The Champions League is back!

 

Hello there. Welcome back to Thepenaltyspot.

The crown jewel of European football is up for grabs once again, the allure of the silver, 74 cm high, 11 kg trophy never seems to fade. There is just something about the stared ball and the legendary theme song that edges all footballing fans leaving Us craving for more.

So first, let's look at some changes in the 2022-23 Champions League group stage.

 Condensed Group Stage Matches

 Due to the winter world cup being held in Qatar, the group stage matches of the 2022-23 champions league will have to take place within a shortened timespan. The World Cup, which is scheduled to take place from 20 November to 18 December 2022 would interfere with the normal champions league group stage schedule. This forced a restructure which will see Champions League group games played out within eight weeks. Group games will start a week earlier on September 6-7 and conclude on November 1-2. 

Group stage

Matchday 1: September 6-7, 2022

Matchday 2: September 13-14, 2022

Matchday 3: October 4-5, 2022

Matchday 4: October 11-12, 2022

Matchday 5: October 25-26, 2022

Matchday 6: November 1-2, 2022

Speaking on Liverpool's official website, Liverpool manager, Jurgen Klopp had this to say about the shortened group stage "The difference this year is that the group stage will be shorter than usual, so we will have to be ready not just for the quality of the opposition but also for the different demands and rhythms.”

It will be interesting to witness how teams will look to manoeuvre this challenge. will lower ranked teams smell blood in the water and strike big teams within their busy schedules?

Will players crumble under the intense fixture list? 

To the fans, this all sounds too good to be true, more football, more action, more drama,, damn this is what Thepenaltyspot is all about. You can bet I'll be here to talk about all the breathtaking games and moments. 

For now, let's talk about the groups. Of the 8 groups, which one is the group of death?

Group A

 

On paper, the group might look pretty straightforward with Liverpool looking to dominate. However, Napoli has proved a tough nut to crack for the Reds in the past and as of right now, the most in-form team is Napoli. Luciano Spalletti and his players are looking good and winning in style

Liverpool has started the season in the worst possible way and will look to switch their form as soon as they can. The injury crisis within the team has seen essential first-team players such as Thiago Alcantara on the sidelines. Will a resolution be achieved before the start of the group stages?

A young and inspired Ajax team will be looking to display youthful exuberance, the team might have lost some of its key players such as Lisandro Martinez to Manchester United but the Ajax academy has been and still is producing world-class players.

Then, there are Rangers, who made it to the group stage for the first time in 12 years. They have nothing to lose, and Ibrox will be rocking like never before. It is a great achievement to reach this stage; from here, everything is a bonus.

Group B

Definitely one of the least interesting groups however, there is a lot of character within the sides. Atletico Madrid has yet to find their attacking mojo, losing to Villareal already in La Liga. Talent is very much present within this Atletico side but things are yet to click.

This, in fact, makes matters quite interesting as Porto will look to capitalize on the misfortunes of Atletico.

Bayer Leverkusen has lost all the games they have played in the Bundesliga. A shocking start to the season, as for Club Brugge, they lost their best player this summer.  Add the loss of Philippe Clément, the manager who made them so good before leaving for Monaco halfway through last season. It will be a struggle for Brugge to compete

Group C (Group of Death)

Hahahhaha..ahhh

Okay, back to business, this group is the one to keep an eye on. Bayern has been flying in the Bundesliga, but now that I think about it, haven't they always? Anyway, they have scored 15 goals in 3 games, and their summer signing Sadio has hit the ground running. they are easily the favourites to win the group.

Barcelona has a history with the Bavarians, this devastating history will still linger fondly in The minds of Catalan fans, they will expect retribution. Barcelona will fancy their chances as they come off a historic transfer window that saw them acquire Jules Koundé, Andreas Christensen, Raphinha, Franck Kessie, and former Bayern Munich player Robert Lewandowski, a player that scored in their 8-2 defeat in Munich. Does the drama of this lovely game ever end, can we ever expect to foresee the twists and turns in the future? 

