Even with 44 matches still to be played, the goalscoring record for a 20-team Premier League season has already been broken.
The 2023-24 campaign will likely be remembered for its breathless three-team title race, but it may also go down in history for its gluttony of goals, with high-scoring fixtures being delivered almost every matchday.
Take this midweek for example: On Tuesday, Arsenal thrashed Chelsea 5-0. On Wednesday, Manchester United beat Sheffield United 4-2, and on Thursday Manchester City thumped Brighton 4-0.
In Manchester United’s game Harry Maguire’s equaliser was the Premier League’s 1,085th goal of the season, taking it past the 38-game record of 1,084, which had only been set last term.
Eleven further goals have been scored since then. Top-flight matches this term are averaging 3.26 goals per game, according to data analysts Opta.
If this scoring rate continues this season will end with 1,239 goals, breaking the Premier League’s absolute record of 1,222 from 1992-93 – back when there were 22 teams in the division and 462 games played.
It would be a mammoth tally, so what’s the secret behind the Premier League’s increased goals?