challenge. We would need to win as many as Brentford and Fulham did last season. Everton, who finished 17th on 36 points, managed eight wins. 

A marginally easier target would be to accumulate 41 points (the same as Wolves last season). That would bring our total points in the Premier League to a nice, round 250 (and keep us safe from any final-day drama).

The Managers

We have had four different managers during our time in the Premier League, and their records are as follows: 

On a points-per-game basis, the margins are close, but Dave Bassett has the best record. Paul Heckingbottom would need to steer United to a mighty 45 points next season to steal Bassett’s crown.

When it comes to win rate, the margins are even finer. Heckingbottom is currently in the lead with 30 per cent, having yet to register a draw in the Premier League from his ten games. Bassett’s higher number of draws puts him at the bottom of this list. 

Turning the defeats into draws is one area we need to improve if we are going to stay up. We won seven games in 2020-21 but somehow only managed to draw two all season. Just another couple of wins combined with the 13 draws Fulham managed last season would have seen us safe in 17th.    

Opponents

United have played 38 different teams in the Premier League and will meet Brentford (our first visit to the Brentford Community Stadium) and Luton Town for the first time this season, increasing the total to 40.

On top of the seven Premier League ever-presents, United will also have played Aston Villa in each of our Premier League seasons. Our record against these eight is as follows:

The only team we have yet to beat is Manchester City. Incredibly, we have failed to score in nine of our ten games against the current champions: Brian Deane scored our only Premier League goal versus City on 9 April 1993 in a 1-1 draw. We haven’t scored in the eight games played since, losing the last five on the trot. 

On the positive side, we have taken 14 points from Everton and have a decent record against the big London clubs. Let’s hope this run continues.

We have won three times at Goodison Park, including the last two. Our final away game next season is at Goodison and as they are planning to move to their new stadium for the 24/25 season, we could be the last-ever opponents on the ground that has hosted more top-flight football than any other.  

We have also won once at Chelsea, Liverpool and Man Utd but are yet to win at Arsenal, Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur. 

Our last win at White Hart Lane came in the final Division One season in November 1991, when Kevin Gage scored in a 1-0 victory a week after we had beaten Wednesday 2-0 at the Lane. Our last victory at Manchester City was in the Second Division on 10 October 1987 and you must go back much further, to 28 March 1964, for our last win at Arsenal in Division One. 

Aston Villa will be making their 66th league visit to The Lane, putting them in second place behind Blackburn Rovers who will retain their record as our most frequent Lane league opponents (73 visits). 

Out of all our opponents next season, we are currently unbeaten (PL) against Brighton & Hove Albion (four games) and both AFC Bournemouth & Nottingham Forest (two games). 

When Saturday Comes

In 19/20 we played a league game on every day of the week and just 20 on a Saturday. In 20/21 we played on every day of the week bar Friday, with just 14 on Saturday and 14 on Sunday. By comparison, in 06/07, we played 31 games on a Saturday and only the final game on a Sunday. 

With eight teams in Europe next season (including four in the Europa and Europa Conference Leagues) expect plenty more games to be moved from Saturday to Sunday.    

Appearances 

One hundred players have played for United in the Premier League, including 15 in the current first team or development squad. There is a full table at the end of this article but here are the 16 players who have made 50+ appearances.

Phil Jagielka is currently the only player to have played in three seasons. He will be joined by up to nine more of the current squad next season.

One long-standing record which will be broken next season is for most appearances in the Premier League, with George Baldock, Oliver Norwood, Chris Basham and John Egan all poised to take the crown from Carl Bradshaw.

In an ironic twist of fate, Billy Sharp ended his United career on 41 appearances – the same as his hero in the No.10 shirt, Brian Deane. However, Billy made 17 of his appearances off the bench, while Deane started every game. 

We used a record 110 subs in 19/20. We had more subs to use in the Covid-impacted 20/21 season (five instead of three) but still made fewer subs (103). Hopefully with a stronger squad and bench next season we should be able to make a record number of subs. 

Lys Mousset and Alan Cork hold the record for most appearances off the bench (28) although this is one record that Oli McBurnie (23) could beat next season. Steve Kabba holds the record of most appearances (seven) without starting a game. 

Quiz Question 2 - Can you name the other eight players who have only made appearances off the bench?  

Goals

A total of 45 players have scored for United in the Premier League, including nine of the current first-team squad. Those scoring 5+ goals are listed in the table below.