Sky Sports commentator Martin Tyler has been busy looking into your questions and has come up with the answers on topics including relegation, free-kicks and
youthful players. How to send your questions to Martin:1: Email your posers
to
[email protected] 2. Tweet @SkyFootball using the
hashtag #TylersTeasersMartins starting statI was at Liverpool v Tottenham on
Saturday to see Philippe Coutinho score his 10th goal of the season and his
seventh in the Premier League - but only his second at Anfield. The other was at
home to Crystal Palace in November.Harry Kane became Spurs top scorer in a
Premier League season with his 22nd goal. The last Spurs player to score more
than 21 league goals in one season was Gary Lineker in 1991/92 with 28
goals.Kane became the first Spurs player to score 20+ league goals in successive
seasons since Martin Chivers from 1970-72. He is only the fifth Englishman to do
it in successive seasons after Alan Shearer, Robbie Fowler, Les Ferdinand and
Andy Cole.Saturday was Liverpools 50th game of the season. They have played four
periods of extra-time and three penalty shoot-outs and will reach at least 60
games this year.Spurs dont often win at Anfield. They have only won twice in the
Premier League era (a 2-1 win in 1993 and a 2-0 win in 2011). Danny Rose is the
only current Spurs player to have won with Spurs at Anfield. Hugo Lloris has
done it with Lyon and Moussa Dembele did it with Fulham.Early knockout Aston
Villa supporters hold protesting banners Whats the earliest a club has been
relegated from the Premier League? (Keith, Solihull)MARTIN SAYS: I have a
suspicion you may be an Aston Villa fan, Keith!As Im sure youre aware, defeat at
home to Chelsea on Saturday left Villa hanging onto their top-flight status by
their fingertips. Indeed, their fate can be sealed this coming Saturday if
Norwich, who travel to Crystal Palace, better Villas result at home to
Bournemouth.If results transpired against Villa, relegation could be confirmed
on April 9. In terms of the date in the calendar, it would be the third-earliest
relegation in Premier League history. Only two sides, Derby (March 29, 2008) and
Leicester (April 6, 2002), will have dropped into the second tier of English
football sooner.Earliest relegations (date)Derby - 29/03/08 (32 games)Leicester
- 06/04/02 (34 games)Portsmouth - 10/04/10 (33 games)Sunderland - 12/04/03 (33
games)Sunderland - 14/04/06 (33 games)If Villa are relegated on Saturday it
would come after 33 matches. Only one side, Derby in 2008, has been relegated
after fewer matches.Earliest relegations (number of games)Derby (2007/08) - 32
gamesPortsmouth (2009/10) - 33 gamesSunderland (2002/03) - 33 gamesSunderland
(2005/06) - 33 gamesLeicester (2001/02) - 34 gamesWest Brom (2002/03) - 34
games1-0 to the champions Leicester favour a 1-0 scoreline of late Who has
recorded the most 1-0 wins in a Premier League season? Who has the most in a
row? Is it Leicester? (James, High Wycombe)MARTIN SAYS: League leaders Leicester
are currently on a four game 1-0 winning streak - a feat only achieved three
times previously in Premier League history.Liverpool won their last game of the
2012/13 season 1-0 against QPR and then opened the 2013/14 season with 1-0 wins
over Stoke, Aston Villa and Man Utd. That season they famously went on to finish
second in the Premier League.Arsenal also won four straight games 1-0 in March
1998 (against Wimbledon. Manchester United, Sheffield Wednesday and Bolton) -
and they went on to win the title that year.However, the record is held by
Everton who won FIVE games by a 1-0 scoreline in October/November 2002 when they
beat West Ham, Leeds, Charlton, Blackburn and West Brom. They finished seventh
that season.Leicester can equal that record against Sunderland on Super Sunday
and potentially break it against West Ham the following weekend.Leicester have
won seven games 1-0 this season, but Chelsea have the record for the most 1-0
wins (11) in a single season recorded in 2005 - the same year they won the
Premier League trophy.Chelsea (2003/04), Everton, Liverpool (both 2005/06) and
Manchester United (2008/09) have all recorded 10 1-0 wins in a season, but of
that group only Manchester United went on to win the league.Free-kick kings
Dimitri Payet curls another stunning free-kick Could Payet get the record for
the most direct free-kicks in a PL season? (Nicholas, Wanstead)MARTIN
SAYS: Dimitri Payet may have scored another stunner of a free-kick against
Crystal Palace over the weekend but he still hasnt made the top 10 scorers of
direct free-kicks in a season.He has in fact only scored two in the Premier
League, with two coming in the FA Cup and one while on international duty for
France. There is however still time to add to his tally.The record, perhaps
surprisingly, is held by former Newcastle player Laurent Robert, who scored FIVE
goals direct from free-kicks in 2001/02. Most direct free-kicks in a season
Player Number of free-kicks Season Laurent Robert 5 2001/02 David Beckham 4
2000/01 & 2001/02 Cristiano Ronaldo 4 2007/08 & 2008/09 Gianfranco Zola
4 1998/99 & 2002/03 Ian Harte 4 2000/01 Losing streaks Gabby Agbonlahor and
Ashley Westwood of Aston Villa show their frustration after Evertons third goal
Villa have lost seven games in a row for the second time this season - whats the
longest consecutive losing streak in Premier League history? (Alex,
Tamworth)MARTIN SAYS: Aston Villa are indeed once again on a horrendous run of
form. They are however a long way off the record set by Sunderland across two
seasons.The Black Cats lost 15 games on the bounce as they were relegated in
2002/03 and followed that with five more at the beginning of their next season
