The current Premier League is already the highest scoring team in history. And there are still 45 games left to play. In the 335 matches that have been played until this Thursday, 1,092 goals have been scored, more than in any other season with 38 games and 20 teams. An average of 3.26 goals per game.
The previous record, which dated from the 2022-2023 season, with 1,084 goals, was broken this Wednesday night, with the eleven goals that were scored in the four games in play, Wolverhampton Wanderers-Bournemouth (0-1) , Crystal Palace-Newcastle United (2-0), Everton-Liverpool (2-0) and Manchester United-Sheffield United (4-2).
The new record was established by a header from Harry Maguire to tie the match between Manchester United and Sheffield United, and leaves room for the 45 games left to be played, the first this Thursday, between Brighton & Hove Albion and Manchester City, the number of goals scored in the English competition increases even further.
WHY THESE NUMBERS?
But why has this record been broken in football like today’s, more given to defensive systems and prudence?
The first reason for this is purely statistical, the matches now last longer. With the new competition guidelines, referees must add any time lost, whether due to interruptions in play, substitutions or goal celebrations. This has caused the average discount in matches to be 11 minutes and 39 seconds, three minutes and thirteen seconds more than last season and five minutes more than a decade ago.
In total, if the current average is followed, a total of 1,222 minutes will have been played in added time, which means thirteen and a half extra games. So far, 138 goals have been scored in stoppage time, 35% more than in the season with the most goals scored in this period of time, 2016-2017, when 102 goals were scored.
Continuing with the cold data, the greater success from the penalty spot has also contributed to an improved goal ratio. This season 90.3% of the goals have been scored, compared to 74.7% the previous season. Never since this data was collected has such high effectiveness been seen from eleven meters.
EUROPE, A GOOD SCALE
On a more tactical and subjective aspect, it is plausible to reach a conclusion: English teams do not defend well. And this is demonstrated when they go to Europe.
Manchester City, last season’s treble winners and arguably the best team in the world, only kept a clean sheet once in ten games in their European campaign, and that was at the Etihad Stadium against Young Boys. Teams like RB Leipzig and Red Star scored against him twice in the same match, Copenhagen, in the round of 16, scored against him in the first leg and in the second leg, the same case as Real Madrid, who scored three goals against him in the first leg at the Santiago Bernabéu.
And it is not just a problem for Pep Guardiola’s team. Liverpool, in ten games in the Europa League, only kept a clean sheet three times, and took three goals from Toulouse in the group stage and another three from Atalanta in the quarterfinals, the latter costing them elimination.
Newcastle United only kept a clean sheet once in the group stage of the Champions League, while Manchester United conceded, in the group stage, five goals from Bayern Munich, four from Copenhagen and six from Galatasaray, in total .
Not even Brighton, who were able to defend better and not concede a goal in five of the eight games they played in the Europa League, were beaten by Roma at the Olympic Stadium 4-0.
West Ham United kept a clean sheet in four of ten games, but avoided defeats until their elimination in the Europa League quarterfinals, while Unai Emery’s Aston Villa only kept a clean sheet in three of ten games, in the first leg and second leg with the battered Ajax Amsterdam and in the group stage against Zrinjski Mostar.
The poor defensive solidity of the English helps explain why, among the semifinalists of the Champions League, Europa League and Conference League, only Aston Villa resists.
LESS DEFENSIVE COACHES, MORE GOALS
On a more domestic level, the league has evolved towards more attractive football and there are hardly any conservative coaches left. In fact, the only one who could ascribe to this movement would be Sean Dyche, at Everton, and perhaps Gary O’Neill, of Wolverhampton Wanderers. The teams at the top, with Pep Guardiola, Mikel Arteta, Jürgen Klopp, Emery and Eddie Howe, play attacking football that does not seek to speculate.
Even more conservative clubs, such as Crystal Palace, which until not long ago had Roy Hodgson on its bench, have opted for different mechanics such as those provided by the German Oliver Glasner, who has saved the team many days ahead and has supplied to low-scoring forwards, like Jean-Phillipe Mateta, from an environment in which they can excel. The Frenchman, in nine games with Glasner, has scored eight goals, while in the rest of the league he had three.
If the current average of 3.26 goals per game is maintained, 1,239 goals would be scored at the end of the season, which would surpass the previous scoring record by 155 goals. EFE
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