Despite the heavy recession that hit the UK this year, football followers still continued to enjoy the game they love as they flocked to watch their favourite teams play.

Total attendances dropped slightly from last year − a 1.27 per cent decrease. Yet, it is still the second highest in the history of the Premier League.

Nine clubs recorded an increase, including the three newly-promoted ones, Hull City, Stoke City and West Brom.

The other six to show a plus were Liverpool, Man. City, Chelsea, Middlesbrough (even if they were demoted), Fulham and Bolton.

The top three with the highest average were Manchester United, Arsenal and Newcastle.

Clean sheets

Premiership's blanks for sides (in brackets last season's total) intact at the back...

Man. United: 24 (21)
Chelsea: 22 (21)
Liverpool: 20 (18)
Everton: 17 (14)
Arsenal: 16 (15)
Fulham: 15 (07)
Aston Villa: 13 (09)
Tottenham: 13 (09)
Wigan Athletic: 13 (12)
Stoke City: 12 (??)
Blackburn Rovers: 10 (08)
Manchester City: 10 (11)
West Ham United: 10 (08)
Sunderland: 09 (07)
Portsmouth: 08 (16)
West Bromwich: 08 (-)
Bolton Wanderers: 07 (12)
Middlesborough: 07 (08)
Newcastle United: 07 (08)
Hull City: 06 (-)

Note: Man. United's Edwin van der Sar has won the Golden Glove Award for the number of shut outs during the Premier League season.

Doubles

Home and away wins in the Premiership inflicted on the same club by other respective sides:

Manchester United (11): Stoke, Bolton, West Brom, West Ham, Blackburn, Sunderland, Portsmouth, M'boro, Man. City, Wigan, Hull.
Chelsea (10): West Brom, Stoke, Middlesbrough, Aston Villa, Wigan, Portsmouth, Manchester City, Bolton, Blackburn, Sunderland.
Liverpool (8): Bolton, Chelsea, Portsmouth, Sunderland, Manchester United, Blackburn, Newcastle, West Brom.
Arsenal (6): Bolton, West Brom, Blackburn, Newcastle, Wigan, Portsmouth.
Everton (6): Bolton, West Brom, Stoke, Sunderland, West Ham, Fulham.
Aston Villa (4): West Brom, Sunderland, Blackburn, Hull.
West Ham (4): Fulham, Wigan, Sunderland, Stoke.
Blackburn (3): Newcastle, Fulham, Portsmouth.
Bolton (2): West Ham, M'boro.
Fulham (2): Bolton, Newcastle.
Portsmouth (2): Everton, Sunderland.
Tottenham (2): West Ham, Manchester City.
Wigan (2): Hull, Portsmouth.
Hull (1): Fulham.
Manchester City (1): Sunderland.
Newcastle (1): West Brom.
Stoke (1): West Brom.
Sunderland (1): Hull.
West Brom (1): Middlesbrough.

Treble terriers

The hat-tricks achieved in Premier League action:

August 17: Agbonlahor for Aston Villa (home) vs Man. City 4-2.
September 13: Adebayor for Arsenal (home) vs Blackburn 4-0.
October 26: Robinho for Manchester City (home) vs Stoke 3-0.
October 31: Anelka for Chelsea (home) vs Sunderland 5-0.
March 22: Gerrard for Liverpool (home) vs Aston Villa 5-0.
April 21: Arshavin − scored four − for Arsenal (away) vs Liverpool 4-4.

Top players

August - Deco (Chelsea).
September - Young (Aston Villa).
October - Lampard (Chelsea).
November - Anelka (Chelsea).
December - Young.
January - Vidic (Man. United).
February - Jagielka (Everton).
March - Gerrard (Liverpool).
April - Arshavin (Arsenal).

Top managers

August - Southgate (M'Boro).

September - Brown (Hull).

October - Benitez (Liverpool).
November - Megson (Bolton).
December - O'Neill (Aston Villa).
January - Ferguson (Manchester United).
February - Moyes (Everton).
March - Benitez.
April - Ferguson.

Dismissals

Players sent off in the Premier League last season:

Newcastle (7): Guthrie, Bassong twice, Butt, Nolan, Barton, Edgar.
Manchester United (5): Vidic twice, Ronaldo, Scholes, Rooney.
Portsmouth (5): Diarra, Davies, Belhadj, Johnson, Pamarot.
Stoke (5): Faye, Wilkinson, Fuller, Delap, Etherington.
Tottenham (5): Bale, Dawson, Assou-Ekotto twice, Palacious.
Blackburn (4): McCarthy, Olsson, Pedersen, Roberts.
Manchester City (4): Zalabeta, Fernandes, Dunne twice.
West Ham (4): Noble, Cole twice, Tomkins.
Wigan (4): Cattermole twice, Valencia, Boyce.
Hull (3): Ricketts, Marney, Folan.
Middlesbrough (3): Wheather, Diggard, Bates.
Arsenal (3): Van Persie, Adebayor, Eboue.
Aston Villa (1): Young.
Bolton (1): McCann.
Chelsea (1): Terry.
Everton (1): Cahill.
Fulham (1): Johnson.
Sunderland (1): McCartney.

Kick-off

The 2009/10 Premier League will kick off on Saturday, August 15.

Champions Manchester United play FA Cup winners Chelsea at Wembley in the FA Community Shield match on August 9.

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