These surprising statistics underpin the encouraging start to the season for Newcastle United.

West Brom are next up and we all wonder whether John Carver will break yet more records….

Alan Pardew’s vital statistics – only when you put down the Newcastle manager’s record over the last nine months can you see just how shocking it has been.

Gary Neville had it wrong when he said ‘football has changed’, the reality is Newcastle have changed.

Hatem Ben Arfa would be the first player on my team sheet. Forget the facts, I want to be entertained and in his own words, “Is it forbidden to dream?”

In the history of the Premier League we have won more points against Aston Villa than any other team, a grand total of 68 points so far in the 19 Premier League seasons we have competed in. Odds of 29/10 on a Newcastle win are looking very tempting…

After all Southampton arrive at Gallowgate, having in their last league encounter dispatched the Champions of England 3-1. They also travel knowing that they well and truly kicked our backsides at St Mary’s and were unfortunate not to put 5 past us, never mind the two they did get.

Maybe with the likes of Peter Crouch haunting the place it has backfired. If Newcastle can just find a goal from somewhere before the opposition do, we will come away with something tonight.

In the whole of 2012, Liverpool have only won three Premier League matches at Anfield.

Swansea had 909 passes (and hardly a shot!) to Newcastle’s 235, how funny is that!

A figure of 58% possession is a big marker when you are the away team, even allowing for the fact the home side played out the final stages with only ten men after Morrison’s injury.