Inter Milan plays well together already, and the return of Lukaku will only make them stronger and more physical. As for Viktoria Plzen, the picture says it all

Group D

Spurs find themselves in a favourable group however, their manager Antonio Conte has historically been unable to translate his domestic success to European competition. His current Premier League form will see Spurs fans fancy their chances to win the group.

Last season's Europa League winners Frankfurt will test their resolve, while Sporting Lisbon, making their 10th group stage appearance. Frankfurt's recent European success oozes confidence and teamwork, this might prove problematic for Conte.

Marseille has no fewer than four players with connections to Arsenal, Tottenham's north London rivals, in their ranks: Matteo Guendouzi, Alexis Sanchez, Sead Kolasinac and Nuno Tavares. 

Group E

History, there is a rich Champions League history between Chelsea and AC Milan. Milan is seven times Champions, and Chelsea has won the cup twice including recently in 2021. AC Milan has recreated their historic club, they have been on the rise and will fancy their chances of proceeding out of the group stages in first or second.

After a painful exit to Real Madrid in the quarter-finals, Chelsea will feel they have some compensating to do. Favourites to win the group, Tuchel and his men will leave nothing to chance this time. FC Salzburg will embark upon their fourth consecutive group stage campaign and boast a forward line led by Benjamin Sesko. After a three-year absence, Dinamo Zagreb are back and will be looking to make the most of the situation.

Group F

Will Real Madrid make it 15 Champions League titles? The Catalan giants are clear favourites to win the group. The scrap for second place is interesting, and I am unable to tell who will be second best. I'll be sure to have an eye out for this group. The previous campaign saw the Catalan giants win their 14th title, they, however, had a shocking start to the campaign losing to Sheriff. The round of sixteen was also 'shaky' but in the end, they made it through. Will they have the same 'luck' this time? Will their experience guide them to 15? we will have to wait and see.

 Shakhtar Donetsk will be flying the flag for Ukraine while the country is at war with Russia, a situation that means Shakhtar will have to play their home games at Stadion Wojska Polskiego in Warsaw. RB Leipzig will be hoping to make it to the last 16 after running into Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain in their group last season, while Celtic, is returning to the group stages for the first time in five years.

Group G

 

Manchester City will fancy their chances of bringing European treasure to the blue side of Manchester for the first time. The signing of Erling Haaland has Champions League intention written all over it. Sevilla and Borussia Dortmund are solid teams with experienced players and Pep Guardiola will have to be cautious of the threat posed by both teams. The current Premier League holders have been leaking goals in the League, conceding 5 goals in 4 games. Will pep fix this leak before it's too late?

FC Copenhagen hasn't been in the group stage since 2016-17,  which saw them eliminated at the last 16 by Chelsea. The two battles between Sevilla and Dortmund should be exciting games. There is a lot of jeopardy within this group. An interesting group to look forward to!

Group H

Can the MNM lead the Parisians to a first Champions League title? The superstar trio has been firing at all cylinders in the French Ligue. Their new manager Christophe Galtier is an exceptional manager and tactician. During the 2020–21 season, Galtier guided Lille to their first Ligue 1 title in 10 years and the fourth in club history. For the first time in a long time, PSG didn't win the Ligue 1 title. 

Juventus will pose a stern early test, Benfica poses the strongest threat to PSG and Juventus after reaching the last eight last season, while Maccabi Haifa from Israel has made it to the group stage only twice before, in 2002-03 and 2009-10.

You can't ask for more from a group stage game than two heavyweights paired together, and Paris Saint-Germain against Juventus is exactly that. They've never played a competitive game before, but they are two teams that will not only be looking to finish top of Group H, they'll both have ambitions to go on and win the competition

Game Week 4 : Big Game Review

  One for the History Books at Afield 

The start to the 22/23 Premier League season has been underwhelming for Liverpool and its fans. Draws to Crystal palace and a spirited Fulham side had all pundits and players in awe. What followed was a dismal performance at Old Trafford that saw Liverpool lose 2-1 to a Manchester United side that lost their first two Premier League matches, after 3 games Liverpool had 2 points on the board.

