A record number of Premier League champions have struggled to find their top goal scorer, a trend that stretches back decades. The data reveals just how spread out the goals are among top-flight winners in England.
The lowest top scorer in league history belongs to Jimmy Gemmell and Billy Hogg of Sunderland, who both scored 10 goals in the 1901-02 season. This is an astonishing achievement for a team that went on to win their fourth title under those two strikers.
Since then, several clubs have followed suit with few notable exceptions. The most recent top scorer was also from the same era - Teddy Sheringham and Mark Hughes both scored 15 goals in the 1992-93 season while playing for Manchester United.
The phenomenon seems to be more pronounced at the lower end of the scale. Several champions, including Liverpool in the 1970s, Chelsea under José Mourinho, and Pep Guardiola's Manchester City, have spread their goals around their teams rather than having a dominant top scorer.
Arsenal, however, stands out as an exception - or perhaps, not so much. The Gunners' latest crop of strikers has struggled to make an impact, with only Viktor Gyökeres and Leandro Trossard managing five league goals apiece.
Their top 40 Premier League goals have been shared among 13 players - a staggering 16 if you include own goals from Sam Johnstone, Yerson Mosquera and Georginio Rutter.
Despite the lack of standout scorers, Arsenal continue to enjoy a healthy lead in the league with seven points over their closest rivals. This marks a continuation of a tradition that has seen English champions consistently fail to have a top goal scorer among their ranks.
This tradition dates back decades, with clubs like Dixie Dean's Everton and Newcastle United's Jimmy Gemmell and Billy Hogg setting records for low top scorers in the early 20th century. The trend persisted through the 1970s, where Nottingham Forest unwittingly followed Liverpool's example by having two players score 12 goals.
Even today, it seems that English champions still struggle to find consistency in their attacking lineups.
The lowest top scorer in league history belongs to Jimmy Gemmell and Billy Hogg of Sunderland, who both scored 10 goals in the 1901-02 season. This is an astonishing achievement for a team that went on to win their fourth title under those two strikers.
Since then, several clubs have followed suit with few notable exceptions. The most recent top scorer was also from the same era - Teddy Sheringham and Mark Hughes both scored 15 goals in the 1992-93 season while playing for Manchester United.
The phenomenon seems to be more pronounced at the lower end of the scale. Several champions, including Liverpool in the 1970s, Chelsea under José Mourinho, and Pep Guardiola's Manchester City, have spread their goals around their teams rather than having a dominant top scorer.
Arsenal, however, stands out as an exception - or perhaps, not so much. The Gunners' latest crop of strikers has struggled to make an impact, with only Viktor Gyökeres and Leandro Trossard managing five league goals apiece.
Their top 40 Premier League goals have been shared among 13 players - a staggering 16 if you include own goals from Sam Johnstone, Yerson Mosquera and Georginio Rutter.
Despite the lack of standout scorers, Arsenal continue to enjoy a healthy lead in the league with seven points over their closest rivals. This marks a continuation of a tradition that has seen English champions consistently fail to have a top goal scorer among their ranks.
This tradition dates back decades, with clubs like Dixie Dean's Everton and Newcastle United's Jimmy Gemmell and Billy Hogg setting records for low top scorers in the early 20th century. The trend persisted through the 1970s, where Nottingham Forest unwittingly followed Liverpool's example by having two players score 12 goals.
Even today, it seems that English champions still struggle to find consistency in their attacking lineups.
. Like, what's the strategy behind spreading goals around? Is it just about making sure everyone gets a fair share and doesn't leave anyone out? 
I mean, it makes sense that some clubs might prioritize teamwork over individual glory, but at the same time, you'd think they'd want to have someone who can consistently deliver under pressure.
. But overall, I think it's interesting that this trend continues even with the advancements in sports analytics and whatnot. Maybe teams are just getting smarter about managing their resources and not putting all their eggs in one basket? 
.
. But at the same time, when you look at all the data, it's like... yeah, we can see this trend and how it's been going on for decades.
instead of having a single superstar striker. like, who needs one guy scoring 20+ goals when you've got an entire squad contributing? 
. Anyway, back to football... I wonder if Arsenal would still be doing well if they got some fresh strikers in? Maybe someone who's actually good at scoring goals 
, except instead of chairs they're running around the pitch trying to get some goals 
. what's going on here? is it something about the team management or the league itself? 
its like they cant even agree on who should be the main man upfront 
but at the same time, is it any surprise? 
I mean, teams are always trying to mix it up and keep their opponents guessing 
so maybe its just a part of their strategy to scatter the goals around 
. It's like they're playing a game of musical chairs up front, but nobody gets stuck in a chair 
! I'm not surprised, though - I've been following their squad changes for a while now, and it's always been a bit of a mystery. What do you guys think? Is this the future of English football? Can we all just have a decent team with some solid midfielders instead of trying to find that one special attacker? 
. Still, its weird how consistent some teams have been in this regard - from Everton to Liverpool, even Pep's City has had their fair share of goal-scorers who just don't stand out.
meanwhile other top teams are overloading on goals and not getting much out of it 
, but who got the biggest slice? Arsenal's top scorers are like background actors 
. Meanwhile, those other teams just spread the love 
. Can't say I'm surprised though 
. Maybe it's just how they play the beautiful game