in the top flight (2005/06).No other club has lost nine Premier League games in
a row, but defeat this weekend against Bournemouth - which could see them
relegated - will see Villa join a band of 11 clubs with eight consecutive
defeats: Charlton, Crystal Palace, Ipswich, Leicester, Man City, Middlesbrough,
Newcastle, Portsmouth, Reading, Wigan and Wimbledon.Young guns Jonathan Leko
(left) made Premier League debut West Broms Jonathan Leko was the first player
born in 1999 to play in the PL at the weekend. Who were the previous youngest
players? (Christian, Sutton Coldfield)MARTIN SAYS: Jonathan Leko became only the
15th youngest player to make his debut in the Premier League at 16 years, 11
months and nine days. He was 276 days older than Matthew Briggs who made his
debut for Fulham against Middlesbrough nearly nine years ago. Youngest PL
players Player Age (days) Team Date Matthew Briggs 5912 Fulham 13/05/07 Isaiah
Brown 5961 West Brom 04/05/13 Aaron Lennon 5973 Leeds 23/08/03 Jose Baxter 6035
Everton 16/08/08 Rushian Hepburn-Murphy 6042 Aston Villa 14/03/15 The forward is
also the first Premier League player to be born in 1999 but there are five who
have been born in 1998 and surely it wont be long until we get our first player
born after the year 2000. Players born 1998 and later Player D.O.B Team Jonathan
Leko 24/04/1999 West Brom Reece Oxford 16/12/1998 West Ham Rushian
Hepburn-Murphy 28/08/1998 Aston Villa Andre Green 26/07/1998 Aston Villa Timothy
Fosu-Mensah 02/01/1998 Man Utd Manu Garcia 02/01/1998 Man City Also See: Golden
shoe race Zlatan stats GLENDALE, Ariz. -- Josh Beckett said he will be ready for
the start of the Dodgers season after having a rib removed last July in a
surgery to alleviate a nerve condition that was affecting his right arm "I dont
have numbness and tingling, anymore," Beckett said Monday. No doubts, either.
The right-hander is expected to battle newly acquired Paul Maholm for the fifth
spot in the Dodgers starting rotation this spring. Beckett, the fifth starter
before last years mid-season surgery, breezed through his first bullpen session
Monday in Arizona. He threw 30 pitches with no sign of trouble. "Im not
tentative," said Beckett, who reported to camp a day late so he could attend a
wedding. "Im going to throw as hard as I can and see what happens. Right now, I
feel great. Ill throw the ball until I blow out and Im hoping thats not for a
few more years." The Dodgers signing of Maholm on Saturday is considered a hedge
against the possibility of further injury to Beckett, a three-time All-Star whom
the Dodgers acquired from Boston along with Adrian Gonzalez, Carl Crawford and
Nick Punto in a 2012 trade. "Josh is doing really well, but hes coming off tough
surgery and theres not a lot of history with that surgery, so well see where
things go," Dodgers manager Don Mattingly said. Beckett underwent the same
surgical procedure that former St. Louis Cardinals ace Chris Carpenter underwent
in July 2012. Carpenter went on to pitch in six more games in 2012 -- three in
the regular season and three in the playoffs. But Carpenter did not pitch in
2013. He announced his retirement in November. Beckett said he has spoken to
Carpenter. He said he was told Carpenters nerve condition was more severe than
his own. Beckett also said the surgery was more complicated. Dr. Greg Pearl of
Dallas performed both procedures. Carpenters experience and advice helped, he
said. "It got me through the mental part," said Beckett, who was 0-5 with a 5.19
ERA when he landed on the disabled list on May 14. Neck problems and numbnness
in his right hand had troubled Beckett for the last few years.dddddddddddd It
got to the point where he learned how to drive with only his left hand. There
were times, he said, when he couldnt feel the steering wheel with his right.
"Its crazy how simple things become difficult to do," he said. The surgery,
which also includes removal of some connective tissue, alleviated pressure on a
nerve in his neck, he said. He never felt any pain. But there were moments when
he had no control of his pitches. "I didnt know if I was going to throw it over
the backstop," he said. "I had no idea where it was going to go." Beckett
arrived in camp with his confidence bolstered by three workouts during the last
couple of weeks in Texas. He threw off a mound twice, on Jan. 31 and again on
Feb 3. Cold weather forced him inside on Feb. 6 where he threw 38 pitches off a
flat surface. Beckett has no illusions about the competition he faces in camp.
"Its just if hes healthy," Mattingly said. "Josh throws the ball good. Hes been
a quality pitcher for a long time and he still has good stuff. How he bounces
back, well see. Weve had nothing but positive reports all winter. Josh has never
been in the bullpen. Obviously, its a competitive situation. Were not handing
anything out for anybody. If hes healthy, well see." Beckett expects to have
more time to prepare than the Dodgers calendar might indicate. They break camp
in Arizona after a March 16 game and travel to Australia for a pair of
regular-season games in Sydney against the Arizona Diamondbacks on March 22 and
23. "Im probably not going to start opening day in Australia," Beckett said.
"Theyre paying a guy a lot of money to do that. Not all of us are getting ready
for those days. Some of us have a little more time than it appears we do."
NOTES: Outfielder Yasiel Puig is already in camp. Mattingly might open the
season with the versatile Puig at the top of the Dodgers batting order. .The
rest of the team is scheduled to report on Thursday.
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