Leverkusen's crucial injury time goals this season (so far at least... ): 90+4 vs Bayern - Bundesliga (equalizer) 90+4 vs Qarabag - Europa League (winner) 90+4 vs Augsburg - Bundesliga (winner) 90+1 vs Leipzig - Bundesliga (winner) 90+1 vs Stuttgart - DFB Pokal (winner) 90+2 vs Qarabag - Europa League (equalizer) 90+3 & 90+7 vs Qarabag - Europa League (equalizer and winner) 90+1 vs Hoffenheim - Bundesliga (winner) 90+7 vs Dortmund - Bundesliga (equalizer) 90+7 vs Stuttgart - Bundesliga (equalizer) 90+7 vs Roma - Europa League (equalizer)
Leverkusen joined the Premier League? Or why does it stand here and not in the Bundesliga thread? Bayer(n) stats nerd zippy mentioned it happened already 15 times not 12 as you listed? Who is right? btw: In Germany we call this "Ausgleichende Gerechtigkeit" (corrective justice?) for over 20 years of mocking Leverkusen as Vizekusen/Neverkusen when they threw away the Bundesliga title in the last match of the season, the DFB Cup final and later the Champions League final. back to "PL random stat attack" facts
But you already gave the German Football Fans (minus Bayern fans) "Ausgleichende Gerechtigkeit" when you sent Harry Kane and Eric Dier to Bayern and end their trophy winning seasons. Thx a lot from Germany to THFC for this gift. (hope it pays off for your club soon, too) btw: Harry can still equalise Robert Lewandowski's Bundesliga record. He needs another 5 goals in 2 matches for the 41. At least he has already won a personal trophy, the "Kicker Torjägerkanone"
If you combined the points totals from our last two seasons in the Premier League it would see us 17th this season, and we would still have been relegated in our last season in 2020/2021.
Have you heard of Delio Onnis? I'll start by saying I hadn't either. He's the all time record goalscorer in Ligue 1. 299 goals in 449 games. He won the golden boot at three different clubs. Monaco, Tours and Toulon. His career trajectory was strange though. He scored 29 goals in 33 apperances in the 75/76 season as Monaco were relegated. He had a record of 85 goals in 101 games at this point.....he stayed with Monaco and fired them back into the top division in 76/77. Monaco then won the title in 77/78 and established themselves as a top 4 side in France up to 1980, winning the French Cup that year too. Then, he left them to join newly promoted Tours and preceded to win the golden boot two more times. However in the 1982/93 season, Onnis found himself relegated again in his career. There he left and joined Toulon. Remarkably at 36 years of age, playing for another newly promoted club, he won his fifth and final golden boot in France. Had two more seasons before retiring. Finished as Ligue 1's all time top scorer and being relegated more times than actually winning the league title. Craziest part of it all, he never played for his country. Argentina only chose domestic players in that era so Onnis being a player in France was never selected. One of the greatest goalscorers of the 70s......never played at a world cup.
A legend on his way out. That number of Premier League starts, when those four players have all been at the club together since January 2018, tells its own story.
What I don't understand is that back in the early days of the PL, most defenders would play every or very close to every game, despite the game being a lot rougher, especially with big centre forwards looking for the knock on for the striker, battling it out with the CBs all game. Now the game has a lot less physical contact, and a lot less jumping and heading the ball away, injuries have skyrocketed. United, for example, have played a settled centre back pairing just once since 2007/08 season.
More physical contact back then but could argue less physically demanding overall. Particularly when you consider the high press, high line defence that Matip has been playing in at Liverpool. Much easier sitting on the edge of your box heading balls clear all day. Sure I've seen @A Gooner speaking about it when referring to the physical demands put on Van De Ven at Spurs in their set up, as an example.
1209 goals scored this season which is a record for a 380 match season with ten still to play. The all time record set in 1992-93 is 1222 goals scored but that was over 462 games. I am aware football was not invented ( can a sport actually be invented ) recently but do like stats like that.
The 2023-2024 season is the first time Guardiola has managed to go through a league campaign without losing at home while at Manchester City. This shocked me. Then I looked further. He never achieved this at Bayern Munich in three seasons. And only once at Barcelona in four years there. It's the first time he's done it since 2010. This made me look up Mourinho's record. Jose Mourinho lost four home matches in THIRTEEN seasons of league football. He didn't lose a home match for nine years
