Tale of the tape - Tyler

Martin Tyler starts the countdown to United-Arsenal with the stats behind the big one.

This is your chance to use some of our expertise! Every Monday Martin will be on hand to answer your statistical posers and put the record straight where required.

You can e-mail us with any statistical questions - and we will do our best to publish the answers on the website. 

E-mail Martin here with a question

ELEVENTH HEAVEN
Quick question. Can you name the only Premiership footballer to play for the same Premiership team, and keep the same squad number since the Premiership started?
Paul Wootton, Walsall
MARTIN SAYS: Well Paul, I don't know whether you know the answer and are trying to catch us out, or whether you need to find out, but either way I can tell you that one player is Ryan Giggs. Ryan has had the number 11 shirt at Old Trafford since the Premiership began way back in the 1992-93 season. Unsurprisingly Ryan also holds the record for the number of Premiership appearances for the same club, 381, amazingly all of them coming with the same squad number on his back.

TRADING PLACES
Who were the last players to move from Manchester United to Arsenal and vice-versa? Me and my mates can only think of Viv Anderson, and we're not sure if he didn't play for Forest in between! Help us out Martin!
Darren McGovern, Aylesbury
MARTIN SAYS: That's a good question Darren, because the move from Highbury to Old Trafford, or the other way, is not that commonplace, certainly in modern times. You are halfway there with Viv Anderson as well! Viv was indeed the last player to move from Arsenal to United back in May 1987, following in the footsteps of Frank Stapleton (1981) and Ian Ure in 1969. But in terms of players who have moved south to Highbury from the Theatre of Dreams, the last one I can come up with is goalkeeper Jimmy Rimmer. Jimmy, who was perhaps best remembered for his time with Aston Villa, became a Gunner in February 1974 having played 34 league games for United. He went on to play 124 times in the league for Arsenal before leaving in 1997. If anyone out there can think of any more recent moves between the clubs, feel free to mail in, because knowing the Manchester United-Arsenal games, we will still be talking about the two clubs next week!

STRIKING MAN U DEBUTS
Hi Martin, Just wanted to confirm if what I suspect is true: Man Utd's current strikeforce of Ruud van Nistelrooy, Louis Saha, Alan Smith and Wayne Rooney have all scored in their debuts for the club, whether it is in the Champions League, Premiership or Charity Shield. Is this correct? If yes, how unprecedented is it? What if we include Ole Gunnar Solksjaer - has he scored on debut for United?
Baldave Singh, Singapore
MARTIN SAYS: What a very good question Baldave, and I'm happy to say yes on both counts. Yes, the four strikers you mentioned all scored on their Manchester United debuts and yes, so did Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. The Norwegian made his United debut on August 25, 1996 when he netted in the 2-2 draw against Blackburn. As for the others, van Nistelrooy scored in the Charity Shield against Liverpool in the 2001, Saha scored against Southampton in the 3-2 home win on January 31 last season, Smith marked his first start for United with a cracking strike in this season's Community Shield and well, we all know what happened against Fenerbahce in the Champions League when young Rooney pulled on the red shirt for the first time! I also believe that David Bellion scored in his first United appearance on a tour of the Far East, but failed to do so on his first competitive start following his move from Sunderland.

LUMPING ON LJUNGBERG
I am planning a little flutter on Freddie Ljungberg to score against United on Sunday, because he has done me proud in the past. Just what is Freddie's record against them?
Jane O'Donaghue
MARTIN SAYS: Well Jane, Freddie Ljungberg had an amazing start to his Arsenal career against Manchester United, scoring in his first three Premiership games against them. He has since gone on to score four goals in his 10 Premiership tussles with the men from Old Trafford, but has failed to find the net in four cup and shield games against them. His first encounter with them could not have got off to a better start. He came on as 79th-minute substitute in the 3-0 home win back in September 1998 and found the net within five minutes - which, if my memory serves me correctly, is still a club record. He then got the Gunners' only goal in their 2-1 home defeat in August 1999 before netting in the 1-1 draw at Old Trafford the following January. He also opened the scoring in the 3-1 home win in November 2001, a game best remembered for Fabien Barthez's blunders and Thierry Henry's brace. Just a little pointer to Freddie's current goalscoring form Jane, he has scored seven times in his 13 appearances for Arsenal and Sweden so far this season, including three in his last three games.

TROUBLE ON THE CARDS?
I can't wait for Sunday's match-up at Old Trafford. I support neither Man U or Arsenal, but it is one game I always watch, but I was just wondering who has actually been sent off in the EPL games between them and just how many bookings there have been. Who is the 'dirtiest' out of the two sides?
Chip Piedersen, Williams, CA
MARTIN SAYS: Well Chip, it seems as if the events of recent years have even reached the West Coast of the USA! The 24 Premiership fixtures between the two have only produced four red cards, two for each side. Eric Cantona was the first to go in the 2-2 draw at Highbury in 1994, before Mark Hughes followed suit in the corresponding game the following season, that ended all square at 0-0. The two Arsenal players to see red against United also came in successive clashes. First Sol Campbell was sent off in a thrilling 2-2 draw at Highbury on April 16 2003, for allegedly elbowing Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, while the following season was of course, Patrick Vieira who earned himself an early bath at Old Trafford, in the now infamous 0-0 draw on September 21. As for the yellow cards Chip, there have been 87 in the 24 games, which is an average of 3.6 per game. And like most head-to-head stats in the Premiership, it is a close call as to which side has the most. It is in fact Arsenal, who have picked up 44 cautions as opposed to United's 43.

ADVANTAGE ARSENE
Hello Martin, love the commentary. I was at Highbury the other day and heard that Wenger will celebrate eight years in charge at Old Trafford on Sunday. What is his head-to-head record with Fergie in the league. I am not so sure that for all his achievements, he will not come off worse.
Tony Stephens, Enfield
MARTIN SAYS: You'd be surprised Tony! Of the 14 Premiership games between the two sides, Arsene just shades the head-to-head with Sir Alex. The Frenchman took over the Highbury helm in October 1996 and of the 14 Premiership games against United since then, he has been on the winning side six times. Ferguson can claim four victories in that time, with the remaining four, including the last three meetings rather interestingly, have ended all square. So Wenger's record against Ferguson and United in the Premiership reads Played 14, Won 6, Lost 4, Drawn 4.

HEAD-TO-HEAD
Martin please settle a bet. My Gooner mates reckon that going way back, they have beaten United more times that we have beaten them? They keep harping on about their wonderful side in the 1930's and the fact that they have never been out of the top division. Please let me shut them up and tell me United have the better record in games between the two.
Iain McMenamin
MARTIN SAYS: I have some good news for you Iain, United do have the edge over Arsenal in the head-to-head stakes. They have played each other 192 times in all competitions over the years and the spoils have gone to Manchester on 76 occasions, with Arsenal celebrating success 74 times, and 42 games ending in a draw. In the league, United are ahead 68-63 (39 draws), in the FA Cup they are level at 5-5 (one draw), in the League Cup Arsenal are up 2-1 in their three meetings and in other competitions, usually the Charity or Community Shield, Arsenal are 4-2 to the good from the six games between the two sides.