Haaland’s inevitability, Everton’s new weakness, Fulham’s Arsenal connections – Data Column
Three done, 35 to go.
An international break is looming, just as the Premier League is getting underway. On Saturday, Arsenal dropped points for the first time since mid-April, Manchester City continued a 12-game winning streak and we were treated to the latest comeback from two goals down in Premier League history at Goodison Park.
Sunday did not disappoint either, with Newcastle United winning a closely fought clash with Tottenham Hotspur before Liverpool comfortably edged out Manchester United in a convincing 3-0 victory, with Arne Slot becoming the first Liverpool manager to win his first match at Old Trafford since George Kay in 1936.
Three Premier League weekends is barely enough time to show statistical trends, but there are plenty of tactical stories to sink our teeth into in the opening stages. The Athletics to take you through some of the oddities we noticed in this weekend’s matches…
Haaland is inevitable
It seems obvious to start with goals from Erling Haaland, but if the Norwegian scores consecutive hat-tricks, it becomes an obligation.
That puts him on seven goals (including one penalty) in the first three Premier League games of 2024-25, more than any other player in the first three games of a season.
To put that into context, those seven goals are already more than Michail Antonio, Evan Ferguson, Gabriel Jesus, Danny Welbeck and Taiwo Awoniyi managed in 2023-24 – and more than 17 Premier League teams this season.
Saturday’s hat-trick at West Ham was his first away from the Etihad Stadium, taking him to eight hat-tricks in his Premier League career. He is tied with Thierry Henry, Harry Kane and Michael Owen in the division’s all-time records. It was his 11th in a Manchester City shirt. He signed in the summer of 2022, this is not normal.
If you break down those hat-tricks by game, you can see how lucrative his chances have been. Of the 24 goals in this example, only two have come from outside the penalty area — both this season.
We know it by now, but Haaland doesn’t need to be involved in City’s build-up to have an impact on the game. Of all players with more than 900 minutes played since joining the competition in 2022-23, Haaland has just 6.2 touches per shot — the fewest of any other player, ahead of Fulham’s Rodrigo Muniz (7.1) and Liverpool’s Darwnin Nunez (8.1).
He looks well-rested and more clinical than ever, a deadly combination for the opposition defence.
(Charlotte Wilson/Offside/Offside via Getty Images)
Everton are struggling with a defensive weakness
Everton’s defeat on Saturday afternoon was a story in itself, but even more worrying was the common thread in the goals they conceded – not just against Bournemouth, but in all three games.
Of the 10 goals conceded, five came because they failed to process crosses properly.
Their three goals conagainst Bournemouth we saw two instances of poor defending at the far post, with Vitalii Mykolenko out of position or unable to defend the cross.
A similar pattern can be seen at the other end of the line in the opening day loss to Brighton. This time Ashley Young is too far advanced as Kaoru Mitoma is free at the far post for a simple tap-in from Yankuba Minteh’s cross.
Against Tottenham, crosses from set-pieces were the weak point, with James Tarkowski unusually dominated in the air by Christian Romero, who himself headed in a corner.
A look under the bonnet doesn’t provide much positivity for Everton fans. Sean Dyche’s side have delivered the most successful crosses (21) of any team in the first three weeks of the season.
For a team whose defensive figures were among the best in the league last season – conceding 1.3 goals per 90 minutes is the fourth highest percentage – there are clearly issues that need to be addressed.
The good news is that the problems are clear. Tackle crosses at the source and make sure nothing gets past you at the far post.
Can Newcastle avoid injuries?
Newcastle beat Tottenham in a scrappy match at St James’ Park on Sunday, with all seven midfielders from both teams receiving yellow cards for their troubles.
That’s not a statistic to be proud of, but it does show that Eddie Howe’s team are back on track after last season was plagued by injuries.
Excluding Sandro Tonali’s suspension for betting violations, Newcastle’s players lost a total of 2,154 days to injury last season. That’s a huge increase on previous seasons and easily the highest number of days under Howe.
Howe’s teams have struggled with injuries throughout his coaching career and Newcastle still have a number of key players undergoing treatment, but this season his squad looks fully re-energised.
A campaign without European football might provide a better picture: Sunday’s win over Spurs ensured Newcastle remained unbeaten at the start of the season.
Will Southampton learn their lesson quickly?
When you play against Southampton, the tactic you should use for the match is obvious: put them under pressure while they build from the back.
High pressing is a staple of the modern game, but Russell Martin’s side create some fine chances with their deep build-up play, which doesn’t quite live up to the elite standards of the Premier League.
We knew this would be a key part of Martin’s game, which has been uncompromising in its approach – apart from a few subtle adjustments during Southampton’s play-off success. Only Tottenham have a higher average possession percentage than Southampton’s 68 per cent in the opening weeks.
They have lost the ball in their defensive third 18 times this season, the second-most in the league. Crucially, six of those have resulted in an opposition shot or goal — such as Bryan Mbeumo’s second on Saturday.
Debutant goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale was indecisive in possession and made a total of 17 long passes in the match, more than Southampton had made in their previous two games combined.
There are similarities to Burnley last season, with Southampton seemingly unable to extend their Championship lead to the top flight.
Should Martin redouble his efforts after the international break or should he inject a dose of pragmatism into his team?
Fulham’s left side is boiling
Their 1-1 draw with Ipswich Town may not have been the most eye-catching in the previous game, but a flowing attack on Fulham’s goal provided a spark that looks set to ignite in Marco Silva’s team.
The combination of Antonee Robinson, Alex Iwobi and Emile Smith Rowe has flourished in the early weeks of the season and the trio combined for Fulham’s equaliser against Ipswich. A fluid movement saw Robinson’s cross being finished by Adama Traore.
Iwobi and Smith Rowe, former Arsenal team-mates, both scored a goal in the previous round as Fulham beat Leicester.
With Adama Traore, Kenny Tete and Andreas Pereira finding their own triangles on the right, there appears to be a nice balance to Fulham’s attack on both flanks.
The arrival of Sander Berge will further strengthen Fulham’s midfield, but fielding Smith Rowe and Pereira as attacking central midfielders is an attractive prospect for Silva.
Arsenal’s connections also continue to grow, with Reiss Nelson completing a loan move before the transfer window closed last week. If Smith Rowe can continue to get consistent minutes and strengthen those connections with Iwobi and Robinson, Fulham could surprise a few people this season.
(Top photos: Getty Images)
