An over-reliance on one player is never a good thing but a number of Premier League clubs are going into the final stretch of the season with their hopes pinned firmly on one star man. That’s the case for most of the teams in the relegation battle – and one who hope to make the top four. Here are the five players who have either scored or set up at least half of their team’s goals this season.
Robert Snodgrass: 50% of Hull City’s goals
Hull City have scored just 20 goals all season and they have just sold the man who had a hand in half of them. In a season in which the team picked up more points from their opening two games (six) than the next 12 they played, Robert Snodgrass was the only real positive.
Snodgrass has scored or set up 10 of their goals, including decisive goals in wins over Leicester City and Southampton, and draws against Burnley, Crystal Palace and Everton. The team would be eight points worse off but for his goals and assists. With that figure almost half of the team’s entire points haul this season (17), Marco Silva has a real job on his hands getting goals from his squad now that Snodgrass has left for West Ham.
Gylfi Sigurdsson: 50% of Swansea City’s goals
If Paul Clement is to steer Swansea City to safety, he’ll need Gylfi Sigurdsson to continue making the difference. Were it not for his goal and assist against Southampton on Tuesday night, Swansea would have lost rather than won a vital three points. His combined tally of 14 goals and assists not only accounts for half of Swansea’s total this season but his contributions have earned the club a whopping 12 points.
He’s already had a direct hand in as many goals this season as he did last time around, and only four players have registered more assists in the Premier League than his total of seven. Given that no other current Swansea player has registered more than one assist this season, Sigurdsson’s creativity will be paramount to the club’s chances of survival.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic: 51.5% of Manchester United’s goals
Given the players at his disposal, José Mourinho will be concerned by his heavy reliance on Zlatan Ibrahimovic for goals. Many wondered whether the 35-year-old would be able to cope with the rigours of the Premier League but he has laughed in the face of those doubters.
Were it not for Ibrahimovic’s 14 goals and three assists, the club would be considerably further adrift of the top-four finish fans expected after Mourinho spent £145m on new players last summer (and brought in Ibrahimovic on a free transfer). Ibrahimovic has contributed directly to 17goals in the league this season – 51.5% of United’s total – a tally beaten only by Alexis Sánchez (23) and Diego Costa (20). His goal contributions have been worth 16 points to the team and United have lost just once – against Manchester City – when he has been on the scoresheet.
Álvaro Negredo: 53% of Middlesbrough’s goals
The lowest scorers in the Premier League, with just 19 goals in 23 matches, Middlesbrough are clearly lacking firepower and Aitor Karanka didn’t seem overly impressed with the additions of Rudy Gestede and the returning Patrick Bamford in the January transfer window. Álvaro Negredo continues to lead the line under his fellow Spaniard and, while he’s hardly the most reliable source of goals, the Teesiders still owe a great deal to their striker.
The 31-year-old is not only the club’s top scorer, with a modest six, but he also leads the team for assists, with four, meaning he has had a direct hand in over half of Middlesbrough’s goals this season. He may have only scored in four league matches but Karanka’s men have picked up points in all four and a brace of assists in the derby with Sunderland early in the campaign helped secure a 2-1 win.
Jermain Defoe: 70% of Sunderland’s goals
When it comes to an over-reliance on one player, there is one clear winner. Were it not for the exploits of Jermain Defoe, Sunderland would surely already be doomed. With 12 goals already this season, Defoe ranks fifth in the Premier League scoring charts, while a further two assists mean that the 34-year-old has had a hand in a massive 70% of his team’s total tally.
Such have been the woes of David Moyes’ men this season, however, Defoe’s goals haven’t actually carried a great amount of value in terms of the points they have won. He has scored in defeats against Manchester City, Crystal Palace, Arsenal, Burnley and Stoke City, but nonetheless if Sunderland are to complete their annual great escape they will again need their ageing striker to continue to prove that it is but a number.
Premier League team of the week
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