Lessons We Have Learned About the Premier League in 2020-21 So Far

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We’re now a decent chunk into the 2020-21 English Premier League season, and that means that we have plenty of stats, trends and patterns to explore.

Let’s take a look at all of the key action points in the English top-flight, from numbers of goals scored and goal times to fouls committed and cards collected.


Goals Galore

If we cast our minds back to the 2019/20 campaign, the average number of goals scored per game was 2.72. In 2020/21 so far, that figure is up to a whopping 2.89 – making the English Premier League one of the most entertaining major leagues around the world.

To add more texture, three or more goals have been netted in 52% of matches, while 29% have seen four or more. Those trends are actually similar to last season. However, this time around, there’s been a clear increase in the number of contests with an eye-popping five goals or more during the 90 minutes played.

Success On the Road

It’s becoming increasingly apparent that the impact of ‘home field advantage’ is being negated quite considerably.

During the 2019/20 season, the home team averaged 1.52 goals per match and won 45% of those, while the visitors accounted for 1.21 goals per 90 minutes and 31% of victories.

This season, however, those numbers have changed markedly. Home teams deliver 1.43 goals per game and 38% of wins, but look at this – away sides manage to plunder 1.46 goals per 90 minutes and account for 42% of wins!

Early Bird Catches the Worm

There always some interesting lessons to be learned when looking at when goals are scored in Premier League matches, so here’s the 2020/21 breakdown:

  • 0-15 minutes – 55 goals (16%)
  • 16-30 minutes – 60 goals (17.4%)
  • 31-45 minutes – 47 goals (13.7%)
  • 46-60 minutes – 49 goals (14.2%)
  • 61-75 minutes – 53 goals (15.4%)
  • 76-90 minutes – 80 goals (23.3%)

The second half of games still see the most goals, but the margin – 52.9% to 47.1% – has narrowed since last season, where 54.1% of all strikes were registered in the second period.

Intriguingly, there were fewer late goals last term, with 21.6% scored in that last 76-90 minute quadrant. Why are teams conceding more goals late in the day this time around? Is it due to fatigue? Quite possibly, and this is useful information for football fans and sports bettors alike.

He Scores First…

So who are the leading exponents of the early goal in the Premier League? That award goes, perhaps surprisingly, to Southampton, who have netted first in nine of their twelve outings to date, with Manchester City and Tottenham the next best on eight.

But what is most interesting is a team’s record when they score first and how they then perform in the game. Two teams – Leicester City and Aston Villa – have a 100% win record when scoring first, and this is such crucial information when placing your bets.

If we accept that a side that scores first has a higher chance of winning, then clearly that opening goal is absolutely vital in predicting the outcome of a game. Remember too that some sportsbooks offer a cash-out function, so when these fast-starting teams net that opening goal bettors can lock in a profit on their wager without any concern for how the rest of the action pans out.

Settling the Score

Despite the penchant for high scoring games in the Premier League thus far, that should be balanced with a nod to the most common score lines.

Combined, nearly one-third of all matches in the English top-flight end 1-0 (8%), 0-1 (12%) or 1-1 (12%), with the next most likely score lines being 2-1 (8%) and then 0-3, 1-2 and 2-0, which have all occurred in 7% of contests.


For added context, during the 2019/20 campaign the most common scoreline was 1-1 (13%), with the next most likely being 2-1, 1-0 and 2-0.

Getting Stuck In

So who can we classify as the ‘dirtiest’ team in the Premier League so far in 2020/21?

That dubious honor can be bestowed upon a couple of different teams, depending on how you view the situation. Leicester City players have been shown more yellow cards than any other team with 26, closely followed by Fulham on 23 and Newcastle United on 22.

We can also consider the red card count, which shows Brighton leading the way on three with Arsenal, West Brom and Everton just behind on two apiece.

If we’re looking to point the finger of blame at an individual, Leeds United’s Mateusz Klich has made more fouls than any other player – 26 to be precise, Tomas Soucek of West Ham and Tottenham’s Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg following with 23 and 22 respectively.

Hopefully, these statistics have been enjoyable to learn, and perhaps you can use this data to your advantage when having a debate with your friends about the English Premier League!