A 2017 study by Sky Sports and Opta shows that in more than 2,700 Premier League matches, there were teams leading 2-0, up to 90% of the teams maintaining the victory, only 7.4% of the matches ended in a draw and 2.6% of the teams were reversed. However, the 2024-2025 Premier League season has seen the opposite, with teams equalizing after a 2-0 lead up to 17.5%.
Everton led 2-0 twice in September but ended up losing 2-3, and this situation is not limited to just a few teams. Not only the gap of 2 goals, the number of matches with decisive goals in the last minute also increased significantly. In round 9 of the Premier League, there were 5 matches that ended with the decisive goal scored from the 90th minute onwards, breaking the record for the most late goals in the history of the tournament.
An important factor that is believed to be the reason for this phenomenon is the increasingly balanced competition in the Premier League. Captain Fabian Hurzeler (Brighton) said that not only the top teams, but also the bottom teams are of high quality and possess the ability to score late in the match.
Even the bench players of teams like Southampton have international experience, with names like Jan Bednarek, Yukinari Sugawara or Joe Aribo. They are all key players in the national team. The mid-level teams in the Premier League have a much better squad than similar representatives in the top 5 European leagues.
In addition, the change in the number of players substituted per match, from 3 to 5 in the 2022-2023 season, has given teams more strength to make a comeback. This substitution brings new energy and could change the momentum of the match.
In addition, players in the Premier League are not only technically superior but also physically superior. Statistics have shown that the pace of matches and their fitness have increased significantly over the past 5-10 years, making it possible for teams to regain control of the game even when they are behind.
Another notable thing is the effective playing time. The Premier League currently has the highest average rolling time per game among major tournaments in Europe. In recent years, referees have often strictly handled timekeeping, requiring players to continue playing football and ensuring reasonable extra time. This is clearly different from Serie A, where teams can easily slow down the pace of the match to keep the gap in the final minutes.
Coach Enzo Maresca (Ch Chelsea) once emphasized that English football culture makes matches more intense. While in Italy, players can use tricks to extend the time, in England, fans always expect the match to be kept in rhythm until the last moments.
Finally, the constant "selling of tickets" in the Premier League also contributes to creating a vibrant competition atmosphere. Unlike in some other European tournaments, matches in England are often filled with spectators, especially when the home team is behind, the support of fans will be a strong motivation to help the home team play more fiercely and have the opportunity to come back.
Combined with that is a change in the approach of coaches, as they are increasingly determined to maintain their home style of play, leading to more mistakes in the ball deployment in the final minutes.
