The beauty of statistics is that they can help us tell a story. Not just that, stats can also help us differentiate one story from another. Sundowns won their 5th consecutive title on Wednesday, and it will be hard to remember which title is which, even for some Sundowns fans.
The one they stole from Chiefs on the last day may be easy to recall & the one where they overtook Pirates on the second last day would also be in short term memory. We’ve found 12 stats that can differentiate the 2021/22 title aka stats record set by Downs this season. For ease of reference, we’ve put them in chronological order….
20 OCTOBER
10 – Until October 20, Sundowns kept 10 consecutive clean sheets in the league (including three from the previous season), equalling the all-time PSL record set by Wits in 2003.
3 NOVEMBER
11 – Sundowns set a new PSL record for consecutive league clean sheets (11), surpassing Wit’s 10-game run from 2003.
7 NOVEMBER
1000 – Downs extended the PSL clean sheet record to 12 consecutive matches, in the process becoming the first side to go 1,000+ minutes without conceding a goal in the league.
20 NOVEMBER
13 – Sundowns extended the PSL clean sheet record to 13 consecutive matches. In the process, they equalled the PSL record for consecutive clean sheets from the start of a season (10, also by Wits in 2003/4).
The clean sheet streak was broken by Supersport in a 2-2 draw on 24 November.
11 DECEMBER
25 – The Tshwane Derby victory meant that Sundowns went unbeaten in 25 away league games (W16 D9), extending the PSL all-time record for the longest unbeaten away run in the top-flight.
17 DECEMBER
24 – The goal on this day was Peter Shalulile’s 24th league goal in 2021, bringing him level with Wilfred Mugeyi for most goals by a PSL top-flight player in a calendar year.
23 DECEMBER
93 – Sundowns won their 93rd point in 2021, setting a new PSL record for points won by a top-flight team in a calendar year.
2 MARCH 2022
200 – Sundowns won away to TS Galaxy, their 200th away league win in PSL history, becoming the first team to reach the milestone in the top-flight.
6 APRIL
22 – The 22nd different player found the net for Sundowns in all competitions (excl. own goals), the most different scorers they’ve ever had in a single PSL season.
12 APRIL
1 – Peter Shalulile became the first player in PSL history to score a hat-trick in back-to-back top-flight matches.
12 APRIL
1200 – Peter Shalulile’s second goal for Sundowns against Golden Arrows was their 1200th league goal in the PSL, becoming the first club to reach this total (now 1203).
27 APRIL
12 – Sundowns won the PSL top-flight title for a 12th time, the most of all South African sides in the PSL era. They also became the 1st side to 5 consecutive titles.
What records can they still set/break?
There are some records that Sundowns can still set and break.
- Sundowns can become only the second team to win 70 points in a 30-game season.
- Sundowns can become the first side in PSL history to win 39 points at home in a 30-game season.
- Peter Shalulile can become the first player to score more than 25 goals, or equal Collins Mbesuma’s record of 25 goals in a season.
- Sundowns can set a new record for goal difference at the end of a 30-game season (the record is +35; Downs are currently on +36).
- Sundowns can set a new record for points gap between 1st and 2nd (the record is 14 points; Downs are currently 13 points ahead of 2nd).
By Opta Jabu