 Liverpool fans were itching for a reaction from the Reds. That's what they got!

Liverpool put 9 goals past a newly promoted Bournemouth team. This historic achievement etches Liverpool  in the history books 

The biggest wins in Premier League history:

◎ Man Utd 9-0 Ipswich 

◎ Southampton 0-9 Leicester

◎ Man Utd 9-0 Southampton 

◉ Liverpool 9-0 Bournemouth 

The Reds add their name to the record books. 📖

Impressively, all goals came from open gameplay; none came from a penalty. 

The goal scorers

⚽️ Diaz

⚽️ Elliott

⚽️ Alexander-Arnold

⚽️ Firmino

⚽️ Van Dijk

⚽️ Mepham's own goal

⚽️ Firmino 

⚽️ Carvalho

⚽️ Diaz 

WOW!

It was a special day for Harvey Elliott & summer signing Fabio Carvalho who managed to score their first Premier League goals for the club.

Roberto Firmino was the stand-out performer in this fixture, and the Bournemouth backline was on skates every time the 30-year-old Brazilian had the ball. He has now scored a century of goals for Liverpool, not bad for a False 9.

In the game, he managed a hat-trick of assists and two goals

3️⃣ assists

2️⃣ goals

A stunning Bobby Firmino performance earns him the @carlsberg Player of the Match award

It's safe to say this performance has restored life in the Liverpool fans. The Reds will be looking to confidently match forward with the rest of their campaign, hopefully, not all is lost already.

MNM: Can the trio lead the Parisians to a first Champions League Title?

 

The Most Expensive Attacking Trio, Ever!

According to the new deal with PSG, Mbappe is set to earn USD 63 million per year - the highest football salary in the world. This means his weekly wage will be approximately USD 1.15 million.

Lionel Messi is estimated to earn USD 41 million after he joined Paris Saint-Germain from FC Barcelona in 2021. The seven-time Ballon d'Or winner is earning a weekly salary of USD 800,000.

Neymar's salary is valued at USD 36.5 million per year while his weekly wages are pinned at USD 700,000.

In summation, the trio earns a weekly wage of  USD 2.65 million, and a yearly wage of USD 140.5 million.

It cost PSG a total of  USD 590.9 million in transfer fees to accrue the services of the trio. Neymar's 2017 transfer from Barcelona to PSG stands as the most expensive ever at $263 million. PSG did not pay a single penny in transfer fees to sign Lionel Messi. The Argentina superstar was signed for free by the Ligue 1 giants after Barcelona's financial crisis prevented them from offering a new contract to Messi. Mbappe's situation is quite unique as it involves buying the player twice, the transfer from Monaco cost the Parisians USD 179 million. Before the start of the 22/23 season, he was destined to move to the Catalan giants. In a move that collapsed for Real Madrid, PSG offered Mbappe a signing-on fee of USD 148.9 Million, effectively buying him twice!

The Man, Christophe Galtier

In December 2017, Christophe Galtier was appointed manager of 18th-placed Lille and they avoided relegation

◉ In 2020/21, Lille won the title for the first time since 2011

◉ In 2021/22, he became Nice manager and guided them to their first Coupe de France final since 1997

Christophe Galtier beat Mauricio Pochettino in Ligue 1 with both Lille and Nice, as well as knocking them out of the 2021/22 Coupe de France on penalties. 50% of his career league wins against PSG came against Pochettino's side. It's easy to see why PSG was so quick to have the French strongman within their ranks.  

The tactics (3-4-1-2) put in place by Galtier since his arrival are ideal for the stars of PSG. Neymar plays higher and asks for balls in the depth that Messi gives him. The Argentinian makes a recital in number 10, in the simple game and in the intervals. 

