,The Premier League returned in full force on Saturday as a goal-filled day provided fans with even more late-night drama at the start of “The Run In”.
After two weekends without a Premier League game or a reduced round, the eight games that marked the start of a series of the last eight rounds of the season could not have been more exciting.
Plenty of goals
In total there were 29 goals from the eight games, averaging 3.625 which is well above the season average of 3.24 at the weekend.
The current record for 380 games was set last season, with 1,084 goals at a 2.82 goals-against rate. If this season’s current pace of 3,625 were maintained until the end of May 2024, around 1,235 goals would be scored, more than 150 more than last season.
This would also surpass the most goals scored in any Premier League season, which came in the inaugural 420-game season in 1992/93, when 1,222 goals were scored at a rate of 2.6 goals per game.
More late drama
And continuing the theme of the 2023/24 season so far, there has been late drama in six of the eight games.
Newcastle United set the tone in the day’s opening game, claiming a 3-1 victory over West Ham United 4-3 with a goal from substitute Harvey Barnes in the 90th minute.
Games at AFC Bournemouth and Tottenham Hotspur saw 2-1 home wins thanks to stoppage-time and 86th-minute goals respectively, while Fulham also came from 3-1 down to draw 3-3 at Sheffield United thanks to a spectacular addition. equalized by Rodrigo Muniz.
Frequent confrontations
On a day where all but one game featured a side at least going behind to equalise, perhaps no team epitomized the attitude of the Premier League’s never-die teams better than Burnley.
Sitting in 19th place and struggling for form this season, the Clarets first went a man down when Lorenz Assignon was sent off and then twice fell a goal behind to a Chelsea side eyeing a relegation for European football. But each time Burnley fought back to level and almost grabbed a famous victory at Stamford Bridge.
Brentford weren’t far behind in levels of contempt. Having dominated Manchester United, scoring 31 shots to 11 in the final game of the day, the relegation-fighting Bees, without a win in six fixtures before the match, could have been forgiven for going down after conceding a sixth-minute goal of the delays. at Mason Mount.
But they dusted themselves off and went again and got a deserved equalizer less than three minutes later to earn what could prove to be a vital point.
Promising Sunday
The drama is sure to continue when attention turns to the table on Easter Sunday. Liverpool will be hoping to land Roberto De Zerbi for the first time when the Italian brings his Brighton & Hove Albion side to Anfield. A win for Jurgen Klopp’s side would take them top.
Next up is the mouth-watering encounter of champions Manchester City against current leaders Arsenal at the Etihad Stadium. There are sure to be fireworks in these two games with the top three teams in the division.
And then, just as you’re trying to catch their breath, we’re all at it again when matchday 31 starts on Tuesday.
It shows that this is another season where fans can’t take their eyes off the pitch as teams deliver the drama over and over and over.