The Premier League's goalless draws have reached unprecedented levels this season, with 17 so far, more than in any previous season since records began. The trend is not entirely new, however. In the 1998-99 campaign, there were a remarkable 49 goalless games, making up 12.9% of all matches that season.
The recent rise in goalless draws has been attributed to a reduction in goals. This season, there have been just 603 goals in 220 games, an average of 2.7 goals per game. The previous two seasons saw the highest number of goals in Premier League history, with 1,246 and 1,115 goals respectively.
One possible explanation for this trend is a shift towards more direct play. Teams are making fewer passes, relying on long balls, and set pieces to score goals. This approach has led to a decrease in shots from outside the box, which fell below eight per game for the first time in Premier League history.
Goalkeepers like Iker Casillas have even suggested that goalless draws should be punished, with Piqué proposing that teams scoring zero points if a match ends 0-0. However, this idea has not yet been implemented, and it remains to be seen whether coaches will adapt their tactics to incorporate more attacking play in response.
For now, fans are left with the prospect of watching two evenly matched teams cancel each other out, rather than witnessing an exciting goal-filled contest. As Paddy Crerand once said, "If tacticians ever reached perfection, the result would be a 0-0 draw, and there would be no one there to see it." It's a bleak outlook for those who crave the drama and excitement of high-scoring matches.
The recent rise in goalless draws has been attributed to a reduction in goals. This season, there have been just 603 goals in 220 games, an average of 2.7 goals per game. The previous two seasons saw the highest number of goals in Premier League history, with 1,246 and 1,115 goals respectively.
One possible explanation for this trend is a shift towards more direct play. Teams are making fewer passes, relying on long balls, and set pieces to score goals. This approach has led to a decrease in shots from outside the box, which fell below eight per game for the first time in Premier League history.
Goalkeepers like Iker Casillas have even suggested that goalless draws should be punished, with Piqué proposing that teams scoring zero points if a match ends 0-0. However, this idea has not yet been implemented, and it remains to be seen whether coaches will adapt their tactics to incorporate more attacking play in response.
For now, fans are left with the prospect of watching two evenly matched teams cancel each other out, rather than witnessing an exciting goal-filled contest. As Paddy Crerand once said, "If tacticians ever reached perfection, the result would be a 0-0 draw, and there would be no one there to see it." It's a bleak outlook for those who crave the drama and excitement of high-scoring matches.
. It makes me think about how sometimes, even when we're trying our best, things just don't go as planned. And you know what? That's okay! Because it's in those moments of stagnation that we can learn to appreciate the beauty in simplicity 
. Maybe instead of craving high-scoring matches, we should focus on finding joy in the quiet, uneventful moments too. Like when we finally get a good night's sleep after a long week or when we enjoy a peaceful walk without any distractions 
. We gotta learn to appreciate the small wins and find happiness in the everyday moments, rather than always chasing that next big thrill 
this premier league season is so boring rn with all these goalless draws its like watching paint dry 
at least in 1998-99 they had 49 goalless games which is still kinda low imo idk why teams are playing more direct but its not really working for them i mean what's the fun in that? 
I'm lovin' or hate-in on these goalless draws, you feel? 
Like, can't we just have some good old-fashioned 3-2 thrillers anymore? 
The less said about this 0-0 nonsense the better 
. But seriously, coaches gotta step up their game and start playin' like they actually wanna win 
. Maybe Piqué's idea of punishin' teams for scoreless matches isn't a bad one tho 
️. It'd add some drama to those boring 0-0s 
!
it's not like it's some new tactic or anything... "let's rely on long balls and set pieces" yeah no thanks, where's the flair in that? 
fans are stuck watching paint dry instead of seeing some actual football action. piqué's idea about punting teams if they score zero points tho... now that's a thought 
. but for real, can we just get back to the good old days of 40+ goals per season? 
... like what even is the point of watching a match if nothing's gonna happen?! 
At least in 1998 they had way more games ending 0-0 though 
... still doesn't make it any better tho. I get that teams are just playing smarter, but can't we have some drama and excitement too?! 
Teams just pass the ball around all day and hope something sticks, or they just kick it up field hoping for a lucky shot 
... no thanks!
.
, though. It's not that simple. Coaches need to adapt their tactics, not just rely on luck or bad defending. And fans are right - there's no excitement in watching two evenly matched teams cancel each other out 
. Like, teams are already making fewer passes, let's see if we can incorporate more movement and interplay into our own game 
.
️. Can we just have a little bit of everything this season?