After a record-breaking round of games we assess the key factors, including the impact of new added-time directives
Once Phil Foden completed his hat-trick at Brentford to secure Manchester City’s 3-1 win, he set a record collective 45-goal haul for a Premier League round. It followed a weekend where only West Ham, losing 3-0 at Manchester United, and Sheffield United, beaten 5-0 by Aston Villa, failed to score.
It eclipsed two weeks of 44 goals, the first in front of Covid-restricted empty stadiums in the second round of the 2020-21 season, and then last season’s 34th round, which included Brighton’s 6-0 walloping of Wolves and Crystal Palace’s 4-3 defeat of West Ham. Saturday’s haul of 26 goals over five matches was a record for a single day, heavily nudged towards that by Newcastle and Luton’s 4-4 draw.