Goals, goals, goals: why have there been so many in the Premier League? | first division
Once Phil Foden completed his hat-trick at Brentford to ensure Manchester City victory 3-1, set a collective record of 45 goals in a Premier League round. A weekend followed in which only West Ham, losing 3-0 to Manchester Unitedand Sheffield United, defeated 5-0 by Aston Villahe failed to score.
It eclipsed two weeks of 44 goals, the first in front of empty Covid-restricted stadiums in the second round of the 2020-21 season, and then last season's round of 34, which included Brighton's 6-0 thrashing of Wolves and 4- from Crystal Palace. 3 defeats for West Ham. Saturday's rout of 26 goals in five games was a single-day record, driven largely by 4-4 draw between Newcastle and Luton.
The 2023-24 season has comfortably brought the highest goal rate in first division history, with 730 goals in 228 games, an average of 3.20 per game. Last season's 380 games yielded a previous record rate of 2.85 goals per game for 1,084 goals; No game this season has averaged more than three goals per game. The self-proclaimed best league in the world has just improved, although a statistical curiosity is that after last weekend the Bundesliga had an almost identical rate of 571 goals in 179 games (3.19) and the Dutch Eredivisie had witnessed 577 goals with a rate of 3.21. average. The rates of 2.64 in La Liga, 2.51 in Ligue 1 and 2.55 in Serie A do not show a big difference compared to last season. Only the Premier League has made such a leap.
Where could this season's excess have come from? More attacking football from managers, better forward play, the rise of counter-pressing, the decline of the classic defender, clubs struggling at the bottom including Sheffield United who have conceded 59 goals and are in danger of establishing a record of 38 games? (The Blades are conceding at a rate of just over 2.5 goals per game; Derby, holders of that 38-game record, allowed 89 goals in 2007-08 at 2.34 per game.)
The answer may be as simple as 20 teams playing more football than before. Directives introduced at the start of the season, where referees are instructed to add the exact time lost until the end of each half instead of the previous nominal additions for substitutions, injuries and VAR checks, have led to much longer halves .
Opta Stats shows that this Premier League season has had by far the highest average added time, at 11 minutes and 41 seconds. Last season it was eight minutes and 27 seconds. Incidentally, during that crowd-less 2020-21 season, when it was suggested that players could get away with fewer performances and time wasting was similarly reduced, the average was as low as six minutes and 34 seconds.
These time directives, following those used by FIFA for the 2022 World Cup, seek to keep the ball in play for longer. The most demanding time additions have had the desired result. This Premier League season, the ball has been in play for an average of 58 minutes and 31 seconds, compared to 54 minutes and 52 seconds last season. The previous high came (that statistical outlier again) from that behind-closed-doors season in 2020-21.
More added time causes greater fatigue for defenders and more room for error as games lengthen. 67 goals have been scored beyond the 90th minute (the record since Opta began recording this in 2006-07 is 72) and the rate of 9.2% surpasses the record of 6.7% set in the 2021-22 season .
As expected, the teams at the top of the Premier League are stronger, perhaps younger, more athletic? – The teams are the beneficiaries of the extra football, with Liverpool and Arsenal tied with eight goals scored beyond 90 minutes. Wolves and Aston Villa, two teams in good form, have five each. Only Nottingham Forest have failed to score in added time and a surprise comes from Manchester City, champions and imminent favorites for the title, who have scored only twice beyond the 90th minute. Perhaps they are saving theirs for later.
