AS Conor Gallagher swept home Cole Palmer’s pull-back from the edge of the area in Chelsea’s 3-1 win over Crystal Palace on Monday night, with that was the 19th 90th minute winner scored in the Premier League this season.
Already one more than the entirety of last season, the 2023-24 campaign looks set to break the current record of 26 in 2021-22, while each of the last four seasons, including the ongoing one, have now provided at least 18 such goals.
Thanks in no small part to both the average ball in-play time (58 minutes 34 seconds) and added time per game (11 minutes 43 seconds) being both at their highest on record in the competition (since 2006-07) to limit the effects of time-wasting, it has also increased the likelihood of chaotic finishes.
For example, of the eight occasions in Premier League history a side has trailed going into the 90th minute, and subsequently won, three of those instances have happened this season, while it hadn’t happened more than once in any previous campaign. For those wondering, those games were Tottenham against Sheffield United in September, Manchester United against Brentford in October and Wolves against Spurs in November.
The main beneficiaries this season have been Manchester United and Tottenham, who have both netted three 90th minute winners this season. All three of Spurs’ aforementioned winners have come at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, while two of Man Utd’s three winners have been away from Old Trafford.
On the other hand, it’s Crystal Palace and Wolves who have experienced the latest of late sucker punches more than any other side in the Premier League this season, with three each.
Of the 19 90th minute winners so far, nine have come for the away side, which is just the ninth different Premier League campaign to see as many, with only four campaigns reaching double figures come the end.
Since the start of December, six of the last eight winners scored in the 90th minute have been for the away side, compared to just three of the first 11 in 2023-24, while all eight since the beginning of December have been from open play.
Onto just goals in the 90th minute now, of which there’s already been 73 this season, which represents the highest such proportion of overall goals scored in a single Premier League season, which is currently at 10%.
Breaking that down for clubs this season, it’s the title-chasing pair of Arsenal and Liverpool that lead the way here with eight each, as they look to stop Manchester City becoming the first side in England’s top-flight to win four successive league titles.
For goals conceded in that time, it’s Crystal Palace who find themselves top once again with a league-leading nine. In fact, in Premier League history there have only ever been three sides to concede 10+ goals in the 90th minute in a single season, with those being Burnley in 2018-19 (11), Cardiff City in 2013-14 (10) and Hull City in 2016-17 (10).
As for the Gunners and the Reds, they still have a way to go if they’re to match the 12 scored by Chelsea in 2009-10, which is currently the most ever in a single Premier League campaign.
Looking at how those goals have impacted the points won and/or lost by sides this season, Ange Postecoglou’s Tottenham stand out above the rest as being nothing if not entertaining.
Their eight points won from goals scored in the 90th minute is at least three more than any side, while the five points they’ve dropped to goals conceded in that time is the second-most along with Sheffield United, with Manchester City leading the way somewhat surprisingly with six.
With just over a third of this Premier League season remaining, 2023-24 looks set to be one of the most entertaining finishes to a campaign in the competition’s history.
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