In his first 3 games in charge of PSG

Clermont Foot 0     PSG              5       LOSC 1

PSG                 5     Montpellier  2       PSG    7

The Galtier effect is already being felt, he is yet to be challenged in the Champions League. His tactics are currently spot-on, we'll have to wait for the Champions League and see.

The Numbers 

Lionel Messi, Neymar and Kylian Mbappé have been directly involved in 76 Ligue 1 goals between them in 2022:

◉ Messi: 8⚽️12🅰️

◉ Neymar: 15⚽️9🅰️

◉ Mbappé: 23⚽️9🅰️

Phenomenal output.

The Parisians have a Manager and front line capable of decimating any opposition in world football. There are concerns over the depth of their back-line, Sergio Ramos, kimpembe and  Marquinhos are sturdy but apart from that, nothing on the bench to reinforce. The Champions League is famous for putting teams' character under pressure, and the Parisians will have to prove that they are more than a clique of footballing superstars.

This is the best chance PSG have to claim the crown jewel of European football. Will they utilize it? I can't wait!

Game Week 3: Big Game Review

 The Champions in Jeopardy at St. James' Park

The Premier League holders Manchester City faced an uphill task at St. James' Park after going up a goal in the fifth minute through the German talisman İlkay Gündoğan. Many, me included, assumed this would be a normal matchday in Manchester City books. Seeing the Pep Machine destroy another team which has been the usual since Guardiola took charge. But this Sunday afternoon had a few aces up its sleeve.

Remember the name, Allan Saint-Maximin, the 25-year-old Frenchman had the entirety of Man-city's defence on skates. Using his speed to zoom past the opposition, the main victim was former Spurs and English player, Kyle Walker. Earning himself man-of-the-match, the 5' 8" speedster registered two assists to goals from Miguel Almiron in the 28th minute and  Callum Wilson in the 39th minute which saw The Magpies reclaim the lead.

The third goal, a screamer by Kieran Trippier had the crowd of 52,258 on its feet. Trippier has taken four direct free-kicks for Newcastle in the Premier League since the start of last season. Scoring in all of them.

A 3-1 lead against the Blues must have felt like a dream, and in reality, it was.

 

The Magpies were grateful to the England goalkeeper for two big saves with his feet to keep his side in the game - the first from Kevin De Bruyne in the tenth minute, following a City counter-attack, the second from Phil Foden six minutes later. Pope then made another vital save, diving full length to keep out De Bruyne's free-kick

In the second half, the visitors came out strongly forcing Pope to make another superb save to push Erling Haaland's shot onto a post. It was a superstar performance from the Englishman and Gareth Southgate will have a decision to make on who to start in the forthcoming World Cup.

10 minutes after the 3rd Newcastle goal, The Blues were already level. A close-range shot from Haaland and a threaded pass from De Bruyne enabled Benardo Silva to make it 3-3. 

In the 74th minute, Trippier was harshly shown a straight red card for a foul on De Bruyne inside the City half, but referee Jarred Gillett overturned his hasty decision after being advised to check the VAR monitor.

The dying minutes of the game had both teams on edge, both treading carefully ensuring not to lose the point. And still weary of each other in a counter-attacking perspective. The final whistle saw both teams take a point

 Savoury and dramatic, what a game in St James' Park! A true thriller. Newcastle United are a force to reckon with now, and they made sure to let the Champions know. Manchester City is the Champions and they displayed their stellar mentality to the end.

A Liverpool Crisis: Let's talk about The Reds Dismal Start to the Season

 ◉ Fulham 2-2 Liverpool

◉ Liverpool 1-1 Crystal Palace

◉ Manchester United 2-1 Liverpool

The worst start to a season Jurgen Klopp has had at Liverpool. Here are some of the reasons why I believe the Reds are off to a disappointing start.

A Drop-Off Season For The Reds

Liverpool's last season's attempt at a quadruple  saw them play a total of 63 games

League Cup-6

FA Cup-6

Champions League-13

Premier League-38

Total-63

This endeavor took a colossal physical toll on the players, not to mention the emotional burden. What we might be witnessing is a drop-off season for the Reds. To replicate last season's performance would be near impossible in my opinion.

