Why are we seeing such a high scoring start to the season?
On the last weekend of the first season of the Premier League in 1993, 22 teams scored 53 goals including two hat-tricks, one of which was for Southampton legend Matt Le Tissier. Since then the teams in the league have been reduced to 20.
In the 2010/11 season on match day 24 20 teams scored 43 goals including an Everton and Blackpool match which ended 5-3 and a Newcastle and Arsenal four all draw.
This season gameweek two saw 44 goals, a record since teams were reduced to 20, the following week was close behind and nearly reached 40 goals. Such numbers alert punters that bet in Canada and other such distant locations to focus on the Premier League.
But, Why are there so many goals this season and will it continue?
No Home Advantage
Manchester United have allowed three goals in at home as well as Newcastle, West Brom, Southampton and Brighton. Travelling teams don’t have to worry about the imposing atmosphere of the home supporters.
This also applies to those home teams with the critical crowd, as it stands every misplaced pass and every skied shot is not met with the jeers and reactions of the previous 28 seasons. After a small mistake a player can get their head down and recover, leading to a higher standard of performance across the board.
More Competitive
The standard of coaching in the Premier League is incomparable. This has been the case at the top for years but now it stretches top to bottom. Every club has an identity which applies even to promoted clubs. Leeds have hit the ground running with a specific style of Biesla, I’m sure he would like to ship less goals but their Vindaloo “we’re gonna score more than you” tactic is evident.
Brighton under Graham Potter are starting to look like more of a complete side and they stayed very competitive against Chelsea. Even Wolves and Sheffield United are an example of this. Nuno stuck adamantly to his sit back and break with pace style while Chris Wilder’s overlapping centre back style saw them finish ninth in their first season back.
Just to punctuate my point I would like to add; Carlo Ancelotti is managing a mid-table team. The Premier League is simply more competitive.
Defender Roles
Wingers are strikers, full backs are wingers and centre backs are pretty much defensive midfielders or even half backs. A decade and a few more on top of that the quality of defence was incredible.
Manchester United were breaking records with Vidic, Ferdinand and Evra. Chelea had the greatest LB in history with Ashley Cole along with Terry and Carvalho. Liverpool do have Van Dijk atm but he is an anomaly and at the time in question they had Hyppia and Carragher fine examples of reliable defenders.
Even amongst lower teams you had the likes of Hangeland and Jagielka. Put this alongside with the change in style of play with clubs outside the supposedly elite six playing like a Top 4 club of the early noughties: heavy wing play with high pressure and you start to understand why there have been and will be a lot of goals this season.
Get ready for an exciting season.
