PREMIER LEAGUE
What’s the overall most goals scored record for a Premier League season?
The English top division, won by Manchester City, has provided plenty of entertainment and drama once again, as proved by its total goals tally.
The 2023/24 Premier League season may have had a somewhat predictable ending with Manchester City winning their fourth title in a row, but the numbers behind the recently completed campaign support the theory of those who believe the competition to the best domestic league in world soccer.
How many Premier League goals were scored per game in 2023/24?
Although there may have been more than one VAR debacle, we saw a rare three-team title race for most of the season, the league’s customary late drama and goals - lots of them. More goals than ever before, in fact.
Arsenal’s Kai Havertz netted the final goal of the campaign in the 89th minute of Sunday’s win over Everton, taking the total tally for 2023/24 to 1,246, an average of 3.28 per game.
The previous record was 1,223, which was set in the inaugural 1992/93 season and surpassed on Sunday when Jarell Quansah scored for Liverpool before half-time against Wolves.
However, in that inaugural Premier League campaign, there were 22 teams in the division rather than 20, which meant a total of 462 matches compared to 380. 32 years ago, 2.65 goals were scored per fixture, significantly less than in 2023/24.
What was the previous 20-team goals record? Why are so many goals being scored?
Incredibly, the record for most goals in a 20-team season was broken on Wednesday 25 April, at which point there were still 45 games left to play. Harry Maguire’s first-half equaliser for Manchester United against Sheffield United at Old Trafford took us to 1,085 goals, one more than had been scored in 2022/23, the previous high (3.01 per game).
There has therefore been a huge increase from just 12 months ago, which many have attributed to more injury time being played than ever before. Inevitable tactical changes, rule alterations and the increasing gap between the top and bottom teams have also been mentioned as possible reasons.
According to sports analytics company Opta, 138 goals had been scored in injury time at the end of either half by the end of play on April 25, an increase of 58 on the whole of the previous season.