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The Premier League is undoubtedly one of the most popular and competitive football leagues on this planet.
Understandably, it has been home to some of the greatest footballers of all-time. As a consequence, since its inception in 1992, a number of hard-to-break records have been created by individuals and clubs alike in England's top flight over the years.
Having said that, records are meant to be broken. Football is indeed a sport where crazy incidents happen all the time. The Premier League is no different, and something out of the blue seems to happen every week. A decade is a very long time, and a humongous amount of Premier League football will be played in the 2020s - enough for the book of records to be re-written a few times.
Let us have a look at five records, both wanted and unwanted, that have a pretty good chance of being broken this decade. In fact, some of these have a very high chance of being broken this season itself.
#5 Most hat-tricks against a single club
Record Holder: Luis Suarez (3, against Norwich City)
Potential Record Breaker(s): Sergio Aguero, Harry Kane
Luis Suarez loves playing against Norwich, and that's a fact. All top strikers have that one favourite opponent they just can't stop scoring against, but Luis Suarez's relationship with Norwich is one of the extreme cases of the same.
The Uruguayan has tormented the Canaries a little too harshly, scoring 12 goals and providing 3 assists in just 6 games, with as many as three hat-tricks. That is currently the most any player has lodged against a single club in the Premier League.
As difficult a record as that is to break, two of the best strikers in the world are actually in touching distance of equalling, and even breaking it. Manchester City's Sergio Aguero and Tottenham Hotspur's Harry Kane have scored two hat-tricks each against Newcastle United and Leicester City respectively.
Given their track record, one wouldn't bet against them on adding more to that tally. After all, it is very likely that the two pairs meet a few times before this possibility can be shut down once and for all.
#4 Most relegations from the Premier League
Current Record Holders: Middlesbrough, Crystal Palace, Sunderland, Norwich City, West Brom (4 each)
Potential Record Breaker: Norwich City
Middlesbrough, Crystal Palace, Sunderland, Norwich City and West Bromwich Albion have all had to suffer the heartbreak of the drop to the Championship as many as four times.
One club among this unlucky lot might go one worse and claim this unwanted title all for themselves. Norwich City are rooted to the bottom of the Premiership as we speak, and are 7 points from safety with less than 10 games to go. On top of that, they have comfortably the worst goal difference in the league.
Barring a miraculous escape, similar to Leicester City and Sunderland's late heroics in recent years, Norwich City will face relegation for the record fifth time. Crystal Palace have looked stable enough to maintain their Premier League status, and the other three clubs are no longer in the top division to get relegated in the first place.
Norwich are in prime position to grab this unwanted record. At this moment, their best hope might be the FA calling off the season, although that seems extremely unlikely. As if Suarez wasn't enough...
#3 Most assists in a single season
Current Record Holder: Thierry Henry (20, in 2002/03)
Potential Record Breaker: Kevin de Bruyne
Thierry Henry was in a league of his own back in 2002/03, adding 20 assists to his 24 goals. As you can guess, he won the PFA Player of the Year award that season, and deservedly so.
In fact, nearly two decades since the feat, his assist tally of 20 remains unbroken, despite players like Cesc Fabregas, Mesut Ozil and Kevin de Bruyne coming close. However, the Belgian has been knocking on the door for a while now, and may finally break the door down.
De Bruyne has 16 assists this season with 10 games left to play, and if indeed the season is resumed, he will have a good chance of breaking Henry's record. For all we know, he could do that in two games!
Even if for one reason or another, De Bruyne fails to usurp Henry this season, he will be in with a chance in every season he plays in England, given his unparalleled ability to make that final pass.
#2 Most goals for a single club
Current Record Holder: Wayne Rooney (183, for Manchester United)
Potential Record Breaker(s): Sergio Aguero
Wayne Rooney's iconic Manchester United career that spanned 13 seasons saw him bag a mammoth 183 goals for the Red Devils. However, he is on the brink of being pushed to second spot by a certain Sergio Aguero, who has scored 180 goals for United's neighbours Manchester City.
As a goalscorer, Aguero's deadliness is unmatched in the Premier League, and for all we know, he could do the needful before the end of the ongoing season. Another previously mentioned striker, Harry Kane, might have an eye on this record too, having scored 136 goals already for Tottenham Hotspur.
However, many fans have urged Kane to switch to a club that is more likely to garner silverware, and the Englishman is said to be considering the same. Aguero, on the other hand, is going nowhere and is inches away from the top spot as far as this record is concerned.
#1 Lowest attendance in a Premier League game
Current Record Holders : (3,039, Selhurst Park - Wimbledon v Everton on 26/01/1993)
Potential Record Breaker(s) : Every PL club
The 3,039 people who witnessed the fairly forgettable match between Wimbledon and Everton way back in 1993 had some compensation for having to bear the cold January night to watch the Toffees register a typical 1-3 win. They were all in the history books, for they were part of the lowest attendance the Premier League has ever seen since its inception in 1992. However, that might change quite soon.
The FA have been trying relentlessly to complete the ongoing season amidst the coronavirus outbreak, and it is a very likely possibility that matches will be played behind closed doors to check the spread of the virus.
No match in the Premier League has been played behind closed doors before. In such an occasion, Wimbledon's unwanted record will be smashed emphatically by every club in the first division right now. If indeed the season is resumed, the breaking of this record is almost certain.
