Stats review: Brillante sets benchmark as Sydney, Victory reach rare heights

Josh Brillante set a Hyundai A-League marker as Sydney FC and Melbourne Victory showed just how to make the most of a numerical advantage.

The Sky Blues and Victory capitalised on their respective opponents – the Western Sydney Wanderers and Brisbane Roar – being reduced to 10 men.

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Both clubs kept the ball from their opponents, reaching a passing milestone rarely achieved in the Hyundai A-League.

Brillante was central to that for Sydney, while Victory full-back Corey Brown impressed against his former club.

We take a look at that and more thanks to Opta data.

Brosque the Sydney derby king as Sky Blues continue ANZ dominance

Sydney FC have enjoyed playing at ANZ Stadium, and that didn't change on Saturday.

The Sky Blues overcame a 10-man Wanderers 3-1 in a derby that was delayed due to thunder.

Alex Brosque scored his fifth Sydney derby goal – the most of any player in the history of the clash – after Oriol Riera had given the Wanderers the lead and Vedran Janjetovic had been sent off in his 150th Hyundai A-League game.

Siem de Jong scored his first Hyundai A-League goal and Jacob Tratt headed in on his Sydney debut, the Sky Blues winning at ANZ Stadium for the fifth time in seven games.

Like Victory a night earlier, Sydney showed their dominance with a player advantage, making more than 650 successful passes.

It marked just the third time since Opta started collecting the statistic in 2012/13 that a team has achieved the feat.

Brillante's 137 passes is the most by a single player during that time and his team-mate Paulo Retre (112) also beat the previous mark, set by Jon McKain (111) in 2013/14.

Victory pass their way past Roar as Brown enjoys Brisbane return

Melbourne Victory made it six straight wins for just the third time in club history by beating a 10-man Roar 4-2 at Suncorp Stadium.

Kosta Barbarouses' brace and goals from Ola Toivonen and Keisuke Honda helped Victory end Roar's five-match unbeaten run at their home ground.

Adam Taggart marked his 100th Hyundai A-League game with a penalty and Toivonen's own goal had given Brisbane hope after Eric Bautheac's red card.

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Only once – when Roar met Perth Glory in February 2016 – have more goals been scored in a first half than the six Brisbane and Victory shared.

And, Victory made history with their dominance of possession in Brisbane.

They had 662 successful passes to become just the second team – Sydney going onto the list the next day – to have more than 650 in a Hyundai A-League game since Opta started keeping the stat.

Facing his former club, Brown had 129 touches – the most ever recorded by a Victory player since that stat started.

Petratos creativity not enough for Jets

Not even a lively performance from Dimitri Petratos could stop Perth Glory.

The Newcastle Jets star created eight chances – joining team-mate Ronald Vargas (nine against Melbourne Victory in Round 3) – as the only players to reach that mark this season, but his side was beaten 2-0.

Neil Kilkenny scored his first goal since February and Jason Davidson struck in the Hyundai A-League for the first time as unbeaten Perth continued their dominance of the Jets.

Perth have lost just two of their past 21 games against Newcastle, who last beat the Glory at home in 2011/12.

McDonald Jones Stadium has proven to be a happy hunting ground for Perth as they extended their unbeaten run at the ground to 11 games.

City end interstate wait to continue Reds dominance

Melbourne City had struggled outside the Victorian capital, but perhaps Adelaide was the perfect place to go.

A Jordan Elsey own goal and Luke Brattan strike saw City win outside Melbourne for the first time in six games, beating the Reds 2-0.

City have enjoyed playing against Adelaide in recent matches, now unbeaten in five games against the Reds, and having kept four clean sheets in that time.

And while Adelaide had only won four of their previous 10 games at Coopers Stadium, this marked just their second loss in 11.

Phoenix deliver at home amid Mariners' woes

Wellington Phoenix claimed their first home win in four games by beating the Central Coast Mariners 2-0 at Westpac Stadium.

Louis Fenton scored his first Hyundai A-League goal since February 2016 before Sarpreet Singh struck on the stroke of half-time, the Phoenix now on track to record three straight victories for the first time since March 2015.

The defeat extended the Mariners' winless run to 14, equalling their longest ever drought, set from February to October 2016.

Central Coast are also the first team in Hyundai A-League history to have just two points through eight games to begin a season.