The Premier League returned with a bang on Saturday as a day full of goals provided fans with even more late drama at the beginning of “The Run In”.
After two weekends of no Premier League matches or a reduced round, the eight fixtures that marked the start of a run of the final eight rounds of the season could not have been more exciting.
Goals galore
Overall there were 29 goals from the eight fixtures, taking the season's tally to 946 from 291 matches. Saturday's average of 3.625 goals per match is well above the season average of 3.24 going into the weekend.
The current record for a campaign of 380 matches was set last season, with 1,084 goals at a rate of 2.82 goals/match.
If this season's current rate after Saturday's goal fest of 3.25 were maintained through to the end of May 2024, approximately 1,235 goals would be scored, over 150 more than last season.
This would also overtake the most goals of any Premier League season, which came in the inaugural 420-match campaign in 1992/93, when 1,222 goals were registered at a rate of 2.6 goals per match.
How goal rate has risen since 1992/93
More late drama
And continuing the theme of the 2023/24 season so far, there was late drama in six of Saturday's eight matches.
Newcastle United set the tone in the day’s opening fixture, coming from 3-1 down to claim a 4-3 win over West Ham United with a goal from substitute Harvey Barnes in the 90th minute.
The matches at AFC Bournemouth and Tottenham Hotspur featured 2-1 home wins thanks to goals in stoppage time and the 86th minute respectively, while Fulham also recovered from 3-1 down to draw 3-3 at Sheffield United with a spectacular added-time equaliser from Rodrigo Muniz.
Frequent fightbacks
On a day when all but one match featured a team who trailed at least fighting back to draw level, no team perhaps epitomised the never-say-die attitude of teams in the Premier League better than Burnley.
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Marooned 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 went a goal behind away to a Chelsea side eyeing a charge for European football. But each time Burnley fought back to level and almost snatched a famous win at Stamford Bridge.
Brentford weren’t far behind in levels of defiance. Having dominated Manchester United, outshooting them 31 shots to 11 in the day’s final fixture, the relegation-battling Bees, winless in six encounters prior to the match, could have been forgiven had they slumped after Mason Mount put United ahead in the sixth minute of stoppage time.
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But Brentford dusted themselves down and went again, and scored a deserved equaliser less than three minutes later to earn what could prove to be a vital point.
Promising Sunday
The drama is surely going to continue when attention turns to the title race on Easter Sunday. Liverpool will be hoping to beat Roberto De Zerbi for the first time when the Italian brings his Brighton & Hove Albion side to Anfield. A win for Jurgen Klopp’s team would take them top.
Then it’s the mouthwatering meeting of champions Manchester City against current leaders Arsenal at the Etihad Stadium. Fireworks are sure to come over these two matches featuring the best three sides in the division.
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And, then, just as you are trying to get your breath back, the action continues on Tuesday when Matchweek 31 begins.
It shows that this is another season where fans cannot take their eyes off the pitch as teams deliver the drama again and again and again.