8 December MW14/15
RECORD BREAKERS I – GOALS
This season is on course to rip up the record books and scatter them far and wide. First up, goals. Last season set the bar high with a total of 1084 goals at an average of 2.85 per game, the most of all 31 Premier League seasons to date [NB in 1993/94 and 1994/95 there were more goals scored – 1195 but in a 22-team division with 462 matches, so at a lower average of 2.59]. The average goals per game rate in 2023/24 is setting quite the pace, with 150 matches completed, 472 goals have been scored at an average of 3.15.
RECORD BREAKERS II – OWN GOALS
But it is not just goals being scored at the right end that are setting a hectic pace, they are also flying in at the wrong end too. Just ask Son Heung-min who managed to achieve both in the space of 137 seconds at the Etihad on Sunday. Overall there have been 21 own goals so far this season, a tally which also is on course to break the Premier League record of 49 set a decade ago in 2013/14.
RECORD BREAKERS III – RED CARDS
The third of the holy trinity of this season’s potential record breakers is the number of red cards. Last season’s figure of 30 was surpassed when Conor Gallagher was sent off against Brighton last Sunday. The current record for red cards in a season is 75, which was set in 2002/03 and repeated in 2005/06; the 2023/24 season is on course to reach 78.
Two of those red cards have been issued to Oli McBurnie, who seems to be on a personal mission to help break these records. In his last six matches the Scottish striker has gathered five bookings as well as two red cards and has chipped in with two goals too. Sheffield United may be propping up the table but they have a trailblazer in their ranks.
The Football Mine 