An ageing squad

In the first game of the season (Vs Fulham), Liverpool had six players aged 30 and over in their starting XI. The last time that happened for Liverpool in a Premier League game was against Southampton in February 1994. 

The footballing class of these XI is not in question however, the evolution of the Liverpool first XI  has to have begun. We have seen the injection of youth within the team,  and the acquisition of Luis Diaz, Fabio Carvalho, and Kostas Tsimikas is a clear indication that a plan is in the works to facilitate a rebuild in the forthcoming years.

 Questions have risen over the urgency of this process, pundits suggesting that the immense success of the current Liverpool team might have led to some complacency within the ranks. This in turn has seen a rather sluggish metamorphosis of the first XI.

Mane's Departure

Here are Sadio mane's numbers in a Liverpool shirt.

🔴 269 appearances⁣

⚽️ 120 goals⁣

🎯 38 assists⁣

🏆 Premier League⁣

🏆 Champions League⁣

🏆 Club World Cup⁣

🏆 Super Cup⁣

🏆 Carabao Cup⁣

🏆 FA Cup⁣

Jurgen Klopp on Sadio Mane: "We lost Sadio who was a fixed member of the lineup for 6 years, he told us he wanted a new challenge. He told us early enough and we accepted it. We had time to prepare that and that's what we did.

Sadio was an integral part of the infamous front 3, Consisting of him, Firmino, and Mo. His explosiveness and general athleticism proved problematic to the opposition defenses. His absence can already be felt within the team.

The Injuries

The current injury list for Liverpool consists of;

🚑Thiago 

🚑Matip

🚑Konate

🚑Jota

🚑Jones

🚑Oxlade-Chamberlain

🚑Ramsay

🚑Kelleher

The Reds are in danger of an injury crisis, which is similar to the 2020/21 season which saw  Liverpool suffer a run of six consecutive defeats at Anfield.

 

Squad depth

 Klopp has appeared to rule out the club dipping into the transfer market for midfield reinforcements.

"If there was the right player and an opportunity, we would have done it, we would do it, but I don't see it because we had a lot of conversations already and it doesn't look like something will happen," he said.

"I'm happy with my squad's strength, size, and quality but we have injuries. There are plenty of solutions for it. One of them is the transfer market, but that only makes sense if you can bring in the right player.

"All the other solutions are inside the squad. We have too many injuries, that's clear. Naby will be back for Monday and Kostas (Tsimikas) will train today for the first time so he might be back as well."

In light of such a long injury list, many will believe that Klopp and Liverpool could use maybe one or two reinforcements before the end of the transfer window. 

Is Salah Enough?

Including last season (21/22), Salah has claimed the Golden Boot in 2017-18, when he scored 32 times, and in the 2018-19 season, when he finished with 22 goals.

It's easy to see why there is a huge dependence on Mo, he is consistent. Towards the end of last season, he experienced a goal drought, but his assists saw him top the Premier League charts. It's safe to say the Egyptian King is an ever-evolving player.

Is He enough? He can assist, he can score, and much more. But the team will need a player that opposing Premier League teams are not familiar with. The acquisition of Darwin Nunez is a boost to the front line, opposition teams are not familiar with his style and general game-play.

Game week 2: Big Match Review

 4 Talking Points As The Points are Shared After an Enthralling Match at Stamford Bridge

Let's take a second glimpse at the drama on Sunday as Tottenham came from behind twice, to snatch a point in the dying minutes of the game

The Passion

Are you not entertained? I ask again, Are you not entertained? The Premier League is back! and dare I say it, It's better than ever. There are new rivalries and new players, but the goal is still the same, who will be on top by the end of it all? 

Is it in the cards for Chelsea or Spurs to take home the illustrious Premier League title? The passion displayed by both sides indicated their intent and boy was it intense.

