Although statistics have been a massive part of sport in North America for generations, they’ve only really started to soak into the world of soccer in the past decade or so. Whilst that might seem downright strange to fans of the NFL and MLB, where stats have always been trotted out seemingly every couple of seconds whenever they’re broadcast on TV, it just wasn’t anywhere near as common to hear them in relation to soccer.
Nowadays though, that’s all changed, with eager statisticians poring over every single match, analysing every action and non-action on the pitch. This has allowed all of us number crunchers to see the world’s most popular sport in a whole new light and has led to some insightful revelations. It’s now clearer than ever to see which players are performing well, and which are having a truly torrid time. Maybe that’s why soccer now has a better chance of becoming a major sport in North America, as we’ve previously discussed here at https://thesportseconomist.com/.
So, let’s use these stats to showcase which are the current top performers in the 3 most popular soccer leagues in the world.
Erling Haaland (Premier League)
This Norwegian powerhouse has taken to the English Premier League like a duck to water and looks set to absolutely smash the record for most goals scored in a season. Andy Cole’s tally of 34 goals in a single campaign has stood tall for 28 years, when the then Newcastle striker was in lethal form in the 1993/94 season. However, Erling Haaland has staggeringly already found the net 17 times so far, in just 11 games for Manchester City.
He’s currently scoring a goal every 54 minutes he’s on the field, which means he could potentially end the season with over 60 goals. Amazingly, it’s not just goals that the now 22-year-old is bringing to the sky-blue side of Manchester, as he’s also getting involved in other ways too. He has currently got 3 assists to his name, meaning that he’s also capable of setting up his teammates to score as well.
Robert Lewandowski (La Liga)
It seems that nobody has reminded Robert Lewandowski that he’s supposed to be in the twilight of his career. The now 34-year-old moved in the most recent summer transfer window from German giants Bayern Munich to Spanish titans Barcelona for around $45 million. The Polish international striker was lighting up the German league, the Bundesligia, with him managing to score 30+ goals in 5 of his 8 seasons he spent in Munich. You can witness all his astonishing stats over at https://www.whoscored.com/.
Pundits wondered whether he’d be able to transfer those astonishing scoring skills to La Liga, and it seems he’s swiftly answered his critics. Lewandowski has already managed to bag 11 goals in his first 10 league starts, whilst also producing 3 assists. He’s also received 7 man-of-the-match awards in that time, showing that his performances are way more often than not, the finest of all the players on the pitch.
Lionel Messi (Ligue 1)
Another player who doesn’t seem to be winding down despite his advancing age, is living legend Lionel Messi. The now 35-year-old has had one of the greatest careers ever seen in soccer, with his massive trophy haul coming whilst he played for Barcelona, but he was forced to move from the club in the summer of 2021 due to the Spanish side’s poor financial health. The magical forward has since made himself at home in the French Ligue 1, where he plays for Paris Saint Germain.
This season he has been in outstanding form, with him scoring 6 goals, and producing a gigantic 9 assists in just 11 matches in the league so far. His impressive stats don’t stop there, as he’s also managed to have created 12 big chances, as well as having the most shots on target per game, with 2.7, which just showcases how much of an attacking talent he still is.
With Messi in such scintillating shape, it’s got many online bookmakers predicting that this might finally be the year that the French side win the Champions League, with them being priced at around 13/2. If you want to back Messi’s team for glory, you can find all the best betting sites over at https://www.sbo.net/. Their team of knowledgeable experts have cut through the noise of the online world, to just deliver betting sites that offer everything a punter needs. Plus, with over 275 independent and impartial bookmaker reviews, it’s easy to find one that fits your custom perfectly.
