Most leagues around the world have seen an increase in goals scored due to extra stoppage time being counted, but of the five major leagues, the Premier League has seen an increase in goals scored per 90 minutes, up from 1.31 goals per 90 minutes from the 2022-23 season. had the largest increase. 1.44. While some of this can be explained by injury time, it shouldn't affect the Premier League any more than other leagues around the world, as each league introduces additional stoppage time. According to The Athletic, the average extra time per game in the Premier League up until October was over 11 and a half minutes. But dig into the numbers and the culprit may lie in a newly-promoted team that is conceding goals at an historic pace.
Number of goals conceded per 90 minutes in the top 5 leagues
|
Premier League |
1.44 |
|
Bundesliga |
1.47 |
|
la liga |
1.31 |
|
Serie A |
1.30 |
|
Ligue 1 |
1.19 |
sheffield united effect
Sheffield United are the team that has conceded the most goals in the top five leagues in the world. The Blades won't win the most points in Premier League history in their first season back from the Championship, but they are on pace to concede the most league goals in a 38-game season in Premier League history.
During the 2007-08 season, Derby County conceded a whopping 2.34 goals per game, conceding 89 goals, but the Blades have surpassed that so far. They have already scored 77 goals in 29 games, or 2.66 goals per game, the most in league history. The Blades have also scored five own goals this season, the most of any team in the top five leagues, underscoring their struggles in the league this season.
Combine this with the increase in stoppage time, and with two other teams also conceding more than two goals per game at this stage of the season, you can understand why the Premier League's scoring numbers are on the rise. All three clubs are newly promoted clubs as the gap between the Premier League's elite and the Championship widens with every season, but financial regulations could rectify this problem in the future. Without change, inequality is likely to continue to widen, resulting in even greater inequality and numbers that continue to inflate.