Chelsea Vs Spurs had us all at the edge of our seats throughout the game and a smile on our faces after the final whistle. Only for Conte and Tuchel to add some extra sauce on top of it all as they both saw red at the end of the game. What a performance, by the players and especially the managers, if it was possible they should be nominated for an Oscar for the best touchline performance.

The Character

Chelsea's summer signing Kalidou Koulibaly scored on his home game debut. The 6' 1" defensive behemoth found the top right comer of Llorises' goal with a stunning volley from a corner in the nineteenth minute. Koulibaly's performance was perfect, to say the least, putting any sceptics surrounding his lack of premier league experience and age to bed.

Chelsea's shape and overall gameplay superseded Tottenham's tactics throughout the game. They managed to control the game almost entirely by ensuring the ball played in between the lines to Tottenham's forwards never came to be. The overall energy and domineering presence of  Chelsea was clear to see, and this made Spurs look almost average.

 Chelsea's summer signing Marc Cucurella,  provided the assist for the first goal. The 5' 6" left back is a technical wizard, he controlled the left flank with ease and finesse. The Summer business conducted by Chelsea has been perfect in my opinion and  Marc will be an asset for the Blues for the foreseeable future.

Playing on the right edge of a back three, Recce James seemed right at home in his new position. Will Thomas Tuchel be playing him in this position permanently? We will have to wait and see, but if this game was an exhibition match, James made a solid case for himself. Tuchels' substitution in the 73rd minute saw César Azpilicueta replace Jorginho. Restoring James to his accustomed position. A move that enabled him to score a 77th-minute stunner had the entire stadium on its feet. And at that moment the fairytale was almost complete but Spurs had a little more to say. 

Spurs were second best in almost all departments. Chelsea enjoyed the lion's share of the possession and shots however, Spurs had more shots on target. This comparison highlights Antonio Conte's counter-attacking style of football, a team is not interested in controlling the game, just scoring goals and defending deep. Goals from Pierre-Emile Højbjerg and Harry Kane ensured the points were shared at the final whistle.

The Controversy

Chelsea fans as well as their manager were not happy with several calls over the weekend. The first boiling point came when Rodrigo Bentancur was adjudged to have stolen the ball 'fairly' from Kai Havertz. About 40 seconds later, Hojbjerg scored. A goal which the VAR official  Anthony Taylor should have judged  'offside' as Richarlison was in an offside position.

 The second complaint was an incident shortly before Harry Kane's late equalizer for Spurs, when Cristian Romero avoided punishment for a hair pull on Marc Cucurella. 

Controversy is the middle name of any great game, however, Chelsea will feel hard done by some of the refereeing on Sunday.

The Quality

With a combined squad value of 1.551 Billion, Chelsea and Tottenham are in the top 5 best teams in the Premier League. Both are in contention for the top 4 and if Manchester City were to slip up, the title could be in the cards for either. The Substitutions made by both sides were mind-boggling as well. Class players such as Yves Bissouma, Ivan Perisic, Lucas Moura & Conor Gallagher all came off the bench. We are only at Gameweek two and boy oh boy! I can't wait for the League on the weekend. I'll see you next week on this segment of Big Match review

And the 22/23 Premier League Golden Boot Goes to.......

 

10. Ivan Toney

 Only James Tarkowski (153) won more aerial duels than Ivan Toney (147) in the Premier League last season.  Ivan is such a threat that Newcastle is considering re-signing the striker for £30m. Just four years after selling him for £650k.

Most Premier League goals scored in 2022:

◎ 8 - Harry Kane

◉7 - Ivan Toney

◎ 7 - Jack Harrison

9. Aleksandar Mitrović

Aleksandar Mitrović is the first player to score 43 goals in a single season of second-tier English football since the Premier League was formed. Most goals scored in a single English second-tier season since 1992/93:

Aleksandar Mitrović has already scored two Premier League goals against a defensively solid Liverpool team. 

8. Darwin Núñez

 Darwin Nunez hit the highest top speed of any Premier League player across the division last weekend, registering a high of 36.53 km per hour, he's physically a beast.

