Matchday 11 Review: Agalarov steams ahead, Dzyuba’s century, CSKA’s Ural run extended

We have rounded up the best stats and figures from matchday 12 of the Russian Premier Liga.

1 - Khimki ended their miserable run of form by finally winning for the first time in over two months last weekend. The three points catapults them above the next three sides and out of the automatic relegation zone, but also ends an unwanted hoodoo; it was their first ever top-flight win over Akhmat Grozny, after losing all six previous such encounters.

2 - Krylia Sovetov are really starting to motor after winning their fifth game in the last seven matchdays, rising up into the top half of the table. Their victory came courtesy of two goals from Vladislav Sarveli, who in doing so managed to double his entire season tally in one fell swoop. It was the former Chertanovo graduate’s first ever RPL double too.

2 - The stunning swerving rocket from Kings Kangwa not only stunned the champions into a shock defeat, but it consigned them to a second consecutive defeat for the first time since December 2018. That time, Arsenal were also one of their conquerors in a 4-2 win. Thankfully for Sergey Semak’s men they hold onto top spot, but the title race has now been blown wide open with the chasing pack breathing down their necks.

3 - Sochi cruised into second after their confident win over Rostov, blasting away their visitors with a powerful first-half display. In fact, it was only the second time in their history that they had scored three goals in the opening period - the other time? Also against Rostov, when they broke the RPL scoring record to hammer a severely weakened side 10-1 in June last year.

9 - Gamid Agalarov’s extraordinary season continues apace as his goal helped Ufa to a brilliant point away to Krasnodar, and also extended his personal tally at the top of the RPL goalscoring charts to nine goals already. Add that to his Russia under-21 debut, including three goals in two subsequent games for them, a full senior call-up, and the fact that before this season he hadn’t scored in 17 top-flight appearances, and his meteoric rise becomes all the more impressive.

15 - Although they had to settle for just a point, it was about as dramatic and euphoric a point as it comes for Spartak Moscow as they came back from 2-0 down to salvage a draw in the derby against Dynamo. The Red-Whites have now only lost once to their cross-town rivals in the last 15 meetings (W10, D4), and are also unbeaten in the last seven Moscow clashes at home (W3, D4).

20 - CSKA Moscow may not have been in blistering form in Ekaterinburg on the day, but their controlled 1-0 win was extremely valuable as it kept them just one point off Sochi in the Champions League places, and three from leaders Zenit. It also extended their longest ever unbeaten record against a fellow RPL side, as they have now not lost to Ural in 20 championship matches - a run that stretches back to May 1995.

25 - Ivan Ordets’s glanced near-post header set Dynamo on course for a commanding early lead against Spartak, and marked his fourth headed goal since his debut in the Russian top flight two years ago. In that time, he has attempted 25 headed shots at goal, eight ending in target and four finding the back of the net; only Samuel Gigot - who scored the added-time equaliser with one of his own - has attempted more.

100 - In the dying moments of regular time, with his side still trailing to strugglers Arsenal Tula, it was fitting that it was Artem Dzyuba who stooped to head home his 100th goal for the club from Malcom’s cross. The gloss was taken off his century-breaking moment though, when his former club struck through Kings Kagwa’s sensational striker.