Premier League clubs rushed to the summer transfer window to strengthen their attacking options, spending a record £1.92bn on forward players. Despite this, many forwards are struggling to find the back of the net.
Even Erling Haaland, one of the top scorers in the league alongside Brentford’s Igor Thiago and Manchester City’s new signing Antoine Semenyo, is experiencing a goal drought. Haaland has gone five Premier League matches without an open-play goal, and has not scored in open play in eight consecutive games across all competitions.
The decline in scoring is not limited to Haaland. The average number of goals by forwards has dropped to its lowest point in a decade at 1.36 per game. Players like Viktor Gyokeres, Benjamin Sesko, and Nick Woltemade are also struggling to find the back of the net.
The decrease in open-play goals is a league-wide trend, as teams are focusing more on set-pieces. Defenders are getting more opportunities in the opposition box, while forwards are finding it harder to create space and take shots.
This shift towards defensive compactness has made it challenging for forwards to exploit openings and score goals. As teams become more organized defensively, the window of opportunity for attacking teams has shrunk, leading to fewer goals and a higher number of goalless draws.
Ultimately, the struggles of Premier League forwards can be attributed to a combination of decreased space, defensive solidity, and fewer opportunities in open play. This trend sheds light on the difficulties faced by attacking players in the league.
