Statistics

Arsenal FOUR points off top: How the table would look without late goals

6 Dec 2023
Luton Town v Arsenal FC - Premier League

Declan Rice's winner at Luton continued the never-say-die attitude behind the Gunners' title charge

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For the fifth time in 15 matches this season, Arsenal scored a late goal that changed the outcome of a game.

Declan Rice's header at Luton Town in the seventh minute of stoppage time was their third winning goal this season in the 89th minute or later, while they also scored an 86th-minute winner v Manchester City, and an 84th-minute equaliser at Chelsea

Those goals have earned Arsenal an extra nine points this season, putting them five points clear at the top. 

Title race

Position Pos Club Played Pl GD Points Pts
1 Man City MCI 38 +62 91
2 Arsenal ARS 38 +62 89
3 Liverpool LIV 38 +45 82
View More

But without that never-give-up attitude, the picture would look very different. 

Indeed, if you take away goals scored in the 89th minute or later this season, Arsenal would be second, four points behind Man City following Tuesday night's results.  

Standings without 89th+ minute goals
Club W D L Pts
Man City 11 1 2 34
Arsenal 8 6 1 30
Newcastle 9 2 3 29
Liverpool 8 5 1 29
Aston Villa 8 2 4 26
Spurs 7 3 4 24
Brighton 6 4 4 22
Brentford 6 4 4 22
Man Utd 6 2 6 20
Chelsea 5 3 6 18
West Ham 5 3 6 18
Crystal Palace 4 5 5 17
Bournemouth 5 2 7 17
Wolves 4 4 7 16
Fulham 3 5 6 14
Nott'm Forest 3 4 7 13
Luton 3 2 10 11
Sheff Utd 2 3 9 9
Burnley 2 2 11 8
Everton* 5 2 7 7

Data from @Orbinho
*Everton deducted 10 points following a breach of the Premier League’s Profitability and Sustainability Rules. Decision currently under appeal

Rice's goal on Tuesday was Arsenal's latest winner in a Premier League away match, timed at 96min 23sec, and the third latest overall. 

Remarkably, Rice, who is just four months into his Arsenal career, has scored two of the Gunners' four latest winners in Premier League history.

Latest Arsenal PL winners
Player Match Time of winner
Alexis Sanchez ARS 2-1 BUR, 2016/17 97:14
Reiss Nelson ARS 3-2 BOU, 2022/23 96:59
Declan Rice LUT 3-4 ARS, 2023/24 96:23
Declan Rice ARS 3-1 MUN, 2023/24 95:43
Jose Sa (own goal) ARS 2-1 WOL, 2021/22 94:55

It puts Rice already among Arsenal's most clutch players late in matches. Only Ian Wright, with four, and Thierry Henry, with three, have scored more winning goals for the club in the 90th minute or later.

More late goals than ever before

It also continues a trend that is making 2023/24 the best season ever for late drama. 

Rice's goal was the 13th latest winner in Premier League history, five of which have come this season. 

 Latest winning goals
Date Player Match Time
16 Sep 2023 Dejan Kulusevski Spurs 2-1 Sheff Utd 99:53
26 Sep 2020 Bruno Fernandes Brighton 2-3 Man Utd 99:45
4 Nov 2023 Oliver Norwood Sheff Utd 2-1 Wolves 99:17
17 Mar 2022 Alex Iwobi Everton 1-0 Newcastle 98:20
4 May 2023 Alexis Mac Allister Brighton 1-0 Man Utd 98:17
16 Sep 2023 Douglas Luiz Villa 3-1 Palace 97:33
12 Nov 2022 Ivan Toney Man City 1-2 Brentford 97:17
22 Jan 2017 Alexis Sanchez Arsenal 2-1 Burnley 97:14
31 Aug 2022 Fabio Carvalho Liverpool 2-1 Newcastle 97:10
04 Mar 2023 Reiss Nelson Arsenal 3-2 Bournemouth 96:59
11 Nov 2023 Mario Lemina Wolves 2-1 Spurs 96:37
26 Aug 2017 Raheem Sterling Bournemouth 1-2 Man City 96:34
5 Dec 2023 Declan Rice Luton 3-4 Arsenal 96:23

Of the 450 goals scored this campaign, 43 have come in second-half stoppage time.

That share of 9.6 per cent is the highest on record by some margin. 

Highest % stoppage-time goals
Season Stoppage-time goals Total goals % of total goals
2023/24 43 450 9.6%
2021/22 72 1,071 6.7%
2018/19 71 1,072 6.6%

See: 2023/24 on course for most goals ever

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