Darwin Nunez's game by numbers in Game week 1:

4 shots

3 shots on target (most in the league)

2 chances created

1 assist

1 goal

Darwin Núñez's won the golden boot in the 2021/22 season in The Primeira Liga

Here is his season in numbers:

◉ 41 games

◉ 34 goals

◉ 4 assists

Can he replicate this kind of form in the Premier League? Comparing the quality differences between the two league, many will be in doubt. What is not in doubt however is his impact for Liverpool F.C from the bench, scoring and assisting against Manchester City and Fulham.

7. Cristiano Ronaldo

Cristiano Ronaldo for Man Utd in 2021/22 Premier League:

◉ Most shots (110)

◉ Most shots on target (43)

◉ Most goals (18)

Despite trying to force his way out of  Manchester, Cristiano will grace us with his presence in the Premier League yet again. He was the most influential member of the team last season, scoring18.

His eye for goal is still as sharp as ever and Manchester fans can always count on the Suiiiiiiiiiii to come to their rescue. 

6. Raheem Sterling

Raheem Sterling’s Premier League goals in the last 5 seasons: 

2017/18: ⚽️18 

2018/19: ⚽️17

2019/20: ⚽️20

2020/21: ⚽️10

2021/22: ⚽️13 

He’s outscored Chelsea’s top scorer each time.

In my personal opinion, Pep letting go of Raheem was and still is a big mistake. His directness and pace will be missed on that left flank. His replacement Jack Grealish is an excellent ball player but his scoring output is not even close to Sterlings'.

To Chelsea's advantage, they now have a seasoned English player in their team. If they can find him, he will 100% be a threat in front of the goal.

5. Gabriel Jesus

No player completed more take-ons (6) than Gabriel Jesus in GW1 of the 2022/23 Premier League season. However, he was unable to find the back of the net but his potential in this Arsenal team is immense

Gabriel Jesus scored seven goals in five pre-season games for Arsenal: 

⚽️⚽️ vs. Nürnberg 

⚽️ vs. Everton 

❌ vs. Orlando 

⚽️ vs. Chelsea 

⚽️⚽️⚽️ vs. Sevilla 

4. Son Heung-min

No player has been directly involved in more Premier League goals in 2022 than Son Heung-min (21):

◎ 20 games

◎ 15 goals

◉ 6 assists

Heung-Min Son scored more non-penalty goals than any other player in the Premier League in 2021/22.

◉ Heung-Min Son (23)

◎ Mohamed Salah (18)

Son Heung-min's 2021/22 Premier League shooting by numbers:

◉ 86 shots

◉ 49 shots on target

◉ 26.7% conversion rate

◉ 23 goals

◉ 15.7 xG

◉ 12 left-footed goals

◉ 11 right-footed goals

◉ 0 penalties 

3. Harry Kane

Harry Kane in the Premier League since Antonio Conte's first game in charge:

◎ 28 games

◎ 16 goals

◎ 8 assists

◉ Most non-penalty xG (14.4)

◉ Most Big Chances created (17)

◉ Most through balls (19)

◉ Most shots on target (45)

If it wasn't for the fact that Antonio Conte prefers to play Kane in a deeper number 10 kind of role, Harry would have been top of this list. 

2. Erling Haaland

Erling Haaland's game by numbers vs. West Ham:

91% pass accuracy 

32 touches 

10 touches in opp. box

5 shots

4 big chances 

2 shots on target 

2 goals 

1.5 xG 

Welcome to the Premier League Erling Haaland 🤝

1. Mo Salah

Mo Salah is one goal from equalling Steven Gerrard’s number of Premier League goals for Liverpool & is on target to become the club’s all-time top scorer in the PL.

🥇 Fowler - 128

🥈 Gerrard - 120

🥉 Salah - 119

Apart from last season (21/22), Salah has previously claimed the Golden Boot in 2017-18, when he scored 32 times, and in the 2018-19 season, when he finished with 22 goals.