On the back of Thursday's XI at 11 as we looked at players who have the Indian sign over certain clubs, we decided to get the guys at Opta to provide conclusive evidence on it.
Certain conditions certainly seem to favour certain players in the Premier League. Weather, venue, big matches, relegation scraps or pushes for the title – some players thrive or languish in these situations, and when it comes to playing against certain teams, some of the top hitmen in the league seem to really find their form. The table below of currently active players in The Premier League demonstrates this tendency:
| Team |
Top PL Goalscorer v Team |
| Arsenal |
Nicolas Anelka (6) |
| Aston Villa |
Nicolas Anelka, Steven Gerrard, Michael Owen, Cristiano Ronaldo (6) |
| Blackburn Rovers |
Nicolas Anelka, Michael Owen (9) |
| Bolton Wanderers |
Paul Scholes (7) |
| Chelsea |
James Beattie, Emile Heskey, Paul Scholes (6) |
| Everton |
Nicolas Anelka (7) |
| Fulham |
Mark Viduka, Yakubu (8) |
| Hull City |
Stephen Ireland (3) |
| Liverpool |
Mark Viduka (6) |
| Manchester City |
Robbie Keane (7) |
| Manchester Utd |
Mark Viduka, Nicolas Anelka (5) |
| Middlesbrough |
James Beattie, Robbie Keane (7) |
| Newcastle United |
Michael Owen (13) |
| Portsmouth |
Cristiano Ronaldo (6) |
| Stoke City |
Robinho (3) |
| Sunderland |
Robbie Keane (6) |
| Tottenham Hotspur |
Ryan Giggs (7) |
| West Brom |
Robbie Keane (8) |
| West Ham United |
Michael Owen (11) |
| Wigan Athletic |
Cristiano Ronaldo (6) |
| Opta Index |
Unsurprisingly this table is dominated by strikers who have plied their trade in England’s top flight for a number of years. Each of Nicolas Anelka, Robbie Keane, Michael Owen and Mark Viduka have over nine seasons experience leading the line for various Premier League clubs, and so have in many cases scored more goals against certain clubs than most of their contemporaries, though there are still some interesting results in the table above.
Scoring against Chelsea has been notoriously difficult over the past few seasons, and the men who have scored the most goals against them come as something of a surprise. James Beattie is one of just three players in this list (aside from Robinho and Stephen Ireland who are top against Premier League newcomers Hull and Stoke) not to have played for a “Big Four” side, Emile Heskey is not renowned for his goalscoring capabilities and Paul Scholes plays as a midfielder, yet all three have managed six goals against the London side, showing perhaps that they thrive in the tough matches.
Mark Viduka, the other player in the table not to have played for a “Big Four” side, is the top scorer still in the Premier League against English giants Liverpool and Manchester United, as well as Fulham, proving that he is capable of firing them in even at the highest level.
Curiously, Michael Owen is the top all-time Premier League goalscorer against Newcastle United, firing 13 goals past the Magpies during his eight seasons with Liverpool. His tally means that no other active Premier League player has scored as many goals against a single club as he has against his current employers.