2016/17 EPL participants on target to set new average goals per game standard

We’ve reached the business end of the season but there are still no signs of a slowdown in the number of goals being scored. We’ve seen the net bulge 776 times during the 273 Premier League matches played so far in the 2016/17 season, an average of 2.84 per game. This figure eclipses the previous best recorded since the English Premier League era began, which was an average of 2.81 goals per game in the 2011/12 season.

Gameweek 29 does, however, promise to be one of the more even rounds of the campaign, with all of the teams in action this weekend having a goal projection figure under 2, as highlighted in the table below.

The weekend action gets under way with Arsenal’s visit to the Hawthorns to take on West Bromwich Albion. The Baggies are one of the most physically imposing sides in the division, an asset that is highlighted by the fact that 12 of their 36 league goals have been scored by headers. However, perhaps more startling is the fact that only one side has scored more headed goals this season – Saturday’s opponents Arsenal! This is quite remarkable when you consider that the diminutive Alexis Sánchez has been leading the line for the majority of the campaign, a role the Chilean international is again expected to occupy on Saturday.

Everton have the highest goal expectancy of all the sides in GW29 action, so Romelu Lukaka, who has been garnering most of the headlines this week, will surely fancy his chances of adding to his seasonal tally against Hull City at Goodison Park on Saturday.

The bookmakers rate the Toffees as one of the stronger GW29 favourites according to their latest English Premier League match betting odds.

On Sunday, a goal-shy Middlesbrough begin life after Aitor Karanka, when Manchester United visit the Riverside Stadium. Boro might fancy their chances of getting a result though, against a United side that could be jaded and depleted, having played two games in the space of 4 days. The Red Devils did see off Rostov to book their place in the Europa League quarter-final draw but injuries and suspensions are mounting up for José Mourinho’s men at an alarming rate.

Pep Guardiola is in danger of ending his first season at the Etihad empty-handed. Manchester City do have an FA Cup semi-final date at Wembley with Arsenal to look forward to but Wednesday’s crushing defeat in Monaco would have been a bitter pill to swallow. Liverpool will be looking to rub salt into the wounds, when they make the short trip to Manchester for the Sunday evening kick-off, in what is arguably the pick of the GW29 matches.

Will the class of 2016/17 maintain this high scoring trend as they bid to set a new standard?